20 October 2021, Los Angeles: As the GSMA gears up to welcome people to Mobile World Congress Los Angeles, October 26-28, it shares the importance of adherence to the health and safety plan, stressing that we all play a role in keeping one another safe. Committed Community MWC LA is a specially developed health and safety plan that builds on elements from safe and successful MWC events held earlier this year in Shanghai and Barcelona. The plan uses CLEAR Health Pass, a best-in-class health screening platform to confirm proof of COVID-19 vaccination or to validate negative test results.
The plan was developed in coordination with the City of Los Angeles, the LA Tourism Board and, the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) and guided by the latest information from the CDC, the California Department of Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Health and health and safety experts.
Committed Community
The health and safety plan, Committed Community, will impact everyone involved with the event. The plan takes a multi-layered approach and requires full cooperation from attendees, exhibitors, suppliers, partners, staff, and the local community. Layers include testing and vaccination, touchless environments, re-vamped catering, occupancy monitoring, upgrades to facility infrastructure, medical staff, and personal commitments such as adhering to social distancing and following mask protocols. The plan builds on the LACC’s Clean and Safe Promise, which leverages innovative cleaning equipment, heightened sanitation, and disinfection protocols, as well as ventilation mechanics that comply with CDC and Cal/OSHA standards.
The LACC, owned by the City of Los Angeles and managed by ASM Global, was awarded the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation on outbreak prevention, response and, recovery, becoming the first convention center on the west coast to receive the distinction. Recognized as the gold standard of safe venues, GBAC STAR™ provides third-party validation to ensure the implementation of rigorous protocols in response to biorisk situations. Safety protocols at MWC Los Angeles are also guided by ASM Global’s best-in-class VenueShield Program, which provides the most advanced hygienic safeguards customized for the LACC.
“I am so proud that after successful in-person events in both Shanghai and Barcelona, we will round out the MWC 2021 series in Los Angeles. MWC showcases the best of our industry and being with the people at the forefront of innovation is always inspiring. This year, there’s been special energy, a recognition that in the most extraordinary of circumstances, we are coming together. We could not have done this without expert partners, local support and, the commitment of our members and exhibitors. I am deeply grateful and look forward to seeing everyone in the North American capital of connectivity,” said GSMA CEO John Hoffman.
Vaccination and Testing
GSMA has partnered with CLEAR Health Pass – a free, mobile app experience that securely connects a user’s verified identity to multiple layers of COVID-19-related health information – to manage COVID-19 vaccination documentation and testing validation.
Before arriving, US-based MWC Los Angeles participants are asked to download the CLEAR Health Pass app and to upload proof of vaccination, or negative COVID-19 testing information.
- Fully vaccinated participants can upload proof of vaccination or valid vaccine verification OR
- Connect to an integrated provider to import a valid negative PCR or Antigen Rapid Test result into the Health Pass app. The test must be repeated every 72 hours, with participants notified through the Health Pass app of upcoming expiration
- International attendees or those unable to use the app will be able to provide a valid vaccination record or a negative PCR or Antigen test result in printed or digital format for entrance into the event
- All participants must undergo a daily temperature check to enter the venue. Temperature checks will be conducted at all access points
The Venue
- Entrances and exits have been adjusted for one-way traffic flow and floor plans accommodate for social distancing
- Hand sanitizing stations and no-touch water refill stations are available throughout
- LACC cafes and portables will offer touchless payment portals, have been set up to ensure social distancing, and all food preparation adheres to enhanced standards
- Constant monitoring of indoor air quality by the LACC
Precautions by Trained Disinfection Specialists
The LACC has implemented a Blue Tower program focusing on cleaning and building maintenance operations to ensure a safe and healthy environment, including a new cleaning, sanitation, and disinfection (CSD) team dedicated to the care of high-touch public areas.
Medical Protocols
- EMT/licensed health professionals and onsite emergency services will be provided by Joffe Emergency Services
Your commitment
The plan also relies on everyone involved in the show contributing to a safe environment by:
- Complying with testing, social distancing and mask-wearing requirements
- Ensuring negative COVID-19 test results are valid for each full-day of the event
- Utilizing the CLEAR Health Pass app for managing documentation and allowing efficient event entry (US-based attendees)
- Following guidance from Health and Safety Ambassadors that will be present throughout the venue
- Making regular use of the hand sanitization dispensers placed around the venue
The GSMA will continue to adapt its health and safety plan as new information is available or as directed by local authorities. Onsite Ambassadors will support efforts to adhere to the protocols, and training will be provided to key staff and participants to ensure all elements are strictly followed. Up-to-date information on our Committed Community can be found via the MWC Los Angeles website.
Keeping the MWC ecosystem connected
While we are looking forward to gathering safely in person, we know that some will not be able to join us. A livestream of all the keynote addresses and select conference and partner sessions will be available on Mobile World Live TV, the official news portal of the GSMA. If you cannot be with us in LA, please access the event here.
The considerations and resources required to participate in an event like this are vast and we are adapting as necessary while leading consistently with our role as convenors of a critical ecosystem. The GSMA is grateful for our partners, exhibitors, catering staff, the disinfection specialists, and all event participants taking precautions and following GSMA guidance to ensure a safe, impactful in-person conference.
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About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at gsma.com.