The arts and other businesses that organize social gatherings are responding across the globe. See below for ways in which other arts institutions are responding.

*Share information with audiences on how you are responding, sanitizing all spaces and doing so more deeply than usual, and providing more flexible ticket return policies.

*Investigate remote work policies and practices to minimize employees’ physical interactions while maintaining work continuity. Encourage team members to stay home when feeling unwell. Lessen travel schedules.

*Consider limiting physical contact, such as looking at tickets, rather than physically exchanging them.

*Review and update your cancellation or closure policies and practices, just in case you decide its best for your institution and the community. Has the policy been communicated to all staff? What might the financial implications be? What do artist contracts say about it? Is your insurance up to date and helpful with these types of events?

*Plan for operational impact through various scenarios. Actions to prepare for include staffing levels and staff locations; income/expense changes; communicating with staff, board, and audiences; and connecting with authorities, such as City of Houston and CDC, to know when to make prudent changes to your operations.

Resources for Preparation

Several resources exist to provide guidance and up to date information. Check out the City of Houston’s online resources, as well as national information from ArtsReady and CERF+.