National foreword

This Published Document is the UK implementation of ISO/PAS 24969:2025.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee SVS/2, Tourism services.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

This publication is not to be regarded as a British Standard.

Compliance with a Published Document cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This Published Document was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 October 2025.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a) patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 228, Tourism and related services.

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

Introduction

The exhibition industry has been an indispensable force in building global commercial networks, playing a central role in the development of domestic and international economies. It is the major power that opens the door to new markets for trade and for all sectors and sizes of business organizations.

The impact of the last pandemic has been severely felt and reverberated throughout the industry. The lack of physical gatherings afforded by the industry has in part contributed to laggard recovery of the global economy. As the industry has started to reopen, it has taken various precautions to protect their employees, visitors and third-party personnel.

Infectious diseases are a global problem. Changes in demographics, technology and environment, the ease of international travel and commerce, and infectious agents themselves are contributing factors to the emergence of new diseases and re-emergence of diseases once considered under control.^[11^] And the likelihood of another infectious disease outbreak is only growing,^[12^] which requires the stakeholders in the exhibition industry to adjust the perceptions of the risks and expectations for preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks.

This document describes the essential elements of a contingency plan that supports the industry’s stakeholders to ensure prevention and control of infection during an infectious disease outbreak, before, during and after the exhibition. A contingency plan in infection prevention and control is a strategy designed to address potential risks and uncertainties associated with a disease outbreak or epidemic. It outlines a set of predetermined actions and protocols to be implemented in response to such an outbreak, ensuring an effective and coordinated response to mitigate the ramifications of the outbreak.

With regard to the process and structure of infection control, this document applies the framework specified in ISO 22320 for managing infection-related incidents.

1 Scope

This document specifies a contingency plan with a set of actions and protocols, associated with infection prevention and control (IPC), to be implemented in response to any infectious disease outbreak, applicable during the entire cycle of an exhibition, i.e. its planning, operating and evaluating stages.

The contingency plan in this document focuses on the following elements: risk assessment, surveillance and early detection, continuity of essential services, capacity building and rapid response mechanism.

The contingency plan describes recommendations for organizers, venue operators, service providers, exhibitors and participants in terms of their roles and responsibilities at each stage of the exhibition during an infectious disease outbreak.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Considerations for prevention and control of infection in exhibitions

4.1 General

4.2 Roles and responsibilities in drafting contingency plan

4.3 Education and communication

4.4 Personal protective equipment (PPE)

4.5 Recommended disinfectants

4.6 Entrances, exits, signage and queuing

4.7 Consideration for visitors

4.8 Evaluation

5 Risk assessment for an outbreak

5.1 Responsibilities for risk assessment

5.2 Risk assessment processes and steps

5.3 Infection risk measurement

6 Continuity of essential services in an outbreak

7 Capacity building for an outbreak

8 Rapid response mechanisms in an outbreak

9 Management of infection-related incidents

9.1 General

9.2 Infection-related incident management process

9.3 Infection-related incident management structure

10 Further recommendations for the organizer

10.1 Planning stage

10.2 Operation stage

11 Further recommendations for the venue operator

11.1 Planning stage

11.2 Operation stage

12 Further recommendations for the service provider

12.1 Planning stage

12.2 Build-up stage

12.3 Tear down stage

13 Further recommendations for the exhibitor

13.1 Planning stage

13.2 Operation stage

Bibliography

PD ISO/PAS 24969:2025

Tourism and related services. Guidance on a contingency plan for infection prevention and control (IPC) in the exhibition industry

Current

Published:

31 Oct 2025