MCC COVID-19 RESOURCE CENTER

Enhanced policies and procedures for COVID-19 pandemic response & FAQs

First and foremost, the management and staff at MITAGS and Maritime Conference Center (MCC) would like to express our gratitude to the heroes on the front lines of COVID-19. Our thoughts are also with those that have been impacted directly by illness or loss during this difficult time.

MITAGS reopened its doors to enrolled students on May 31st, and Maritime Conference Center reopened its hotel to house students and instructors on May 30th. Student classes have safely resumed in our East and West campuses, and to date we have had no confirmed cases of COVID-19.

As of September 4th, Maryland is in phase three of their COVID-19 reopening plans, and as of September 25th Anne Arundel County is in a modified phase two. These new phases allow for limited meeting room capacity of 50% occupancy with adherence to 6 foot physical distancing, wearing of masks, and cleaning protocols in place. Maritime Conference Center has hosted safe successful in-person meetings and hybrid events in the past couple of months and looks forward to working with customers planning events for the future.

Note that the risk of being infected by COVID-19 will likely exist until a vaccine becomes readily available. However, MITAGS and Maritime Conference Center recognize that it is our responsibility to make every effort to reopen in a responsible and safe manner. This is why we’ve worked diligently to create, and continually modify, protocols and resources for our staff, students, meeting planners and guests to mitigate this risk to the best of our abilities. Our policies are based on the latest safety guidance from CDC, state health department and other regulatory authorities. MCC’s initial phase of our protocols can be found here on this page, in our COVID-19 Resource Center. MITAGS' COVID-19 Resource Center can be found here: https://www.mitags.org/faqs-covid-19/.

Both Resource Centers will be modified and updated as we continue moving forward, as changes are inevitable.

Please take a moment to read through our latest blogs, and below for additional COVID-19 related information.

If you have any specific questions that you need assistance with or if you would like a copy of our full COVID-19 Operational and Safety Manual, please email us at Conference_Sales@mccbwi.org.

COVId-19 Policies for All Staff, MITAGS Students & MCC guests

The buttons below take you to our current policies and procedures for visiting MITAGS and MCC in Baltimore during this COVID‐19 health crisis, as well as a list of self‐screening questions staff, students and guests are required to answer.

MITAGS & MCC COVID-19 Policy

House Guidelines for Sports Teams

FACT SHEETS

Download our latest fact sheets to share with your planning team and meeting/conference guests.

MCC COVID-19 Protocol Overview

MCC Enhanced Cleaning Protocols

My Cleaning Promise Program

FLIK Hospitality Group Dining Room Protocols

Frequently Asked Questions

AM I REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK ON CAMPUS?

Yes, masks are required for all guests while on property in any of our indoor public spaces, classrooms and meeting rooms. If you forget your mask, the front desk will supply you with one at check-in. Employees are also required to wear masks at all times when in the presence of, or within 6 feet of other employees and guests. Additional PPE gear is available and will be worn by employees as appropriate.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AT CHECK-IN?

To facilitate physical distancing, the Front Desk will have rope and stanchion placed so that two lines can form – one for each workstation. When a station is closed, that lane will be roped off so that only one individual will present to the Front Desk Clerk at a time. Each station will have an acrylic shield in front of it to protect the staff. Appliques which signify where to stand will be placed every six feet from the desk, in two lines.
We've installed contactless check-in and payment terminals at our front desk, and all room keys will be sanitized.

IS YOUR FITNESS CENTER & POOL OPEN?

The fitness center is open from 5am to 10pm, with a maximum capacity of 6 persons at a time. We ask that guests wear a mask when entering the gym, and that all equipment is whipped down after use.

The hotel pool is open from 5pm to 10pm daily. Our management company, Ace Aquatics, is adhering to all state and local health and safety protocols. Physical distancing and limited capacity requirements will be enforced by the lifeguard on duty. Used linens will be placed in a receptacle with a bag, and removed once a day to be cleaned. We ask that guests wear a mask when entering the pool area, and while interacting with people not in their household and staff. Masks are not to be worn while swimming in the pool.

The Recreation Room will remain closed until current state and local restrictions are lifted.

What changes Have you Made in Your Dining Room & Centralized Break Area to Mitigate Risk of Infection?

There will be limited dining and break services. Food service in the Chesapeake Dining Room is now safely served or "grab and go". The dining room seating has been arranged for physical distancing and limited to 50% occupancy. Guest room floors will have additional trash receptacles near the elevator to dispose of the food containers should students or guests decide to eat in their guest room. Please do not leave empty containers in the room since housekeeping service is limited at this time. Arrangements for an area for day students or guests to eat their meals will be made once a firm head count is established.

Temporary meal hours are as follows:

Breakfast: 7:00am to 8:00am (Mon - Fri)
Lunch: 11:30am to 12:30pm (Mon - Fri)
Dinner: 5:00pm to 6:00pm (Mon -Thur)

Break Service tentative hours are as follows:

AM Break Service: 9:00am to 11:00am
- Coffee, soda and water service only
PM Break Service: 1:00pm to 3:00pm (Availability of Friday PM Break depends on capacity)
- Coffee, soda and water service as well as pre-packaged snacks

* Offerings may vary depending on meeting package. Please inquire with a sales professional.

Is your Shuttle Still Operating?

The MITAGS & MCC shuttle will not be in operation until further notice. If you are flying into BWI or traveling by train to the BWI Amtrak Station, please take a taxi, Uber or Lyft.

IS MCC Offering Virtual Tours of Its Property and Meeting Spaces?

Currently we have multiple options that allow you to view some videos and photos of our individual spaces:

If you would like to schedule a personal virtual tour via Teams, Zoom or a similar app., or an in-person tour please contact us at Conference_Sales@mccbwi.org.
In-person tours are available by appointment only, and we reserve the right to limit the number of guests allowed on a tour.
Walk-in tours are not being accepted at this time.

Is the Deck Club Lounge Open?

The Deck Club Lounge Bar reopened on Sunday, November 1st and will be open Sunday-Friday 5pm-10pm (closed on Saturdays). Subject to change.

What Air Filtration and Circulation Equipment is in place at your Facility?

As of 5.29.2020, the guest rooms in our North Tower (Building 2) are reopened. This tower consists of 134 guestrooms. Each floor has a fresh air makeup unit in the hallway. Each individual room has a water-cooled A/C unit, but no fresh air comes in through those units. Exhaust fans are located in the guestroom bathrooms to pull air out. In our South Tower (Building 1) new makeup air units are being installed in the coming weeks. We will provide updated information once that tower reopens.

The majority of our meeting space, to include the A300 rooms, Bridge Room, A111/A113, A100 and most of our Academic Classrooms have rooftop A/C units that take in fresh air. There are also some smaller meeting spaces that have individual A/C units.

If you need additional information, we'd be happy to connect you to our Chief Engineer.

What additional cleaning and SANITATION Protocols have you put in Place ?

Our housekeeping partner, My Cleaning Services, Inc., has developed, the “My Cleaning PROMISE” program which includes enhanced cleaning and sanitizing of
guest rooms and public spaces. A safety seal placed on your guestroom door will indicate it has been cleaned, sanitized and sealed for your safety.

In addition, our Conference Department is cleaning and sanitizing desks, chairs and all hard surfaces in our meeting rooms. We’ve adjusted the capacity and layouts to promote physical distancing. And we are using our impressive internet backbone to provide solutions for guests who wish to attend online.

For more information on our cleaning protocols and the My Cleaning PROMISE Program, click here.

My Cleaning Services, Inc. has received ISSA The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association's Cleaning Industry Management Standard GB Certification.

ARE ONLINE RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS?

Yes, online reservations are available for all groups. Please reach out to your Sales or Conference Manager to obtain your booking link.

HOW ARE YOU ENFORCING PHYSICAL DISTANCING?

MCC & MITAGS are utilizing floor decals and stanchions in the appropriate areas, like the Front Desk and in the Dining Room to encourage physical distancing. In addition, we've reduced the number of terminals in our business center(s), and removed most seating furniture in our lobby and Deck Club Lounge. We've also reorganized floorplans and room layouts in our Dining Room, as well as in our classrooms and meeting spaces.

As conference business returns, breaks and lunch will be scheduled in advance to ensure physical distancing.

How Can you support my Virtual Training Needs?

Click here to view our current AV equipment offerings and price list. We continue to work with our IT/AV team and Conference Department to stay up-to-date on the latest technology, especially as the industry pivots to more virtual meetings. We also have several great third-party partnerships that we can recommend to you should your needs be outside of our capabilities.

The FAQ below this one, "What do you offer in terms of internet access & capabilities" will also help with your hybrid meeting plans.

For more information and to discuss your specific requirements, please contact us at Conference_Sales@mccbwi.org.

WHAT DO YOU OFFER IN TERMS OF INTERNET ACCESS & CAPABILITIES?

Maritime Conference Center performed a complete overhaul of our public Wi-Fi services in 2014. In addition to securing the services of a leading hospitality-focused support and engineering company to manage our infrastructure, we upgraded our internal cabling to CAT-6 standards, installed 95 access points, and we boast a 150MB bandwidth over microwave with a failsafe to a 100MB fiber pipe.

Both wired and seamless Wi-Fi service is available in all of our guest rooms and throughout the property. And as always, this is a complimentary service to our guests. We offer additional services for our conference and meeting guests such as private V-LAN, web conferencing, reserved bandwidth and dedicated technical support at competitive rates.

150MB bandwidth
95 access points
Complimentary WiFi service in meeting rooms and hotel rooms
Private V-LAN, Web Conferencing and Reserved Bandwidth available

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MEETING ROOM SIZE IS NOW APPROPRIATE FOR MY MEETING SO WE CAN ENSURE PHYSICAL DISTANCING?

Our Conference Department has completed new capacity charts for each of our meeting spaces to ensure physical distancing. You can view these new capacities, by clicking here. Please contact your Sales or Conference Manager with questions or to discuss your specific needs. At this point in Anne Arundel County, Maryland you can have up to 50% occupancy within a meeting room, but must adhere to 6 foot physical distancing and wear masks.

You can also view this physical distancing room space and capacity calculator to get a general idea of how your meeting room size may need to be adjusted.

Are you Still oFFering Laundry Service at this time?

Unfortunately at this time, we are not providing laundry service. All laundry slips and bags have been removed from our guest rooms until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience, however our self-service laundry room is available on the 5th floor in our North Tower.

Do you have sample menus of what is now available in the dining room?

Yes, please click here to see sample menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner provided by our partner, FLIK Hospitality Group. Food selections will continue to evolve as restrictions and conference volumes change. Please ask your Sales Manager or Conference Manager should you have specific questions or requests.

What is the current limit on social gatherings in Maryland?

Maryland's Back to Business guide provides the most up to date COVID-19 reopening guidance. Anne Arundel County's Road to Recovery page highlights the recent reopening guidance for our county. Currently our area is allowing 50% occupancy in meeting spaces, adhering to 6 foot physical distancing and wearing of masks.

Additionally, the CDC has also released updated guidelines for events and gatherings, read those by clicking here.

Can sports teams make reservations at the Maritime Conference Center?

Yes, we are accepting reservations for guests attending outdoor sporting events. We ask that guests review our House Guidelines for Sports Teams. Guests are required to wear masks in common areas. We have the right to ask guests who are not following our COVID-19 guidelines to leave the property, with no refund.