Anaheim Convention Center Becomes First West Coast Convention Facility to Receive GBAC Accreditation

July 8, 2020

The Anaheim Convention Center became the first convention center on the West Coast to receive the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation.

“This is an important step in the eventual, safe and responsible reopening of the Anaheim Convention Center,” said Tom Morton, executive director of Convention, Sports & Entertainment for the city of Anaheim.

He added, “Event organizers and attendees can have confidence that our facility meets the highest standards of cleaning, disinfection and prevention. This accreditation is one part of a larger, comprehensive plan that will guide the Anaheim Convention Center in safely resuming meetings, conferences and conventions when the time is right.”

In the wake of COVID-19, the GBAC STAR program trained Anaheim Convention Center staff on how to prepare for, respond to and recover from infectious diseases and biohazards.

The GBAC STAR is the gold standard for prepared facilities and is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation.

As Visit Anaheim continues to book future events for the convention center, this new accreditation will be an added selling point when talking to meeting planners.

The GBAC STAR validates that the Anaheim Convention Center is executing the gold standard when it comes to creating a clean and safe environment for attendees.

“As we prepare to host future events at the largest convention center facility on the West Coast, the work to safely reopen continues,” said Jay Burress, president & CEO, Visit Anaheim.

He added, “Our team, along with the convention center, are not only ready for the day we are able to safely reopen by taking proactive steps like securing the GBAC STAR, we are also preparing for future years by continuing to sell and book events in our city as far out as 2028.”

In pursuit of the GBAC STAR accreditation, the Anaheim Convention Center completed 20 unique program elements and the facility has:

  • Established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
  • The proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease.
  • Highly skilled cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response.

To learn more about Visit Anaheim’s efforts to ensure the city recovers quickly and is best positioned to restore hotel stays, meetings, and conventions in Anaheim go to visitanaheim.org/response-and-recovery.

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