COVID-19 Precautions

Important update on health and safety at Groundwater Week 2021

NGWA is pleased to reconfirm that Groundwater Week 2021 will occur in-person, as planned, on December 14-16, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.

NGWA leadership and its conference management team continue to maintain frequent communication with the Music City Center, local government and health authorities, and other local venues as necessary to make the best decisions as they pertain to health and safety measures for the in-person event.

We commit to working closely with attendees, exhibitors, and the groundwater industry at large to gauge their commitment to Groundwater Week 2021, including surveying them to gauge their interest and willingness to travel and the health and safety measures they feel most comfortable with to establish best practices. NGWA will continue to engage with all stakeholders up until the event and adjust if necessary.

The results and conversations have yielded the same feedback: The show must go on!

Among the valuable feedback from these conversations and surveys:

78% of those surveyed are already fully vaccinated
65% of previous attendees are planning to attend
17% of previous attendees have not made a final decision on whether to attend
Event registration is currently trending with past show registration numbers
Health and safety at Groundwater Week is a significant factor in the decision to attend in 2021.

Health and safety measures for all attendees and exhibitors

Groundwater Week’s venue, the Music City Center, was one of the first convention centers to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation on outbreak prevention, response, and recovery.

As a division of the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), GBAC STAR™ is an industry accreditation that provides third-party validation to ensure the implementation of rigorous protocols in response to biorisk situations. Focused on ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy environment, the program establishes requirements to assist venues by providing best practices, protocols, and procedures to control risks associated with COVID-19.

Additionally, the following health and safety measures will be in place for Groundwater Week 2021. Keep in mind, as this is a fluid situation, this may be updated at any time leading up to the event.

Hand sanitizer stations will be placed in classrooms, concourses, and the exhibit hall. Frequent sanitizing and hand washing are encouraged.
Premailing of badges will be done to eliminate lines to pick up the badges.
There will be 6-foot physical distancing in registration lines and other queues.
There will be physical distancing at banquet tables and in classrooms where feasible (i.e., 4 or 6 chairs per banquet table); physical distancing will be encouraged.
We will offer color-coded stickers to place on badges and signage, indicating contact comfort levels (i.e., red = please keep your distance; yellow = no physical contact; green = handshakes, hugs, etc. are welcome).
There will be plexi-barriers at the registration, the exhibit hall’s welcome desk, exhibit sales booth, and other “customer service” touch points between NGWA staff and attendees. Exhibitors are free to implement similar measures in their own spaces if they so choose.
We will follow CDC guidance on masks including abundant signage throughout the building explaining the guidance. Masks will be optional for vaccinated attendees, while we urge unvaccinated attendees to please wear masks.
Masks will be REQUIRED for Music City Center banquet staff and other staff that operate within our contracted space.
Onsite, wellness check kiosks will be utilized to screen attendees for potential COVID-19 symptoms. We ask if you aren’t feeling well to please remain home.
NGWA respects everyone’s personal choice regarding vaccination and we will not ask for proof of vaccination. For your safety and the safety of all planning to attend or exhibit at Groundwater Week 2021, we recommend you be fully vaccinated. We encourage you to evaluate your personal circumstances in making the vaccination decision.

We will continue to publish updates to the health and safety measures planned for the event via email and on the GroundwaterWeek.com website. Please check regularly for updates.

Finally, please note this COVID-19 mitigation plan is subject to change as new information is learned and official policies and guidelines are updated.

For questions or comments about health and safety at Groundwater Week 2021, please contact us at customerservice@ngwa.org.

For the full health and safety guidelines of the Music City Center, click here. For the latest in Nashville’s COVID-19 response, click here.

Information on this page current as of 09-16-2021.