Is there going to be a convention this year?

I would think everyone would need to prove they have been fully vaccinated and have tested negative also. I have tested negative twice (2 months apart) and had my first Covid shot last Friday.

Permit me to comment with over three decades of experience with medical masks.

1. Masks will not stop a virus from ingress nor egress, for a virus is to small.

2. People wearing disposable masks reuse them and people wearing the cloth ones do not wash them daily.

WMH, no need to feel sorry for Jeffrey and Dot. We are and will be just fine:)

Tim, in response to your question -

Truth is the decision as of this date, is actually still up in the air. Many of you know that I make a lot of my business decisions based on customer input. So.... any additional input anyone wants to offer, please do so now (seriously).

Look for an announcement by Wednesday, March 24th.

Stay strong and stay determined!!

My input? Do as a local church does. Separate entrance to a room for people who wear masks either from fear or simple precaution. They are socially distanced and watch on a screen. The rest of the congregation (majority) is upstairs and some are masked, some aren't, life is good and also normal. Others can also watch online at home.

Appreciate your input NE, however doing the meeting without a mask is NOT an option. Hotels which we would work with would require it. Our Retreat earlier this year in Cancun was an awesome experience and we did not let the requirement of wearing masks be an issue and stop us from having a a great learning and networking experience.

Danny, appreciate your willingness to help. However, the value of a MrLandlord Convention is NOT about simply having presentations. Even now, you can see presentations online all day long. You don't need a live event for that.

If masks are required, we are there, Jeffrey. If people want to go outside to chat and remove them outside, fine with me. But in the meeting rooms and elevators and such, I want a mask.

One more request: could we NOT have it on Memorial Day weekend? Not having seen our family a whole lot this past year, we are planning a big do that weekend. It's my first grandson's (3rd grandchild) first birthday.

I would appreciate a conference this year. I especially like meeting and getting ideas from other landlords.

With Kansas City or St. Louis I would be able to go.

I got my first Pfizer shot on Feb 23 and second Pfizer shot on Mar 16. By the end of Mar I should be fairly safe, both myself and to others.

Man o Man,

Schools require proof of vaccinations before kids can be enrolled....so a Hippa violation clearly is not an issue.

Can Planners Mandate Covid Vaccinations for Attendees?

An expert on meetings-industry legal questions unpacks the potential issues around requiring a negative Covid test or vaccination.

Sue Hatch | Jan 27, 2021

As the Covid-19 vaccination program rolls out over the course of 2021, meeting planners might be considering vaccination requirements for their in-person attendees. Is that legal?

We asked attorney Joshua Grimes of Grimes Law Offices, LLC, a specialist in the meetings and convention industry, to weigh in on the issue. From a legal standpoint, according to Grimes, asking for proof of a Covid vaccination or for a negative Covid test to participate in an in-person event is allowed and justifiable. But, he says, it does raise questions and issues that planners need to consider.

Is a Jab Confidential?

“Some people will say ‘HIPAA doesn’t let us require it,’” says Grimes. He rejects that idea—the federal law protects sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent, but “doesn’t say that you can't ask someone to show proof of that they've gotten a vaccine.” However, data-privacy regulation can come into play, he says. “If you're organization is going to require proof, it could raise GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] issues because health information is considered personal data. So, if you're going to require proof, it needs to be protected along with other personal data that you're collecting about attendees. And there should be a disclosure that you're collecting health information, and how you're going to use it, as part of your privacy policy.

Policing the Proof

For organizations that want to mandate proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test, the next issue is, “What proof do we ask for?” Vaccination centers currently provide patients with a receipt, but Grimes is skeptical. “Those cards vary depending on who gave out the vaccine. There's no standard. And I suspect they're easily duplicated,” he says. “That's a big issue because for someone who doesn't want to get the shot, it will be easy for them to get a fake document, and then event organizers will have to determine what they will accept.” This hurdle could be overcome if the Vaccination Credential Initiative that was announced in mid-January is successful. The VCI is a coalition of health and technology organizations working on a digital Covid-19 vaccination passport that will allow businesses, airlines, and countries to check if people have received the vaccine. A related initiative by The Commons Project is currently testing CommonPass, a secure digital document, to verify if a Covid PCR test or vaccination is valid as travelers move across borders.

Reasonable Accommodations

Another thing to consider is that, in some situations, a vaccination mandate could be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Grimes says. If somebody has a severe allergy and doesn’t get the vaccine because of it, planners need to make a reasonable accommodation for that attendee. Also, a vaccine requirement could have religious-discrimination implications. If someone says that their religion prohibits them from getting the shot, then the planner should ask questions about that attendee’s ability to participate in other ways. “It’s up to the meeting host to decide what the reasonable accommodation is going to be; it's not up to the attendee,” Grimes says. Planners might have a virtual-meeting option as an accommodation, Grimes notes, or break out a section of the in-person meeting space for those without proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test. Hosts could also require face shields to be worn in addition to masks in those segregated areas.

Tell Them, and Tell Them Again

Meeting hosts who decide to require vaccinations or negative Covid tests have to thoroughly communicate that decision and all its implications. “If a meeting host is going to require proof, they should notify attendees well in advance of the event.” On the website, registration materials, and all communications with potential attendees, explain what’s required to fully participate (vaccination or negative test), what will be accepted as proof, and what options you have for those who can’t adhere to the new standards.

The Covid-Waiver Question

“Releases may have limited effectiveness, but they're a good idea right now,” Grimes says. “Whether you require the vaccine or not, you should ask attendees to sign a release against the chance of developing Covid, as well as agreeing to wear a mask, social distance, and participate in contact tracing if necessary. Waivers are not always upheld in court, but they're helpful nonetheless because they make attendees think about the steps they should take to protect themselves from illness, and about assumption of risk.” (Read Grimes’ thoughts on six ways to make a Covid waiver enforceable.)

Attendees will become more comfortable with proving proof as they begin to see it in other areas, such as the workplace or travel providers. “If the airlines require proof, I think we're likely to see the same requirements elsewhere,” says Grimes. “I think some of the big meetings, the airlines, and maybe some hotel companies will start thinking about this.” And their decisions, he says, could help set a new norm for the industry.

Ok. So there are landlords here who are actually comfortable with and encourage the denial of entry and access to education for other landlords who choose to not get vaccinated? This is actually a thing? Landlords are ok with this type of discrimination?

I don't ever remember Brad jumping up on chairs at the convention with his arms in the air yelling "FEAR! FEAR!!!" Quite the opposite in fact. "FREEEDOOOMMMMM!!"

The convention was actually going to be a lot closer to me last year and then the craziness happened.

I would agree that in person is better learning and experience, but only in a free world for me.

I would attend if I can drive <8 hours and depending on pandemic status at the time of the event. If there is an option of delaying by several months to allow things to stabilize a bit more, that might be a good option.

I would like to see the convention go on, but have it in person instead of a zoom format. The value of the conference is group discussions about the topics covered. That and the network of trusted advisors that you develop.

I got an invitation to go down in Florida for a master mind session this week and I am still on the fence about attending. I am thinking it would be wise to wait beyond the typical Memorial day weekend so the COVID fear settles down.

Not trying to pour gasoline on the shouldering dumpster fire, but as much as I would like to get together and exchange ideas/share camaraderie, I too will pass if masks are required. Not out of any ideological "freeeeeedom vs. fear" schtick, but simply that when I see people, I want to SEE people.

If it happens this year w/required masks, then I wish everyone well and will see everyone next year (2022) when hopefully all of this is behind us.

Sid, I also agree with that. There are many facets to all of this.

My world operates on handshakes and faces, not sanitizer and elbow bumps.

Funny, I feel NOT handshaking is very freeing. I always hated shaking hands with strangers - WHY should I touch someone I don't know??? And on their hand - ew. Who knows what they have done with that hand? And there's always that person who tries to prove some point with their "firm grip." It's a terrible custom that I am glad is gone, I hope for good. For me it is.

I can't make heads or tails on it. Data overload. Sure a mask helps protect you........the 95 in N95 says it is 95 effective. So what about T shirt mask?

Now we are being told to wear two mask as they are safer.....hmmm that makes sense more layers. But why stop there. I could wear five layers over the mouth and be ever safer?

So without diving into a political thought process, the norms have changed. It will take some time for all this change to be adopted into a format of "what is socially acceptable". How well does our society adopt to change?

Yeah - there might be a great topic there for not only the convention but life in general.

Managing change and expectations.

Ray, if the norms have changed, then they need to at least admit that this is permanent. They need to stop saying "temporary restrictions".

I am still trying to figure out why everybody bought into and still does?

Yes, I know, fear is a big part of it but, there is more to it then that.

Another vote for common sense of taking precautions during a pandemic. Just as I look at people not handling guns safely I look at those puting unfiltered respiratory droplets into enclosed common spaces.

6 x 6, because it gave a lot of them something to attach to. A sense of purpose. Like they're a part of something larger.

6 x 6, here's another thing that I see. Keep in mind that this is the possibly the exception and not the rule. However, in my own personal life, the people that I know who generally have a lack of spirituality or religious foundation and direction in their life are OBSESSED with complying with all of these restrictions until "they" tell we're safe again. The people of faith that I know in my life take it all with a grain of salt.