HAI HELI-EXPO 2021 is just four months away, and I’d like to update you on our preparations for the show, including the health and safety precautions.

Nearly every person I speak with is looking forward to our show next year. We’re all tired of virtual events and zoom meetings, and there is pent-up demand for our industry to meet in person.

HAI is putting all the pieces in place to make that happen for you. To date, more than 350 companies have committed to exhibiting in New Orleans, representing more than one million square feet of exhibit, meeting, and education space.

Because 2020 has been an extraordinary year, HAI is taking extraordinary measures to create a safe event in New Orleans. Here are just some of the safety protocols we’ve put in place to ensure the safety of our guests:

• Socially distanced show floor, meetings room, registration areas, and public areas
• Extra time built into the event schedule for thorough, repetitive cleaning
• A convention center staff trained and equipped to meet the highest cleaning standards of the event industry
• Additional mobile badge-printing stations to limit touch points
• Highly visible hand-sanitizer stations throughout common areas and the show floor
• Show floor attendance limited to industry professionals
• Safety kit, including mask and hand sanitizer, provided for all attendees
• Masks required for entrance to convention center
• Temperature checks at convention center entrances.

As you register for the show, please know that you can expect the same world-class exhibits, education, and networking that the industry has come to expect from HAI. In the meantime, keep an eye on the HAI HELI-EXPO Health and Safety page for regular updates on all that HAI, the City of New Orleans, and local businesses are doing to keep you safe during your stay.

If you’re following the news, there are developments on the horizon that promise a return to normalcy and to doing business as we once did. I’m looking forward to seeing you and the rest of our industry—safely—in New Orleans. Trust me, it will be extraordinary!

Jim Viola 
President and CEO 
HAI