The NECDMA committee was taken around the 18,810 sqm venue by HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), during which he brief them on all precautionary measures being undertaken to ensure that participating photographers, visitors, guests and members of media can navigate the festival in a safe and worry-free manner.
The SGMB Director informed the officials about the various precautionary measures being observed to prioritise visitors’ safety, including limiting the number of persons at the venue to 2,000 at any given point, restricting participants at workshops to 20 persons at a time, temperature checks at all entry points, detailed cleaning procedures, and strict social distancing policies.
Tariq Saeed Allay said: “The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s recognition of the festival’s commitment and protocols that seek to offer a safe environment, is already a feather in Xposure’s hat even before it has begun. It also communicates a message to art and photography enthusiasts in the UAE and the region about the importance of following the festival’s safety procedures and precautionary measures. We hope that the emphasis placed on the subject by NECDMA will encourage visitors, guests and the management to play their respective roles in ensuring an exceptional edition of Xposure that will have a positive impact on photographers, artists and journalists worldwide. Compliance will also help us push our efforts towards winning over this pandemic and getting life back to normal.”
The Xposure 2021 venue will implement additional safety measures such as monitoring temperature readings of all visitors through thermal cameras at all entry points; spaced seating following safe distance rules at workshop and seminar sites; walk-through sanitisation booths at entry points; regular disinfection of common areas with dedicated teams across the venue; disinfection of workshop booths, main auditorium and lecture halls after the completion of each session in addition to an overnight sterilisation of the Expo Center; safety announcements broadcast throughout the event site; provision of hand sanitisers around the venue; a strict no-entry-without-mask policy; and clear and visible social distancing and safety stickers on floors and walls even in the galleries, amongst others.
