TRADE SHOWS, CONSUMER SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS RECEIVE THE GREEN LIGHT IN QUEBEC TO RESUME OPERATIONS IN YELLOW AND GREEN ALERT REGIONS

On Friday June 11, CAEM and APEQ received official confirmation that trade shows, consumer shows and exhibitions can now resume operations in Quebec, under the same guidance and protocols as other commercial establishments including shopping centres and retail stores, in all yellow and green regions of the province – also referred to as alert levels 1 and 2.  As of Monday June 14th, the majority of Quebec – with the exception of the Chaudière-Appalaches region – are now in yellow and green regions.

Since the start of the pandemic CAEM and APEQ have been working in partnership, advocating for trade shows, consumer shows and exhibitions to be recognized as commercial establishments.  We applaud the government for making this important distinction last week, paving the way for a safe, responsible and fair reopening of our sector’s business activities.  This is a major victory for our sector – achieved through the collective actions, efforts and initiatives of many industry stakeholders and champions over the last 15 months.

Calculation of visitor capacity

Under the current guidelines, admission capacity for commercial establishments – now including trade shows, consumer shows and exhibitions – musty comply with the following ratio:  Total floor area in m2 accessible to customers ÷ 20 m2Employees (including exhibitors in this case) are not included in the number of persons authorized.  The establishment’s authorized capacity must be clearly and visibly displayed.  Additionally, operators are responsible for taking all necessary measures in their establishments pertaining to waiting lines that might form to promote compliance by customers and staff with health recommendations, including 2 m of physical distancing between individuals and the use of face coverings.  According to the usable area, the operators must limit access to the premises and can adopt measures to manage customer traffic such as floor markings, traffic corridors, and one-way traffic.

Please click here to review the complete instructions for admission capacities for commercial establishments: https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/restriction-on-the-number-of-customers-admitted-to-commercial-enterprises

As the epidemiological situation continues to improve through the summer and into fall, CAEM and APEQ are hopeful that a further easing of capacity restrictions and protocols will be possible and will continue pressing government for these answers and clarification.