With vaccine distribution underway, in-person events are predicted to slowly return during the second half of 2021.
While that is good news, there are many factors to consider before hosting an in-person event. So, what can organizations do to begin planning events? And How will you know when it’s the right time?
There are a few indicators that we’re moving closer to live, in-person events:
- Employees returning to offices – Apple employees are scheduled to return to the office beginning in June 2021, while Facebook and Google are scheduled to return in July and September respectively.
- Restaurant dining returning indoors – NYC increased indoor dining to 35% at the end of February. However, restaurants will have to expand closer to 100% capacity before in-person event can fully return.
- Travel – Flight and hotel booking are still down, but many people are planning vacations for when they are able to travel post-pandemic. Increases in travel booking for both business and pleasure are a good sign in-person events are not far behind.
What can you do now?
If you’re trying to decide whether to host in-person, virtual or hybrid, there are some actions you can take now to help decide to move forward.
Check local and state regulations – Find out what the local and state protocols are for in-person events. Here’s a comprehensive guide that includes occupancy limits, travel protocols and mask requirements for every state.
Contact your venue – Ask about the health and safety protocols the venue has put in place including:
- PPE – What personal protective equipment provisions are in place for both staff and guests?
- Meeting space – Is the meeting space reserved just for your event and group or will other groups be hosting events at the same location? What about the public? Is there a casino, golf course, gym and/or restaurant that’s open to the public?
- Air filtration – how has the ventilation systems been upgraded to meet new guidelines?
- Cleaning protocols – What cleaning protocols are in place for all areas of the venue including meeting rooms, guest rooms, public restrooms, registration, gym & spa facilities? How often will they be cleaned?
- Outdoor spaces – Is there outdoor space that can be used to accommodate physical distancing guidelines? Can meals or receptions be held in the outdoor space?
- Hybrid meetings – If you’re interested in hosting hybrid meetings ask about the venues live streaming capabilities including wifi bandwidth, AV equipment and staffing.
- F&B – What safety protocols are in place for food preparation? Are meals individually packaged? Buffets? How will seating be set up?
- Signage – Is there signage reminding staff and guests of COVID safety protocols and prevention guidelines placed throughout the venue?
- Testing protocols – Will staff and guests be required to have temperature checks before entering the venue? What is the protocol if someone has a high temperature?
Learn more about how you can begin to make the switch back to in-person events in Part 2 of the series.
Do you need help with your event strategy? I’d love to help! Schedule a time for us to meet. Whether I give you some quick tips, or you need more in-depth help, you’ll walk away with valuable ideas.