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Safety Information

The 147th Imperial Session of Shriners International is quickly approaching, and we look forward to having our Nobles, Ladies, friends and families together once again. The event will be held July 4-8, 2021 in Houston, Texas, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and we hope you can join us in “Havin’ Fun in ’21.”

We understand that the CDC guidelines on U.S. and International travel are continuously evolving, and we ask that you check the CDC website before making travel plans. 

Our primary objective is the health and safety of all Nobles, Ladies and families that will attend Imperial Session. The 2021 Imperial Session committee and Shriners International Headquarters, in collaboration with the City of Houston, have been working tirelessly on making safety plans for the event. 

Your Safety

The George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) has earned accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STARTM Facility Accreditation Program – the industry gold standard of safe facilities.

In early September 2020, the GRB became the first convention center in the nation to implement Medistar Corp’s new biodefense air filtration system proven to eliminate a number of airborne contaminants, including COVID-19.

Since January 6 of this year, the GRB has successfully welcomed nearly 300,000 attendees at several large events including the Mizuno Cross Court Volleyball Tournament in March. The facility remains active daily, and has hosted up to 21,000 guests in a single day, all while maintaining the highest standards of public safety. 

Additional Safety Measures
  • The GRB now has 20 EMist 360 electrostatic disinfectant sprayers, which are used at the end of each day to sanitize all common areas throughout the GRB as well as meeting rooms being used during events.
  • The NUCTECH infrared face temperature screening system FeverBlock provides a non-contact solution for large scene temperature measurement and screening.
  • 65 permanent hand sanitizing locations throughout the facility
  • New sliding doors for touchless entry
  • Touchless water fountains
  • Touchless payment options at food vendors
  • UV Sanitizer on escalator handrails

The GRB is part of the Houston Clean initiative, a citywide task force committed to enhanced health precautions designed to mitigate virus spread.