Will the event industry stand together in the face of COVID-19?
***Updated March 12th, 2020 at 4:20pm PDT to reflect that the Province of BC has now banned gatherings of 250 people or more as BC COVID-19 cases rise.
Will the event industry stand together in the face of COVID-19?
Unknowns abound in the event planning industry right now. What’s for certain? The shape of our sector in tomorrow’s post COVID-19 world will depend on the actions we collectively take today.
There really are opportunities for us to work together across the industry and emerge from this crisis stronger, more aligned, and better prepared for a possible “next time”. That’s become crystal clear looking out from the trenches where we’re working hand-in-hand with clients to reschedule, dismantle and reposition major events across Canada.
How do we seize those opportunities night now? Focusing on clarity, collaboration and flexibility is going to be huge:
- Clarity counts. Now’s the time for industry associations and governments to provide clarity together, not stand apart. Strong government recommendations now advise against religious and social gatherings. A new matrix is geared to help public health authorities and event organizers decide when to cancel. And here in British Columbia, as of March 12th at 4pm PDT, the Province of BC has now banned all large gatherings of 250 people amid COVID-19 spreading concerns. The trouble is: this puts too much onus on event organizers and our clients to make the call. It’s creating confusion around whether or not the pivotal decisions we’re making fall back on force majeur status – or even act of God classification. We need greater clarity across the board to take the best steps forward.
- Collaboration is key. That’s true for event planners and clients – but also within the industry itself. COVID-19 will have a ripple effect on events for a long time. Let’s start brainstorming and sharing ideas for how we’ll cope. If we see our event planning peers as allies instead of competitors, we can work together to secure the future of the industry overall. That takes an open, collaborative attitude and a willingness to advocate for ourselves. If we don’t, who will?
- Flexibility matters. Short-term decisions may solve the problem right in front of you. But they also have long-term impacts on operations next month or even next year. Whether you’re a small business service provider, boutique venue, independent event planner or large-scale hotel chain – flexibility is critical. Many of us have already been surprised by vendor and supplier reactions as we attempt to adapt contracts to a global health crisis that’s evolving in real time. Better dialogue focused on long-term relationships (vs. short term impacts and numbers) is important for all industry players to survive and thrive in spite of the situation.
We’re now facing a pandemic that’s already seen cases of conference-based transmission. But even in the darkness of uncertainty, the future can be bright. Ensuring it stays that way requires all of us – event planners, venues, suppliers, service providers, and the clients we support – to push for clarity, foster collaboration and above all: be flexible. Our collective success depends on it. Will you join us and rise to the challenge?
Sherryl Parsons
Owner / Lead-Planner
