AZBEES_TOPTEN
AZBEES_finalist-2020

This Just In

Fern Launches New Attendee Health Testing and Screening Platform

Sue Pelletier, Senior Editor

Fern logoUntil a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes readily available, the viability of in-person events will hinge on the ability of trade show organizers to provide the self-assessment, testing and verification needed to ensure the safety of participants. That’s why marketing support and trade show services provider Fern and healthcare technology provider ShareMy.Health have partnered to provide a new platform called Fern Health Check, a new digital platform designed to make it easy for attendees to share their health data in a safe and controlled manner.

“In many ways, this parallels what now occurs with air travel when you think about TSA Pre-Check and Clear programs and their coordination between the passengers and airlines,” said Aaron Bludworth, Fern President and CEO.

Called Fern Health Check, the platform is designed to provide event organizers a solution to get back to producing trade shows and live events safely, according to Bludworth. “The self-assessment and testing options available through Health Check allow the organizer to choose varying screening levels based on their event demographics and timing as well as the guidelines for a specific market or venue.”

Specifically, Fern Health Check includes a HIPAA-compliant self-assessment portal that allows individuals to create a personalized Health Passport to share their health data with trade show organizers. Policies can be customized to fit the needs of individual organization, event and venue requirements, and event organizers can customize the dashboard reporting by stakeholder segments, such as event staff, attendees and exhibitors.

Other key features include:

  • API Integration with industry registration and mobile app solutions
  • FDA-authorized testing solutions, including at-home kits for pre-event and post-event use, as well as on-site rapid testing administered by licensed health professionals
  • Deployment of evolving testing solutions to include “at-the-door rapid testing” upon FDA approval

The platform also can be adapted to changing circumstances, added Bludworth. “Even when we get to a time when a vaccine is readily available, there will be a need to validate that those in attendance have been vaccinated. These steps will be critical in providing a comfort level to the event participants and the local jurisdictions where events occur that we, as an industry, are proactively taking the appropriate steps to ensure that the right safety protocols are in place,” he said.

Related: Go LIVE Together Gains Momentum Across Trade Show and Events Industries; Lays Tracks for Advocacy

The partnership with ShareMy.Health, which provides an online platform that enables individuals to access and share their health data with trusted third parties, was a natural for Fern, according to Bludworth.

Aaron Bludworth, Fern President and CEO
Aaron Bludworth, Fern President and CEO

“I have worked with the principals at ShareMy.Health for decades, going back to partnering to develop an exhibition industry software platform in the ‘90s,” he said. “As the impact of COVID-19 on our industry cut deeper and deeper, it became clear to me that the path back was going to be a result of many roads converging, including the sharing of health-related information by attendees to event organizers that would create a safer event environment for everyone.

“As an organization, we are 100% vested in the value of trade shows and face-to-face experiences to drive commerce, positively impacting the economy and providing jobs. This is a solution that we want to make widely available to the industry so that all of us can get back to business.”

Reach Aaron Bludworth at (513) 562-0432 or abludworth@fernexpo.com

 

TSE Data Center