The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando and the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas, are the latest convention centers to earn the Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR certification. They follow the Georgia World Congress Center, which became the first convention center in the U.S. to receive the accreditation.
Joining the three convention centers as accredited facilities are the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, according to a release from ISSA, a trade association for the cleaning industry.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, venues are seeking certifications from various third parties to demonstrate they are able to ensure the health and safety of organizations and attendees. The STAR certification is one of the initiatives aimed at standardizing hygiene protocols, and was developed by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA. GBAC STAR provides third-party validation that organizations are undertaking thorough cleaning, disinfection, and infection-prevention strategies.
According to ISSA, more than 2,400 facilities of all types and sizes are in the process of becoming accredited through the GBAC STAR program. Accredited facilities will renew annually to confirm they follow and improve upon the procedures they outlined in their initial applications.