Since physical events are slow to resume, there will be a lot of trial and error in their organization. Social distancing is one of the proven methods of reducing the risk of morbidity, so the issue of queuing is very exciting. Here’s how to prepare for the inevitable queues at events.

Queue issues

When it comes to attendees queuing up for an event, there are some simple, pertinent rules that have become widespread over the past few months, including providing masks upon arrival and placing everyone at least 2 meters apart. This will probably be the minimum requirement for events, but it is far from ideal.

First, many people easily forget about floor stickers when they are constantly moving forward in line or interacting with people nearby. In addition, many events have only a few main entrances, which means that all participants – potentially thousands of people – must pass through limited entry points. This also usually happens in a short amount of time, as most people arrive and check in shortly before the scheduled start time of the event.

Limit the number of people

The most obvious and safest way to keep queues under control is to minimize the number of people in the queue. Fully virtual meetings continue to present the lowest risk and are an important option to offer attendees. Making it easy for people to connect to the Internet will help limit the number of participants.

If the location has multiple entrances, use. Try numbering or marking the entrances and assigning them to attendees before the event starts so everyone knows exactly where to go and makes it easier for you to ensure that the same number of people queue at each entrance.

Depending on the format of the event, it may be possible to enable synchronized recordings so that everyone does not arrive at the same time. For example, you can provide attendees with different time slots when registering for an event to accommodate phased arrivals. You may also consider holding key sessions in the morning and afternoon, with half of the participants attending each.