VenueScreen

11/25/2020

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."-- Willie Nelson

This Thanksgiving, we at VenueScreen are thankful to be able to provide the screening products and protocols we have developed in less than years’ time. We pulled together a team early last winter from all walks of life, professional business people from the worlds of event management, the military, branding and marketing, the airlines industry and others because we saw the opportunity to serve and provide services that could help manage this global pandemic.

None of us had to do it.

We all have other commitments. But we’re doing it. And we’ll continue to do until the promising vaccines reach enough people so that the virus is diminished. Will it ever “go away?” No one has that answer yet. So, we’re thankful to be able to do our part in mitigating Covid-19 by helping to detect it in workplaces and recreational environments, in schools and churches, healthcare centers and sports venues, and other locations.

We’re also thankful for our many customers who have entrusted us with this duty. We hope to stick with you until this thing in our collective past. So like this favorite line of wisdom from that famous Texas philosopher, songwriter, outlaw and superstar, Mr. Nelson, this long holiday weekend we’re grateful to count the many blessings and good things we can all share this Thanksgiving, all things considered.

Make it a good day. And look forward to healthier, better days ahead.

11/18/2020

Who You Gonna Call?

In case you don’t know, VenueScreen is based in the Twin Cities. As we post this on November 18, the state of Minnesota has turned into one of many Covid-19 hot zones in the upper Midwest, surrounded by states with even higher rates of infections and increasing death totals. Tighter government health mandates are coming here today, closing bars and restaurants for 4 weeks, except for takeout orders.

This will create more dire hardships for owners and employees in the hospitality industry. But it also begs the question, if you’re still going into work and not working remotely, are you being protected enough in your workspace?

If you feel that your health and safety might be compromised in any way, what can you do about it? To quote a classic line from an old movie, “Who you gonna call?!”

We’re not trying to make light of this situation. The pandemic is a major global disrupter with many far-reaching impacts. However, any concerns that individuals may have in a workplace should typically be addressed by the Human Resources (HR) department where you work. HR is a good place to start. In fact, may HR leaders today are part of the C-suite – the place where all company leaders work together to solve everyday problems – and a major problem like Covid that has yet to solved.

Earlier this year, one leading national HR publication asked the right questions about how to help to ensure safer and healthier work environments. Our president, Zarir Erani, is quoted in it, and displays the type of leadership and insight we admire (that’s one reason we asked him to join our team!).

We have pasted a link to it below. Hopefully, it provides some good information as we all deal with the challenges this virus presents in our work lives and our lives in general.

Here’s the article:

​As businesses start to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic closures, thermal scanning has gotten buzz as a tool to make the workplace safer.

11/10/2020

NOT ALL HAND SANITIZERS ARE CREATED EQUAL –AND SOME WILL HARM YOU

Earlier this year, there was a lot of confusing information about what protections against the CV-19 virus were effective and those that were not. We heard about bleach (NO), ultraviolet light (KIND OF), and other remedies. But it got to the point that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had to come out and warn folks (AGAIN) in July about the dangers using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:
“The FDA first warned about some of the methanol-containing hand sanitizers being sold in retail stores and online in June. The agency issued a further warning earlier this month about an increasing number of adverse events, including blindness, cardiac effects, effects on the central nervous system, and hospitalizations and death, primarily reported to poison control centers and state departments of health. The agency continues to see these figures rise."

“Practicing good hand hygiene, which includes using alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available, is an important public health tool for all Americans to employ. Consumers must also be vigilant about which hand sanitizers they use, and for their health and safety we urge consumers to immediately stop using all hand sanitizers on the FDA’s list of dangerous hand sanitizer products,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D.”

IT HAPPENED!
In Florida in March, we learned that using alcohol-based hand sanitizers actually burned people to the point where they had to go to the ER. Below is a telling story from Miami, Florida.

WE’RE INNOVATING FOR SAFER WORK & PLAY ENVIRONMENTS
After hearing from our customers that they wanted a hand sanitizer that was effective – and had zero chance of causing harm -- VenueScreen worked with a local Twin Cities company to procure a BEST-IN-CLASS sanitizer. We can’t tell you what’s in it (NO ALCOHOL, for sure!). Or say where we found it. But it is a 5-star (*****) application that greatly complements the rest of our effective screening products and our HIPPA- and CDC- health protocols (done in collaboration with BOSTON SCIENTIFIC).
We will say that the many people using it love it. It works. It’s part of our commitment to creating safe and healthier work and recreation environments. And you could call it an innovation we made (IN A VERY SHORT TIME) to deal with a very serious global pandemic that continues to challenge healthcare systems, the economy and people we all know, from frontline doctors and nurses to patients stricken with the illness.
Watch this space for more innovations. Because that’s the type of company we are (and we promise not to use so many CAPS. But now they we did, we better go sanitize our fingertips with our stuff!).
Be safe. Stay smart.

With everyone trying to keep their hands as clean as possible, we are learning of a new danger during the coronavirus pandemic.

11/04/2020

We’re Winning!

With election results still pouring in overnight on November 4, it seems somewhat fitting that VenueScreen blows its own horn in celebration again. No, none of us here have run for public office. But our company has been recognized with an international award and is a Finalist in a high-profile technology awards event in Minnesota. Not bad for a new business that is not even a year old yet!

So we are happy once more to review our winning record to date, if for no other reason than to remind all of us how serious the virus is – and how important it is we have proven and effective solutions to deal with it: In mid-September, VenueScreen was named the winner of a “Silver” Stevie® Award in a specially created Covid-19 category for MOST VALUABLE PRODUCT in The 17th Annual International Business Awards® (IBA), aka the “Stevie Awards.” Award category levels include Gold, Silver and Bronze. We were recognized for helping to ensure healthy work, education, worship, sports and recreation environments during the pandemic with our sophisticated thermal-imaging products and HIPAA- and CDC-protocols guided by Boston Scientific.

“PRACTICAL, ESSENTIAL AND EFFECTIVE…THEIR NUMBERS ARE IMPRESSIVE AND MEANINGFUL”

The (anonymous) IBA/Stevie Award judges praised VenueScreen’s product and protocols package:

“As more places are opening up for the public, it is important to screen potentially infected individuals and mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” noted one judge. “The product presented here is a thermal sensor for identifying people with high temperature, which is handled by trained staff following CDC protocols. This is a good solution for handling public places where threat of COVID-19 is high.”

As we posted before, we are also a Finalist for the annual Minnesota Tekne Awards in another special category created for technology that addresses impacts to the community from Covid. We’re up against some super brands like 3M, Ecolab and others.

But everyone loves an underdog!

We’ll know those results later this month. And you’ll be the first to know how we did.

10/27/2020

None of Us Had to Do It. But We All Felt that It Had to Be Done!

Earlier this year in February, as the pandemic unfolded, a concerned group of diverse business leaders came together in the Twin Cities area. We put aside our already busy schedules – or added to them – to face the Covid-19 crisis head on. None of us had to do it. But we all felt that it had to be done!

Out of our discussions and meetings with potential partners, vendors and other professionals, VenueScreen was formed. You can read about who our key players are on our website. Or check out the Star Tribune profile done recently, which does a good job of putting a human face on a new company.

We share the same concerns about mitigating the virus that you and our growing customer base does. And we recognized early on that demand to help create a trustworthy screening system – and a set of scientifically-driven health protocols -- to help employers and their employees feel safe once returning to work or play. No one could wait for a vaccine or an inferior product response.

Now – just eight months into our mission -- we’re constantly making improvements to our increasing product offerings to help keep people safe at work and recreation.
Don’t have time to click on the link or visit our website? Here’s a quick look at who we are:
VenueScreen’s leadership team comes from the worlds of:
• Event management
• The U.S. military
• Retail and sales
• Brand building
• The airline industry
• Other sectors

That’s quite a range of talent. Watch us as we move forward to beat this thing.

Follow the StarTribune for the news, photos and videos from the Twin Cities and beyond.

10/22/2020

The Covid-19 virus seems to be rapidly increasing infection rates this week in several parts of the country, causing hospitals to overflow and maxing out nurses, doctors and other staff. And yet, essential work goes on in places where Covid-19 spread can occur easily like in food processing and manufacturing plants.

Smart employers who want to protect their dedicated workforce take scientifically-reasonable precautions to prevent spread. We’ve seen it firsthand. Early in VenueScreen’s start-up phase, two legendary brands with major manufacturing plants in Minnesota – Cambria and Polaris – did the right thing.

Both companies installed our earliest product versions to screen their employees. Besides having faith in our VenueScreen Station system, they also trusted the protocols that we developed with Boston Scientific on how to deal with individuals that might screen with a high temperature or other symptoms.

If nothing else, these two companies are demonstrating genuine leadership in an uncertain time when it’s needed most – and giving their employees an assurance that the company cares enough about them to try and help keep them healthy and safe on the job.

Hats off to them!

10/15/2020

The debate over opening schools during Covid-19 is an important one – and an evolving issue. But did you know that today over a dozen schools in the upper Midwest are using VenueScreen products to help keeps students, staff and teachers safely screened for the virus?

It’s true!

It’s also true that our VenueStation unit even helped stage a high school graduation last spring. That was almost unheard of!
“A real high school graduation was a rare thing to see anywhere in the country this spring during the COVID-19 crisis. But thanks to the VenueScreen expertise and their team that helped give our Waterford Wisconsin graduates a proper send-off, we were able to provide our community with a celebration and safety,” noted Superintendent Luke Francois of Waterford Union High School in Waterford, Wisconsin.

Kudos to Superintendent Francois and the Waterford Union High School for being early adopters of this essential back-to-school tool.

10/13/2020

The award-winning VenueScreen company can’t make you a PGA pro like Tom Lehman, but it can help protect golfers everywhere from spreading Covid-19. Here the Minnesota golf legend checks in at VenueStation before hitting the links – our largest screening product that was used this summer at 3M Open in Blaine, just outside the Twin Cities.

VenueStation is just one of several products – complete with CDC- and HIPPA-approved guidelines developed with Boston Scientific – and a five-star, non-alcoholic sanitizer.
Designed to give people the confidence they need to return to work and play, VenueScreen has already screened more than 1 million people since coming online earlier this year. And our merch looks good on anybody.

Nicely played, Tom!

10/06/2020

The annual Tekne Awards were just announced and VenueScreen is one of 10 Finalists in the specially created 2020 category for "Covid 19 Community Response."

The prestigious Tekne Awards are sponsored by the Minnesota Technology Association. VenueScreen will be competing with many well-established brands like 3M, Ecolab and others.

Watch for the winner's announcement sometime in November. And wish us Good Luck!

10/05/2020

VenueScreen has been named the winner of a “Silver” Stevie® Award in the MOST VALUABLE PRODUCT category in The 17th Annual International Business Awards® (IBA), aka the “Stevie Awards.” Our Twin Cities-based company is helping to ensure healthy work, education, worship, sports and recreation environments with its sophisticated thermal-imaging products and HIPAA- and CDC-protocols guided by Boston Scientific.

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for- profit and non-profit, large and small - are eligible to submit nominations. The 2020 IBAs received entries from organizations in 63 nations and territories. This year’s competition also featured a number of categories to recognize organizations’ and individuals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as VenueScreen.

You can read more about the award and our company on our website at venuescreen.com.

06/30/2020

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005294/en/Growing-List-Professional-Sports-Organizations-Businesses-Schools

Professional sports organizations, companies, schools, others operating during Covid relying on VenueScreen to ensure healthy work and play spaces