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Taking proactive measures, including making water stations available to encourage regular hydration, is essential for meetings planners dealing with a heat wave.
In 2023, which was the hottest year on record, the number of deaths in the U.S. related to excessive heat were the highest recorded in 45 years. And this year could be even hotter — in the first six months of 2024, an “unprecedented” number of record-breaking temperatures were reported around the world, including “tens of thousands” of new local records reported from monitoring stations around the world, climate historian Maximiliano Herrera told The Guardian in a recent story.
Rhanee Palma
Rising global temperatures impact not only the health and safety of participants, but meeting design and site-selection strategies, said Rhanee Palma, CDME, operations and events manager for the Davis, California–based UC Davis Air Quality Research Center (AQRC). Palma plans AQRC’s global conferences, including the annual Aviation Noise & Emissions Symposium, which was held in March 2024 in Palm Springs, and will be held next March in Las Vegas. Palma shared with Convene some of ways she and her events team address four areas:
Safety of participants — To protect attendees from heat during a conference, it’s essential to take proactive measures, including making water stations available in all meeting and common areas to encourage regular hydration. Communicate in advance with attendees about dressing appropriately for the weather, including, in some cases, suggesting they bring cooling aids such as neck fans or other personal fans to help them stay cool.
Train staff in advance to recognize the physical signs of dehydration or overheating, so they can respond quickly if an attendee is in distress. Finally, establish a clearly detailed safety plan with specific instructions on what to do in case of a heat-related emergency, ensuring that everyone knows how to act swiftly and effectively to protect the wellbeing of all participants.
Working with venues — Collaborate with venues to create open layouts that promote air circulation, with open doors and wide spaces. Create dedicated cooling areas throughout the conference space that ensure that attendees have comfortable spaces to retreat to and include hydrating catering options, such as watermelon and salads. Keat can impact air quality; Palma also uses air purifiers to enhance the overall air quality in the event space.
Destination selection — A common cost-cutting strategy for many organizations is to book event venues during off-peak seasons to secure better rates. However, this often means traveling to destinations during extreme weather, such as during triple-digit temperatures in the summer, which increases the risk of heat-related injuries at your conference. To mitigate this, Palma collaborates closely with CVBs to identify the peak-season dates when the destination needs business. If shifting the program by a few days or weeks is necessary, Palma makes the adjustment. “This flexibility allows me to host meetings in top destinations during peak seasons — a win-win for everyone involved,” she said.
Venue selection — When selecting a conference site, choosing an energy-efficient hotel is a key, because such hotels typically have advanced climate control systems that allow for consistent and easily regulated temperatures throughout the event spaces. Not only are attendees more comfortable, but the properties are less likely to experience heat-related equipment malfunctions. By prioritizing energy efficiency in your site selection, you can create an environment where temperature is reliably managed, regardless of the external weather conditions.
Additionally, “energy-efficient hotels are likely to employ sustainable practices that contribute to a more environmentally friendly event,” Palma said, “aligning with the growing emphasis on sustainability in the conference industry.”
Barbara Palmer is deputy editor of Convene.