COVID-19 Protocols at the 2022 Annual Conference
Your safety is our top priority. We are
taking extra precautions against COVID-19 to protect our Members and Staff.
VAM is carefully monitoring COVID-19 circumstances in Richmond and is following guidance from state and local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding large gatherings. This includes following CDC recommendations on preventing the spread of COVID-19.
VAM looks forward to a successful in-person conference in March and has established the following protocols to provide as safe a conference experience as possible for our attendees:
- All attendees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 OR provide negative test results within 48 hours of conference arrival. PCR and/or rapid tests will be accepted. At home tests will not be accepted.
- All attendees are required to wear a face mask throughout the conference. This includes while on buses to and from evening events and tours and during evening events, unless actively eating or drinking.
- All VAM staff and conference volunteers participating in the meeting will be fully vaccinated and masked throughout the conference.
- Nametags and meeting materials will be picked up individually by attendees. Attendees will choose color-coded stickers to add to their nametags to indicate the level of interaction with which they are comfortable:
- Green—okay with pre-COVID behaviors like hugs and handshakes.
- Yellow—desires some caution and respects social distancing guidelines with elbow/fist bumps only.
- Red—desires extreme social distancing and the highest precautions. May be at high risk or caring for someone at high risk.
- Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the conference spaces.
- Food and beverage service at events will follow safety protocols.
Attendee Health & Safety:
- Anyone feeling sick, experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or receiving a positive COVID-19 test result (within 5 days of arriving to the conference) should stay home.
- VAM will transfer on-site registration to virtual registration for any registrants who need to cancel their attendance due to illness and refund the difference in pricing. OR
- VAM will transfer on-site registration to an alternate colleague/individual to attend.
- Any attendee who feels they might have COVID symptoms or feels ill during the conference should immediately go to their hotel room to quarantine. If the attendee is not staying in a hotel, they should return home. Please alert the VAM staff as soon as possible about your condition by calling/texting 804-358-3170.
- Within two weeks after the conference, we urge any attendee who tests positive for COVID to alert VAM by contacting director@vamuseums.org or by calling 804-358-3170. VAM will inform attendees of any positive case without revealing identifying information about the ill person.
Local Host Safety:
- Conference hotel staff are required to mask in public spaces.
- Additionally, Omni Safe & Clean standards are in place.