International Convention Centre Sydney has welcomed the industry’s inclusion in the New South Wales government’s roadmap to reopen and is preparing to welcome in person events back to the venue from mid-October.
 
According to the NSW Government Gazetted Health Order, 10 September 2021, conferences and exhibitions at ICC Sydney can return at one person per four square metres and entertainment events can return at 75% of their fixed seating capacity.

At 75% capacity the Aware Super Theatre can accommodate 5,960 patrons and the Darling Harbour Theatre, 1,852 patrons.

The exhibition halls will be able to accommodate one person per 4 sqm which would be less than 50% maximum capacity.
 
ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy said the team would be contacting its customers about their events and had been receiving vaccination certificates from its workforce for months.
 
“We have over 90 events in the diary from October through to Christmas and we’re contacting our customers to ensure they are able to proceed with a fully vaccinated workforce, event attendees, suppliers and contractors – everyone that will need to enter the venue.
 
“Our people are also keen to get back to doing what they do best, running extraordinary in person events, and have been sending in their vaccination certificates for some months before last week’s announcement,” Mr Donaghy said.

Through its internal COVID Taskforce, ICC Sydney has updated its EventSafe Operating Guide, which integrates NSW Government health regulations and parent group ASM Global’s rigorous Venue Shield program, and capacity charts.
 
“We’ve digested the details of the roadmap and the latest Health Order and we’re confident the team at ICC Sydney will be ready well before the reopening date is confirmed.

“We have been advised that the vaccination certificate checking process is currently being tested and will be ready for our reopening to in person events and that vaccination attendance will be outlined in a forthcoming Health Order.
 
“In the meantime, we have enough information to start planning the return of events and we have operated under these capacity conditions previously. 
 
“We will continue our advocacy with decision makers and industry representatives to further relax these conditions over time, such as moving to a one person per two square metre protocol due to the highly controlled nature of business events,” Mr Donaghy said.
 
Event conditions outlined in ICC Sydney’s EventSafe documents include:

• Capacity must not exceed one person per four square metres of space in indoor areas of the premises and one person per two square metres of space in outdoor areas of the premises – this applies to our conferences and exhibitions
• Capacity at an entertainment facility must not exceed one person per four square metres in the premises, or 75% of fixed seating capacity of the facility, which would be applied to Aware Super Theatre, Darling Harbour Theatre and Pyrmont Theatre for entertainment events
• Face masks to be worn by staff and customers in indoor areas
• Singing and dancing by audiences is not allowed in indoor areas
• Patrons can only consume alcohol when seated in indoor areas