The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) is among the first convention centers in the United States to pursue a new facility accreditation being offered by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA).

The program—GBAC STAR™—is designed to control the risks associated with infectious agents, including the virus responsible for COVID-19, by training employees with best work practices, protocols, procedures and systems for biorisk prevention and containment.

“The health and safety of our employees and our visitors is always the top priority for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and our facility, the Las Vegas Convention Center,” said Brian Yost, chief operating officer, LVCVA. “We’re grateful to the GBAC STAR program for creating the industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, and we’re proud to be among the first wave of leaders to pursue this accreditation. Demonstrating compliance will be an important step toward showing the world that Vegas means business, and when the time is right, the Las Vegas Convention Center stands ready to welcome our business travelers back.”

To achieve GBAC STAR accreditation, facilities must demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures.

“GBAC STAR is the gold standard of safe facilities, providing third-party validation that ensures facilities implement strict protocols for biorisk situations,” said GBAC executive director Patricia Olinger. “Accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers, and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to deliver clean and healthy environments that are safe for business.”