More than three dozen association and events professionals have joined a task force that will explore ways to reboot the live events industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Events Industry Council on Friday named the members of its newly APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force, which will seek to provide resources that support the industry's global recovery. Trade shows, meetings and conferences throughout the world were canceled as the virus spread, leading to major losses for event organizers like associations.

"We are seeing a number of comprehensive industrywide efforts focused on developing standards to ensure the safety and wellness of attendees, as well as the duty-of-care protocols essential to reinforce attendee confidence in attending live business events," Paul Van Deventer, chair of EIC's board of directors and CEO of Meeting Professionals International, said in a statement. "The work of this task force is crucial to curate those efforts and present them in a comprehensive way that translates into practical solutions for professionals across our ecosystem."

Association representatives on the task force include:

• Amy Calvert, CEO, Events Industry Council

• Kelly Fox, senior vice president, meetings, learning and business partnerships, Institute of Food Technologists

• Mark Herrera, director of education and life safety, International Association of Venue Managers

• Juli Jones, vice president, hospitality sales, Marketing Association International

• Amy Ledoux, chief learning and meetings officer, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership

• Karen Malone, vice president meetings, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

• Stuart Ruff-Lyon, vice president, events and exhibitions, Risk and Insurance Management Society

• Scott Solombrino, CEO, Global Business Travel Association

• Paul Van Deventer, CEO, Meeting Professionals International

• Johnnie White, CEO, American Society of Appraisers

"Our work will be guided by a roadmap to accepted practices," task force Co-Chair Michael Dominguez, CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International, said in a statement. "The sub-groups will follow a process that looks at resources, gaps, stakeholders, policies and procedures, the 360-degree attendee/customer experience, and risk management guidelines. This comprehensive and global work will result in a resource that will be invaluable across all sectors."

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