In the past few years, the way business events are done has drastically changed. In many industries, meeting and greeting new people is important, which can be a problem in today’s climate.
If a company does plan on having an event, it’s essential that the attendees feel safe. How can this be done? More caution needs to be taken when hosting an in-person event. Here are some tips for having a successful event during a pandemic.
Have the Event Online
One of the best things that can be done to ensure that everyone is safe and feels comfortable is to have an event online rather than in-person. This is a go-to method for many current events because the host doesn’t have to worry about any guests being sick or not properly socially distancing.
If an event is virtual, however, there still needs to be a good amount of planning. Make sure that all the guests can access the event online at home or in an office.
This might need to be done by downloading Zoom or you can check this list of top Zoom alternatives that you can use. This is especially true if some of the attendees aren’t familiar with the technology.
Bring Items for Health and Safety
If the event is still being done in person, health and safety precautions need to be taken. Set up some rules, such as requiring all the guests to wear masks or show their vaccination cards to enter. Have social distancing guidelines to avoid people being too close to each other, even during conversations.
Another key factor is to have hand sanitizer stations around during the event for people to continuously use.
Also, keep areas where a lot of people have been properly sanitized. If you are serving food, make sure people can’t touch food that belongs to others.
Setup Cardboard Cutouts of Those Absent
Sometimes during events, photos are taken to showcase the team. If this is done, it’s important to keep everyone masked and spread apart for the photo. But what about people who can’t attend.
Even if extra precautions are taken, some people still won’t be able to attend the event. There are also some events that have both virtual and in-person options. When taking a photo, setup custom cardboard cutouts of the people who aren’t physically there.
These are life-sized stands printed with someone’s picture, which makes it look like they’re there for group photos. These have become popular for social events, like weddings, so why not use them in a business setting too?
Invite a Smaller Group of People
Hosts that are holding in-person gatherings should consider having a smaller group of people. If a large group of people are expected to come to an event, separate them into smaller groups and hold several events during a day or week rather than having everyone in a room at the same time.
Like previously mentioned, another way to do this is to give guests the option of visiting online or in-person.
People that don’t feel comfortable being in public or who aren’t fully vaccinated can be online while a smaller, more secluded group of people can meet in person.
Get a Venue with a Lot of Space
One of the main things to do when meeting with other people, aside from being masked and vaccinated, is socially distancing.
If there’s a group of tens of people at an event, there should be enough space for them to all socially distance from each other. Make sure the venue has enough room to do this.
Another thing to do would be to hold the event outdoors where there’s usually more space to walk around and where the virus isn’t as spreadable. People shouldn’t be running and bumping into each other during a current event like they used to, so this needs to be completely avoided.
In Conclusion
When planning and hosting a business event during a pandemic, it’s necessary to be wise and think ahead. Guests need to feel like they are safe and cared for if the event is going to be successful.
While it’s best to make the event virtual, for those who are meeting in-person, precautions need to be taken to ensure that everyone remains safe and healthy.
