De-de Mulligan is the president and chief content strategist for Mulligan Management Group. She is a writer, digital marketing strategist, a former event planner and a regular contributor and blogger for event industry publications. You can reach De-de by email or connect with her on LinkedIn.
“Become comfortable with permanent uncertainty.” ~ Unknown
Since March 2020, your lives as planners, show managers and suppliers have been nothing short of topsy-turvy. For many seasoned event professionals, the last 19 months are new to someone whose planning cycle is three to five years in the future.
While many are touting a “new normal,” what is that exactly? And how do you pivot when your local, state or federal government changes direction with COVID-19 guidelines or mandates? One guiding principle is to stay calm and always make safety a top priority.
Let’s walk through some health and safety protocols for events, determine the planning timeline to implement each of them, and see where you might be able to reduce risk.
Let attendees know you are following all guidelines from these organizations daily and will be sharing information on your social media channels and website as things change.
Planning Time: Limited
Fallback Options: Move your meeting from inside to out, from virtual to in-person or hybrid. The more options you plan for, the better chances you will be able to move quickly where you have to be.
This can include rapid testing, temperature checks and asking them to fill out a health questionnaire every day. A company can sponsor the testing, and results can be given to the attendee in 3 to 15 minutes.
Planning Time: At least one month if you want it sponsored.
Fallback Options: Accept their vaccine card as proof they are vaccinated and allow them to skip this protocol.
Along with their photo ID, attendees would have to show their vaccine card to event management.
Planning Time: One day to one week, however, be prepared for pushback. Individuals may wish for a total refund or put not-so-kind messaging on your social media. Once your organization commits, you have to follow through.
Fallback Option: On-site testing or constant mask-wearing.
You probably know someone who came to work, school or a friend’s house and had COVID-19. They either didn’t know the symptoms or denied that they had them. Posting this information repeatedly on social media, putting it in attendee rooms and broadcasting it throughout the event will remind people of the symptoms. You can either pay for the televisit consultations or secure a sponsor.
Planning Time: At least one month before your event.
Fallback Option: Turn your entire event into a virtual one.
Attendees, regardless of their vaccination status, must always wear a mask while they are indoors. This requires enforcement and proper wearing to be effective.
Planning Time: At least one month because you must say it repeatedly.
Fallback Options: If they don't want to wear a mask, offer a virtual option or give them a full refund.
Aside from implementing these health and safety protocols, you always have the option to reschedule your event. This is not an attractive alternative, but it may be your safest bet after considering the COVID-19 situation in the destination where your event is being held. Postponing the event one month to one year allows you the flexibility to take a breather without refunding most of the fees you’ve already collected.
Alternatively, you may choose to switch your in-person event to a completely virtual platform.
Think of meetings and events as a spectrum: At one end are no gatherings and on the other are large, full-fledged conventions and trade shows with people crammed into conference halls or trade show floors.
We will continue to track somewhere in between during this time. The planners with tremendous success will move fluidly along the spectrum with loads of contingencies, and always including health and safety protocols to keep in-person attendees safe.
Remember, we are still in a pandemic, and until we hit herd immunity, chances are we will continue to have resurgent highs and lows, thus a constant state of uncertainty.
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