Seafood Expo North America organizer Diversified Communications said on 31 January the novel coronavirus outbreak has not affected its plans to host North America’s largest seafood expo, slated to take place 15 to 17 March at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has spread rapidly in China and isolated cases have been found in other parts of the world, including eight in North America. “Diversified Communications has been responding to public safety situations for many years and has an effective crisis management protocol in place,” Diversified Communications Seafood Group Vice President Liz Plizga told SeafoodSource. “We have great confidence in our partnerships with the cities and local authorities where our events take place, and we will continue to update our customers on new developments. We look forward to a safe and successful event.”
Diversified said it is working with the venue’s Public Safety Department, which itself is coordinating with the city, state, and federal first responders for “real-time” intelligence and response protocols. Furthermore, the Public Safety Department is reviewing the BCEC’s pre-event safety and security assessment to ensure appropriate preventive measures are in place. Additionally, the BCEC has medically trained public safety staff and Boston Emergency Medical Services on-site during the event as standard practice “and will implement the most effective protocols in accordance with current recommendations,” Diversified said. And the BCEC plans to increase hand-washing signage and hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility and will make an extra effort to ensure all public areas remain clean, the company said.
“The situation has not impacted attendee registration and exhibitor participation at the expo,” it said. “We are following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We are also working with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), and appropriate authorities on recommended protocols to protect our customers and attendees while at the expo.”
For its part, the city of Boston is monitoring the progress of the virus and has increased efforts to prevent the spread of disease citywide, Diversified said. The Massachusetts Port Authority, working with the Center for Disease Control, has initiated coronavirus screenings of international travelers arriving at Boston’s Logan Airport, and city officials have organized preparedness meetings with Boston EMS, emergency management agencies, and the police and fire departments.
Diversified Communications said it in its statement it will continue to monitor the situation regarding the novel coronavirus, both in the U.S. and internationally.
“The health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors are our primary concern,” it said. “We encourage our exhibitors and visitors to take preventive measures and review the [updates provided by] the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.”
Diversified will post any additional updates regarding the coronavirus and Seafood Expo North America at a special web page it has created for those interested in more information. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications also owns and operates SeafoodSource].
