The Coronavirus pandemic changed every fabric of our lives, including how events occurred. For the past few years, people had to transition to purely virtual events, but things are taking a turn with the receding of the pandemic.
We are seeing more live events happening, and there is hope that we might return to pre-pandemic levels. The fact is no matter how good technology gets, you cannot replace the feeling of a live in-person event.
Currently, most events are hybrid, meaning they feature a combination of in-person and virtual attendance. Whether you’re organizing an in-person or virtual event, iPhone Rental can be your go-to technology partner.
When returning to live events, preparation is critical, and the following are tips to aid in a safe return:
Event Purpose
Before doing anything, you should consider why you want to return to live events. Consider what the objectives of the event will be and the outcomes you expect from holding the event. Though you might have had the event before, is it still valid or worth it to have it today?
Also, consider why you want to return to live events instead of continuing with virtual ones? Determining the purpose of returning to live events will inform all subsequent decisions hence its importance. The sooner you can define your why, the easier it will be to return to live events safely.
Space
One of the critical factors in preparing and safely returning to live events is to have as much space as possible.
Social distancing is key to curbing the spread of the virus, so though your event may have few attendees, you should have more than enough space for them to move around freely. Moreover, the attendees will feel safer if there is enough space for everyone.
The goal of having a lot of space is to curb face-to-face interactions. With enough space, you can follow the CDC’s social distancing rules to help reduce the risk of people getting the virus.
The space should have enough breathing for people to focus on the issue at hand during meeting hours. There should also be enough space in common areas and places where people will congregate during breaks to make everyone feel comfortable.
Detailed Planning
Planning is always essential when organizing events, and it is even more critical for post-pandemic events where safety is crucial. You need to plan the event as you would before but take into consideration the pandemic restrictions as well as attendees’ safety.
Live events include many moving parts as opposed to holding an event on a video conferencing app which means a lot could go wrong.
The good news is that many tools can help you with event planning, some of which were developed during the pandemic when only virtual events were allowed. Event planning software tools can help you with many processes involved in planning a live event.
They can help centralize communication with your planning team, monitor event bookings, organize renovations, collect payments, etc. Moreover, they can handle any type of event that you would like to plan.
If you can plan a live event accordingly, it will help with the safe return to live events as you will make the event productive and fun while allowing for Covid restrictions. You should start the planning process as early as possible.
Planning will help especially with marketing the event, and it might also help with rebranding which may be essential for post-pandemic events.
Educate Your Audience
Some people have not been to a live event in so long, and they may have completely forgotten what they were like. All kidding aside, if you want to prepare adequately and safely return to live events, you should focus on education.
Educating attendees and all parties involved in planning & executing the event about the safety procedures necessary will help ensure the event goes according to plan.
The first step will be finding out the state of the audience and those who will set up the event pertaining to the preparation and safety of live events.
Once you get adequate feedback, you can make the necessary adjustments to ensure that they will be okay attending the event or working to make it happen.
It would be best if you educated the people on how to stay safe when they attend the meeting. You should also inform your employees how they can work quickly and safely to make the event a reality.
Success is all but assured once they understand what is expected of them and the part they need to play to make the live event happen.
Utilize Technology
There is no getting around the fact that the pandemic changed our lives forever, and some things will never go back to the way they were before. Virtual events are not only popular, but they offer advantages that you cannot ignore.
Therefore, when preparing for a live event, you should harness the use of technology if you want to prioritize safety.
As of now, hybrid events should be your goal, as most people and organizations are not yet comfortable with face-to-face events.
Therefore, those that can attend the meetings should come, and those that can’t attend can still live but virtually. Video conferencing technology can really improve your business as an event planner.
Event Partner
Another critical element to successfully planning and executing a safe live event will be finding the right event partner. The key in this regard is to think long-term and consider an individual or entity with whom you can have a lasting relationship. A partner is as invested in the success of the events as you.
Having a one-off supplier for each event is a short-term strategy and usually has dismal results. They will do whatever they have to do to ensure they make money. On the other hand, a true event partner will want to see you do well because it also means that they do well.
Ensure that your partner is an extension of your team and that there is an open collaboration between you. When things go wrong, they should be willing to take accountability just as you will. If so, your live event will be well prepared and safe.
Things have changed significantly since the pandemic. We are now slowly returning to live events, but preparation is key to success. Safety is a priority, and the above tips will help prepare and ensure the event’s safety.
