Good news! Auto Glass Week is moving forward full steam. Attendees are registering, and in fact, our current pre-registration numbers are at the same level as they were last year the same number of weeks out.
The Rosen Hotels and the Orange County Convention Center are taking a number of important steps to help everyone attending the show feel safe.
- The Rosen Hotels have enhanced biometric screening in place. Everyone coming into the hotel must pass through “metal detector-like” devices that provide temperature and other screening;
- The Orange County Convention Center is one of the few venues in the country to have earned the GBAC STAR® accreditation on outbreak prevention, response and recovery. They are undergoing periodic independent audits that their policies and procedures reduce bio-risk to help keep everyone safe during Auto Glass Week;
- The two locations are connected by a sky bridge that allows social distancing;
- The show itself will have enhanced safety and health protocols in place and we have made arrangements for wider aisles, more social distancing etc. We will be following the CDC guidelines in place in January;
- With an average daily temperature of 72 degrees in January, many of Orlando’s food and social outlets have outdoor dining and seating.
The venues are a good environment for attending the event and NWRD is excited to hold it. Nonetheless, we recognize that some people will not yet feel comfortable traveling or may be in high-risk categories which preclude them from doing this year.
This year as part of our in-person event, Auto Glass Week is adding a new type of registration. AGW@home will allow attendees to attend seminars, the trade show (more on that in a minute), demonstrations, the competitions and closing events, all from home. We believe this new virtual registration will allow those who cannot travel to still feel like they are there with us and will introduce Auto Glass Week to many more people around the world.
Live attendees will visit the live booths on the floor. We believe it will expand and enhance your access to people at this year’s Auto Glass Week.
If you are thinking that we have put the virtual interface in place because we expect or plan to move the event to be a totally virtual one, I can tell you unequivocally that is not the case. We are committed to the live event and are just adding a virtual registration for those who can’t attend in person this year.
The competitions and closing ceremonies will be streamed, allowing some people to see the event for the first time. And we hope to attract even more international attendance. In fact, the platform can provide information in many languages.
COVID has already made this year very memorable for a very different reason. We are working hard to make Auto Glass Week memorable for its success and the value it brings. We appreciate your support and dedication to the education of the industry, even in these tough times.
If you are interested in attending Auto Glass Week, please visit www.autoglassweek.com by November 30, 2020 for the best rates.
Please contact Janeen Mulligan at jmulligan@nwrassn.org for more details.
