COVID-19 FAQ

COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus FAQs Is World ATM Congress going to be cancelled due to concerns over COVID-19?

No. World ATM Congress will take place as scheduled, 10 – 12 March, in Madrid, Spain. The Partners of World ATM Congress, Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) and Civil Air Navigation Organisation (CANSO), are closely monitoring COVID-19/Coronavirus and are adopting measures to minimise any potential impact on World ATM Congress 2020. Please review our 12 Feb. statement here for more information.

What is World ATM Congress doing with regards to COVID-19?

World ATM Congress management, partners, and vendors are monitoring the ongoing developments and continue to follow guidance from health organisations and experts for their recommendations. We are fully committed to taking appropriate precautions to provide a safe and healthy environment for attendees.

World ATM Congress management will: • Follow recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the policies of the Spanish government and Madrid officials.

• Provide healthcare guidelines for registrants, exhibitors, and onsite personnel.

• Respond to questions from speakers, exhibitors, and attendees about the precautions taken at World ATM Congress.

What precautions are World ATM Congress taking to safeguard the health of attendees?

Management is planning to implement measures to include, but not necessarily be limited to: • Increased cleaning and disinfection process across all high-volume touchpoints, e.g. catering areas, surfaces, handrails, restrooms, entrances/exits, etc., along with the use of cleaning/sanitising materials and products.

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Available on-site medical personnel. There is a medical center on-site at IFEMA between Halls 7 and 9 that is open during set-up, show hours, and tear down. This is a free service provided by IFEMA and World ATM Congress.

Availability of sanitising and disinfection materials for public use.

What can I do as an exhibitor or attendee to protect myself and others?

We strongly urge exhibitors and attendees to monitor and implement appropriate guidelines and protocols as suggested by the WHO and other health authorities to contain and mitigate against any further spread of the virus.

Up-to-date WHO advice can be found here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance Up-to-date CDC advice can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html Here are some easy ways to protect yourself and other attendees, as recommended by the WHO: 1. Wash your hands frequently: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty.

2. Practice respiratory hygiene: When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

3. Maintain social distancing: Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever.

Feel free to not shake hands or participate in other types of greetings by politely citing your concerns about preventing infection.

For more information, visit the WHO’s advice page: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Has World ATM Congress seen a decrease of attendee registration?

Quite the contrary. Throughout this registration cycle, including today (12 Feb 2020), we have consistently seen an increase of registration between 7-10% over last year.

Have any exhibitors cancelled?

Three Chinese companies have unfortunately been forced to cancel due to travel restrictions out of their country. We continue to add exhibitors and do not expect any other exhibitor cancellations. Currently Hall 9 cannot hold all the exhibitors we have. So, we have expanded into the connector area and hall 7 for additional exhibit space and locating the Wing ATM Theatre. We expect this to be the largest World ATM Congress to date.

What is the venue, IFEMA, and the Spanish government saying about COVID-19?

IFEMA holds a number of international events at its facilities, including World ATM Congress, and to date has not recorded any cases of the virus. There have only been two reported cases of the virus in Spain and in both cases acquired the virus outside of the Spain. IFEMA and the Spanish government have both issued statements ensuring the public that Spain is a safe place to travel to and hold meetings.

Mobile World Congress, which takes place at the end of February in Barcelona, stated they are cancelling due to health concerns. Why isn’t World ATM Congress following suit?

With regards to the cancellation of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), all information to date indicates that it was cancelled for business reasons and not health concerns. While it was directly affected by the inability of Chinese exhibitors and attendees to get to MWC due to travel restrictions imposed in China and various airlines as well as fear of the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the USA’s Center for Disease Control (CDC), and all Spanish health authorities state that the threat of the virus in Europe is minimal and it is safe to travel and attend international events in Europe/Spain.

How will World ATM Congress communicate any updates?

World ATM Congress will update attendees and exhibitors via weekly e-newsletters, exhibitor flashes, dedicated emails, and on the website, www.worldatmcongress.org. If you would like to be added to our listserv, please email Alana Natke at alana.natke@atca.org.

Who can I contact for more information?

Please contact Ken Carlisle at ken.carlisle@atca.org or +1 703.299.2340 x 310.