We have all been deeply affected by the recent pandemic. With lots of clients asking us what does an event look like post Covid-19, while all of us as events professionals are finding our feet, here are some trends that we are seeing as we work to gain a sense of occasion once again.
Planning & Preparation
– With mass event limits set to be capped at 5,000, standard company events will host no more than 50 in the short to medium term.
– Focusing on disposables and single use, we are seeing that for the short term, disposables like crockery, linen and glassware will be used, this includes single serve dishes for food and snacks.
– Events are expected to go on longer with smaller groups throughout the length of the event. This will be important information to disclose in advance of the event, so supply as much information as possible in your invites.
– Guests will be scheduled to arrive and leave at certain times with a level of cleaning between guests and throughout the event.
– Temperature checking of staff and guests in the lead up to the event. Again, request on your invites that guests feeling in any way unwell do not attend.
Room & Settings
– Redesigning the room layout – No longer will gala style seating be appropriate for guests, adequate space will need to be required between seated guests and in addition traffic flow in and out of the room will need to be considered. For award events, we no longer see recipients collecting awards and posing for photographs with a sponsor, instead, guests will accept awards post event from a designated area where a company representative will have their photo taken alone with the award. Ensuring appropriate air conditioning and regular cleaning throughout the event will be expected.
– Non touch surfaces in common areas – WC’s, pay points, doors, registration desks etc all need to be considered in advance of hosting a gathering of any size in the future.
– Utilising as much outdoor areas as possible, regardless of winter or summer time, using outdoor spaces will allow for social distancing. Incorporate it into your theme, encouraging guests to wrap up and supply materials that can keep guests entertained regardless of the weather.
– An increase in signage and barriers for social distancing at external events.
– Use of microphones and AV will need to be considered so each user has their own microphone throughout the event, similarly with bands or entertainment.
Learning Curve
– Reviewing insurance for events will be required , in the event that a guest passes the virus to other guests at your event, you will need to be prepared for possible repercussions.
– Budgets once spent on expensive AV and lighting will now be focused on maintaining social distance, disposables and cleaning schedules.
We expect these trends to change and evolve as we all learn how best to execute events in a post Covid-19 environment based on guidance from health professionals and our own best practice.
Our main focus as an event services provider is keeping our team, clients and their guests safe.
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