September 19, 2021 [Revised October 11, 2021]

The Houston Pride Band is excited to host the Bigger and Brighter conference in November. To do so in the safest way possible, your host team asks all participating members to abide by the following guidelines for your health and safety as well as that of everyone in attendance.

1. All attendees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID‐19 to participate in any band or conference activity. We will require proof of vaccination upon check-in. We will follow federal law exempting those with strongly held religious beliefs or medical conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated. A person is considered "fully vaccinated" for COVID‐19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2‐dose vaccine series (Pfizer‐BioNTech or Moderna) or two weeks after they have received a single‐dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen) including international vaccines (Astrazeneca) and others.
2. While the Four Seasons (our host hotel) and the Wortham Center (our performance venue) do not require face masks for our vaccinated guests, our conference team along with the support of the Pride Bands Alliance board will require participants to wear a face mask that covers both the mouth and nose at social events, conference meetings and at rehearsals while not playing your instrument. Bell covers are required for all instruments to help prevent the spread of airborne particles. We will provide disposable face masks as well as hand sanitizer for those who forget to bring them on your trip.
3. Maintain suitable social and seating distance between members when possible. Please respect the personal space of other members while both socializing and rehearsing. This includes seating at conference related meetings. We will do our best to arrange seating in accordance with the CDC's guidance on distancing at both rehearsals and meetings.
4. If you do not feel well or have a fever or symptoms in the 48‐72 hours prior to the conference, please consider the safety of others. Please do not risk traveling if you may be contagious.
5. During rehearsals and performances, instrument spit valves must be emptied onto disposable absorbent pads. Pads will be provided at rehearsals. At the end of the rehearsal or performance, pads must be promptly folded up and thrown away. For the outdoors pep band performance, water keys must be emptied away from others. Musicians must wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward.
6. If you leave the hotel to explore the city, nightclubs, etc., it is your responsibility to keep yourself safe from potential exposure. Wear masks for your protection and others.

We are trying to mitigate risk as much as possible. We will publish a FAQ section to our website shortly. We want to be sure everyone has a fun, but safe, experience in Houston. If every participating guest follows these simple guidelines, we can provide a low-risk environment for everyone to meet and perform together in November.

This list of precautions is by no means exhaustive. We will update this list as the Covid situation evolves in the coming weeks and as safety procedures change at our venues between now and November.

Get your vaccinations and stay safe so that we can welcome you to our beautiful city for this long-awaited reunion of our Pride Bands family.

The Houston Pride Band has faced enormous challenges and obstacles while producing this conference during a national pandemic and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we've navigated through every twist and turn that life has hurled at us.

Thank you for your continued support!

Russell Ben Williams & Elizabeth De Los Rios
Co-Chairs - Bigger and Brighter 2021

Four Seasons Update

As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts remains focused on protecting the health and wellbeing of employees, guests, patrons and residents.

Grounded in the principles of care, trust and service, Four Seasons introduced an enhanced global health and safety program in May 2020 in response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. To inform the program's development, implementation and ongoing updates, Four Seasons entered into a consulting agreement with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the global division of health care and research leader Johns Hopkins Medicine.

While guests may see many of the enhanced operational procedures, behind-the-scenes measures also take place through employee training, additional food handling protocols, and enhancements to ventilation systems and other back-of-the-house operations. Four Seasons remains focused on protecting the health and well-being of employees, guests, patrons and residents.

Enhanced Cleanliness:

• Each Four Seasons property has appointed a Hygiene Officer focused on implementing enhancements to already stringent procedures;
• Rooms disinfected with EPA approved products with blacklight inspection by room attendants;
• Focused re-training programs for Housekeeping teams on all cleaning procedures are being implemented across the portfolio;
• Increased cleaning of public areas, with extra attention to high-touch surfaces such as front desk counters, elevator buttons and public restrooms.

Heightened Guest Safety and Comfort:

• Global policy requiring all employees to wear masks while indoors (further details below);
• Lead With Care kits placed in each guest room providing masks, hand sanitizer and sanitization wipes, with additional masks supplied on demand;
• Embedded physical distancing measures where appropriate, including spaced fitness equipment, modified pool and beach set-up, contactless check-in and housekeeping services;
• Restaurants and bars may operate with reduced capacity and modified set-ups to ensure adequate space and physically distancing, with nearly all restaurants providing a-la-carte service;
• In Room Dining offering contactless delivery outside guestrooms along with sustainable, single-use packaging.

Empowered Employees:

• Training is focused on educating and empowering employees to deliver the enhanced health and safety program with confidence, passing on this care to each and every guest and resident;
• Grounded in emotional intelligence, employees are undergoing behavioural training, ensuring empathetic, personalized care and connection are not lost in the absence of close contact hand limited face to face interaction.

Mask Usage:

It is mandatory for all Four Seasons employees globally to wear masks indoors while on property.

Access to COVID-19 Testing:

Many jurisdictions have stringent regulations on mask usage, physical distancing, and maximum occupancies. We encourage all travelers to connect with the Four Seasons property they are visiting to receive the latest information on local mask usage policies and requirements before travelling, as these local requirements continue to evolve.

Four Seasons properties can facilitate access to COVID-19 testing for guests. In most cases, COVID-19 testing can be arranged on-property, with a third-party, to ensure a convenient experience.