McCormick Place was one of the first convention centers in the country to announce it was pursuing GBAC STAR accreditation, the gold star for the industry. The Global Biorisk Advisory Council first accredited the facility in August 2020 and renewed that accreditation in August 2021.

Designed to assist spaces in establishing a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention, the GBAC STAR program works with facilities to create practices, protocols, procedures, and systems to control risks associated with infectious agents such as the virus responsible for COVID-19.

The GBAC STAR Accreditation Council determines each facility’s accreditation by examining their ability to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures. Receiving this accreditation means that McCormick Place has:

• Established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
• The proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease
• Highly skilled cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response

For more information on the GBAC STAR facility accreditation program, please see more on the Global Biorisk Advisory Council website here.

McCormick Place Event Management prepared a list of Enhanced Facility Cleaning Procedures as they relate to our VenueShield™ Cleaning Program and GBAC STAR™ accreditation.