GOING THE EXTRA MILE: Barrett-Jackson Puts Health and Safety First at the 2020 Fall Auction

September 17, 2020
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Barrett-Jackson has long been known for putting the customer first – and, in the age of COVID-19, that’s true now more than ever before. At Barrett-Jackson’s special Fall Auction in Arizona, our customers can have confidence in the steps we have taken to improve safety at the auction.

Working closely with the City of Scottsdale and WestWorld officials for months to ensure adherence to local, state and federal guidelines, Barrett-Jackson is confident that customers will feel safe while at the auction site and still be able to enjoy everything for which The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions is known.

Thanks to the Scottsdale City Council dedicating a portion of the city’s federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to WestWorld and other city facilities, the venue has been the recipient of a number of upgrades based on the latest research and recommendations from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and leading air system engineering organizations. The upgrades – which will improve safety for event-goers and those working at the auction – include additional sanitizing stations, increased custodial staffing to clean common spaces and surfaces more frequently, and advanced filtration and air treatment technologies that will reduce the spread of germs and viruses.

These advanced technologies will include bipolar ionization that “collects” contaminants in an airstream, and ultraviolet lighting (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation), which has been shown to eliminate 99 percent of pathogens in an airstream will be installed near restrooms and other areas where people tend to congregate. Also, additional air exhaust systems that will no longer “recycle” air, but rather use 100 percent air from the outside, will be installed.

The auction site itself has been considerably redesigned with airflow, pedestrian traffic flow and physical distancing in mind.

There will be no side walls on the car display tents or the main entrance tent, for instance, and there will be a limited number of indoor exhibitors. Aisleways between exhibitors will be 20 feet in width, and exhibits will have a supply of hand sanitizer, with plexiglass at point-of-sale areas.

Dodge will be on hand with its exciting Thrill Rides, with their staff masked, gloved and temperature-checked. Thrill Ride vehicles will be rotated every 15 minutes in order to be disinfected by the Dodge sanitation team on-site. Each vehicle will have hand sanitizer in the cupholders for guest use, with ground graphics serving as a reminder to keep distance between parties of riders. Once a ride is complete, the driver will get in a freshly cleaned car for the next ride.

The Auction Office will see some changes as well. Plexiglass partitions and a minimum 6-foot distance will separate bidder and consignment representatives from customers, and most paper processes have been replaced with digital versions. Hand sanitizer will be readily available throughout the Auction Office and auction site as well.

In the auction arena, bidder seating has been reconfigured with “pods” of nine seats: three rows of three chairs, suitable for accommodating a group of friends or family or allowing for suitable distancing between smaller parties when utilizing just the first and third rows. You’ll see plexiglass on the auction block podium, block staff will be wearing masks and gloves, and adjustments have been made to allow for physical distancing. Only those bidding on the vehicle being offered at any given time will be allowed to be onstage.

Where Barrett-Jackson has gone above and beyond in the collector car auction world is in its handling of vehicles. Cars will be displayed approximately 8 to 10 feet apart to help ensure customers can fully walk around the vehicle without getting too close to the vehicle or other customers who may be beside them. One-way walkways throughout the venue (including the auction arena) will assist with physical distancing requirements.

Only one driver – wearing a mask and gloves – will be with each vehicle from the moment it arrives at the auction site. Vehicle interiors will be cleaned and plastic will be placed on the driver’s seat, steering wheel and shifter of each vehicle.

The driver will then take the vehicle to check-in, through the property area (where relevant documentation, awards and so forth are kept) and then to its designated display spot. Keys will be placed inside a UV sanitizer case between uses.

The property/key control tent will be restructured so prospective buyers will not be able to physically enter the tent, but can still access the information and property by approaching one of four desks set up at one open side of the tent and view the items through plexiglass barriers.

The pre-staging and staging lanes will also have a different look, with three lanes instead of the usual four to allow for more distance between the rows of vehicles, as well as additional space in front of and behind each vehicle. Once a vehicle has had its turn on the auction block, the goal will be to put that car’s property, when possible, in its lockable truck, so it is ready to move on to its next owner with minimal effort.

It is important to note that, to help maintain physical distancing guidelines recommended for live events, Barrett-Jackson’s Fall Auction will primarily be limited to bidders, consignors and their guests. All those on-site – whether they be attendees or those working at the auction – will be required to wear face coverings except when outdoors and socially distanced with their group or family, or while actively eating or drinking (which must be done while seated). Daily temperature screening will be administered to all attendees upon entry; those with temperatures above 100.4 F will not be able to enter.

In addition, Barrett-Jackson’s Clear Bag Policy remains in effect, with guests only permitted to enter the auction site with clutch purses that do not exceed 6.5×4.5 inches or clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags that do not exceed 12x6x12 inches (or one-gallon clear plastic freezer bags).

We hope all attendees – along with those who will be working at the event – join us in helping to create a safe, healthy environment for all at the 2020 Fall Auction, so the collector car hobby can remain as strong as ever in the coming months and years.