Montréal’s convention centre — the Palais des congrès de Montréal — has obtained the Global Biorisk Advisory Council Star certification. It’s the first convention centre in the province of Québec to receive this internationally recognized sanitary certification.
The GBAC Star is the cleaning industry's only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities relative to the outbreak of infectious disease. The certification is a testimony to the Palais’s relentless commitment to maintaining a safe environment for clients, partners, and visitors.
How is the certification implemented?
GBAC Star's certification program was designed to support facilities in their efforts to prevent infectious disease outbreaks and protect their employees and visitors. It features disinfection protocols and best practices for cleaning, which are appropriate to situations that present biohazards.
A committee that will include several stakeholders, among them Palais employees and Palais partner Bee Clean, will ensure on-the-ground implementation of the program. To earn the certification, the Palais proved that it is complying with standards in 20 sanitary measures categories established by GBAC Star, for instance, supplies and inventory management, continuing education, regular inspections, and solid long-term planning.
Actually, it’s been happening for a while…
Cleanliness standards at the convention centre are nothing new. The Palais has been committed to providing safe spaces with an objective of resuming conventions, meetings, exhibitions, and trade shows. This new certification is an integral part of the Palais' comprehensive plan, which in 2020 included the launch of its Palais Reopening Operating Guide to Running Events with Safety Standards (PROGRESS). The Palais thus has gone above and beyond the basic requirements of the GBAC program, in order to provide a healthy environment for visitors and for our employees.
A word from the CEO
"Our teams have, from the very beginning, been committed to providing a safe environment for our clients, our guests and all our visitors. This new certification highlights the initiatives the Palais has already implemented, and also acts to reinforce our top priority: deliver creatively designed events of high quality, in complete adherence with safety and security standards."
– Emmanuelle Legault, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès
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