Informa Canada is taking measures to keep real estate executives updated on COVID-19 and its potential impacts on Canadian real estate conferences and forums.
Informa Canada is taking measures to keep thousands of commercial real estate executives up to date on the status of its Canadian forums and conferences in light of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak.
Informa has now posted its first notice, about measures being taken at two of its upcoming conferences in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Real Estate Forum will take place as planned on March 31 at Vancouver Convention Centre West, as will the Western Canada Apartment Investment Conference on April 1 at Vancouver Convention Centre East, but a range of extra health and safety measures will be taken.
Registrations for the two Vancouver conferences, as well as other Canadian Real Estate Forums and Conferences, are being accepted only from Canada and North America. This shouldn’t have a major impact, however, as more than 99 per cent of attendees are based in Canada.
“Our top priority is always the safety and experience of our participants — a responsibility we take very seriously,” said the statement, posted Tuesday on the Vancouver Real Estate Forum website.
Informa will also update the information if and when required.
“Realizing the power of face-to-face networking, it’s key to remember that during this time we have an important role to play in helping you to stay active and engaged with your peers in the real estate industry within as safe an environment as possible.”
Informa organizes a series of such forums across the country, with other events scheduled for Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Montreal and Toronto through the first week of June.
Because the COVID-19 virus could have different impacts in different markets, Informa plans to provide updates as necessary for each of the events on their respective webpages.
Vancouver precautions
The Public Health Agency of Canada currently assesses the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low. Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Centre for Disease Control have also posted information about the virus.
The risk of the virus spreading within British Columbia remains low and there is (as of March 3) no known transmission of the virus in the community. Members of the public are only being asked to take the usual measures recommended to prevent cold or flu viruses during the winter.
The World Health Organization has provided a number of recommendations for good personal hygiene measures, which include proper hand-washing and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
The Vancouver Convention Centre has put precautionary measures in place to amplify cleaning and sanitization processes throughout the facility and support a high standard of cleanliness. This includes:
* enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols by the housekeeping team;
* scheduling additional housekeeping staff during event days for greater coverage of high-touch areas;
* and placing additional hand-sanitizing stations throughout both buildings.
The Informa conference management team will provide any updates on the Vancouver Real Estate Forum website. Informa real estate vice-president George Przybylowski can also be reached at 416-512-3813 if there are further questions.
BOMA Canada pandemic guide
Meanwhile, BOMA Canada’s 2019 Guide to Pandemic Planning is available as a tool for property owners and managers to offer preparedness recommendations and ready them for pandemics.
The guide provides information on: pandemic plans for properties; employee health and safety considerations; the physical environment; communicating during a pandemic; supplies and suppliers; information technology considerations; security; and legal considerations for property owners and managers.
The guide was first published for BOMA Canada members in response to 2003’s SARS outbreak in Toronto. It was updated in 2017.
