CHICAGO — Does it seem hotter to you? If so, you’re not alone.
According to the U.S. Enviornmental Protection Agency, the frequency, duration and intensity of heat waves have risen in recent decades.
As event professionals, how can we plan responsibly in the face of rising temperatures?
Trade Show Executive (TSE) connected with experts at major U.S. destinations to get tips for when heat waves strike.
1. Make a Clear Plan
“It’s tough to keep a large space at a comfortable temperature to begin with — you have to have a plan,” Pat Allen, Chief Operating Officer & Interim General Manager at the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which operates McCormick Place, said. “Once you lose control, it’s tough to get it back.”
2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Tyler Orwig, Visit San Antonio’s Senior Vice President of Sales, advised organizers to educate attendees with signage, app push notifications, or announcements about signs of heat exhaustion and how to stay hydrated.
Allen shared that communication between a show organizer and their venue is also key.
“Everything can be figured out, but we need to know what they want,” Allen said. “We do things a little differently for IMTS where we have 100,000 people compared to a much smaller show.”
3. Provide Water Throughout Your Event’s Life Cycle
“Provide water refill stations throughout the venue and include water in every room setup,” Orwig advised.
“We have some of the best drinking water in the country, so I recommend meeting planners promote the use of SCC’s many hydration stations,” Aaron Davis, Seattle Convention Center’s Assistant Director of Sales, added.
“For move-in and move-out days within the exhibit halls when air conditioning is not operational, it is recommended that event planners provide water stations to complement the existing water fountains and refillable bottle stations,” Laura Reynolds, CMP, Assistant Director of Event Services at the Orange County Convention Center, said.
4. Invest in Cooling Stations
“Event planners are encouraged to utilize their leased meeting rooms strategically to provide additional cooling relief,” Reynolds added.
Orwig advised organizers to designate “cooling lounges” or wellness areas with cold towels, hydration packs, electrolyte drinks and light snacks with salt to aid heat resilience.
Related. TSE Trend Report: Climate Change and Events
5. Have On-Site Medical Professionals
“Some people get dehydrated and don’t even know … and the next thing you know, they’re on the ground,” Allen said. “I strongly suggest you have on-site medical professionals … especially during large crowd periods.”
6. Give Attendees Heat Management Tools
Orwig suggested organizers “provide items like cool towels, handheld fans, mist sprayers or promotional sun hats during attendee check-in.”
7. Advise Participants to Dress in Layers
Having AC working overtime to combat heat waves can lead to an opposite problem: frigid environments for your event.
“I recommend attendees dress in layers to help manage personal comfort,” Krista Daniel, Seattle Convention Center’s Director of Event Services, said. “It can be difficult for large buildings to maintain one steady temperature and energy conservation measures can limit how warm or cool rooms can be kept.”
8. Know When to Pivot
Many convention centers adjust their heat management strategies during periods of large crowds (which create high levels of body heat) and move in and move out, shutting down air conditioning that would be ineffective if active.
“When the trades are working and the dock doors are open, it’s very senseless to be running air conditioning,” Allen said. “We have the cross ventilation going, we’re pumping fans and we have our engineers taking temperatures. If it hits around 90°F, we will turn the air on and we work with show managers to close certain dock areas … Then we can get the temperature down.”
Being strategic about when to adjust your heat-management strategies can also make your event more efficient and sustainable, ensuring that energy is not wasted.
9. Utilize Naturally Cool Landscapes
Orwig explained that naturally cool locations such as San Antonio’s River Walk can provide relief from extreme heat.
The San Antonio River Walk features:
- Shade from buildings and trees that blocks direct sun and reduces heat
- Evaporative cooling from flowing rivers that absorbs heat from the air.
- A microclimate effect; Being lower and shaded makes the river walk a more stable, cooler environment compared to exposed streets.
Looking Ahead
“Overall, there will likely be a trend towards fewer outdoor functions during daytime hours,” Reynolds said. “Additionally, we have seen and may continue to see event planners request and cover the cost of additional air conditioning within leased spaces during move-in and move-out, which is a non-standard practice currently.”
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