While the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted businesses in virtually every industry, there’s no doubt that the hospitality and events industry has been among the hardest hit. Now slowly but surely, businesses are reopening, albeit still under strict guidelines.
You’re an enthusiastic planner who can’t wait to organize your next event, and you may wonder if it’s wise or even safe to begin to think about booking a meeting, a convention or even a meal. Unfortunately, we’ll need to get used to a “new normal,” at least for the near future, so here are some tips to help you adapt when you’re event planning after covid has subsided.
Prioritize Safety
Because social distancing is essential to ensure the safety of both your guests and your staff, limit the number of attendees to only as many as can comfortably stay at least 6 feet apart. Located on 25 spacious acres, our venue is designed to accommodate small or medium audiences of 100 or fewer and is perfect for maintaining a safe social distance among your attendees.
Besides social distancing, you should plan to take other safety precautions, such as thermal scanning and providing masks and plenty of sanitizers at your event. Remember, measures such as thermal scanning take time, so you’ll need to factor the additional time needed into planning your event.
Adapt to “New Normal” Meal Planning
For the time being, self-serve buffets and smorgasbords are things of the past. Arrange your sit-down dining so there’s a distance of at least 6 feet between the chairs. Also make sure your staff is equipped with personal protective gear and provide at least one sanitizer for each table.
Target the Local Audience
Initially, you’ll probably want to restrict your attendees to those living within the area in order to avoid travelers from other regions where the virus has been more prevalent. Located just southwest of Boston, our venue is ideal for any event that appeals to residents from the Boston area.
Keep Your Guests Informed
During this time of uncertainty, it’s essential that you continue to communicate with your attendees. The minute you hear news that could affect your event, such as new restrictions in response to an unexpected increase in COVID-19 cases, you need to weigh all options for changing the date or time of the event and immediately inform your guests if you’ve decided to change anything in order to give them ample time to adjust their plans.
Seek Input From Your Target Audience
As you look forward to future event planning after covid has subsided, consider seeking input from your target audience. Send them questionnaires or surveys to ask them what concerns they may have about safety, convenience or other issues that may affect their willingness to attend an event. For example, you could ask what particular concerns they may have about safety, such as cleanliness, availability of masks and sanitizers or ease of social distancing.
Sustain Your Business
Throughout the pandemic, you’ve undoubtedly had to minimize your events, at best hosting only virtual meetings or conferences or even postponing events altogether. Your business has no doubt suffered financially, and it’s probably struggling to sustain itself or even survive. Until you’re certain you’re able to get back to safely hosting in-person events again, try to cut down on marketing and costs of operation as much as is practical. Consider searching for low-cost methods of automation to save on labor expenses.
