5 Unexpected Benefits Of Coronavirus On Future Event Planning

Coronavirus (now known as COVID-19) has had a devastating impact on the events industry with international and local events being cancelled worldwide.

The events industry is reeling with many companies having to lay off casual staff.

But as with all disasters, sometimes there's a silver lining in the cloud.

Here's a few unexpected benefits you may not have considered.

1. Plan small-scale events
Many countries have closed their borders to incoming and outgoing flights which has led to a number of airlines, such as Virgin Australia cancelling planned flights until June 2020 or later. With the rising need for self-isolation, travel simply won't occur unless absolutely necessary.

Clearly it may take some time until international and interstate visitors can attend public events in your city, not to mention the possible restrictions on supply of products from abroad.

It makes sense then the first events to be scheduled will be small-scale affairs, attended by local attendees. Even local events held in winter could bring people out, keen to socialise in person again.

It takes less time, money and effort to plan a small-scale event of less than 100 people than mass-scale public events expecting thousands of visitors, with less suppliers and fewer items required to make it happen.

Why not consider a day-time corporate event instead of a lavish night-time affair?

If you're worried about no-shows, here's 6 ways to combat low guest numbers and make your venue look full.

2. Build relationships in your community
If borders are closed making it difficult to order international goods, it provides an opportunity to source suppliers in your immediate region. You may discover a wealth of (smaller) suppliers who can provide you with what you're looking for.

Supporting your local suppliers is wonderful for boosting your community spirit and helps you build and consolidate relationships. 

You could be amazed who or what is located within 5km of your business to make your event a success.

3. Make environmentally friendly decisions
When you use local suppliers for a locally sited venue, they don't have to travel far. If they don't have to travel far they may not need to use as much packaging to protect your order in transit.

In some cases you may be able to pick up products - such as prop hire, cakes and so on from their premises - which will mean you don't have to pay a delivery fee, either. And clearly this is much better for the environment as you're not clocking up carbon miles.

As one of the unexpected benefits of COVID-19 has been the noticeable drop in pollution thanks to the decline in manufacturing, there have been calls for making wiser decisions about consumption. This makes it an opportunity to reuse and recycle existing decor, as well as to identify event items which are eco-unfriendly and consider alternatives.

4. Plan ahead
Most clients currently unable to hold their events are postponing them to later dates.

Depending on how soon self-isolation restrictions will be lifted, you may decide to book your event at the same time next year or when the weather is warmer.

Until COVID-19, it was becoming increasingly common for clients to come up with an idea at the last minute which proved surprisingly expensive to produce.

This current situation is surprisingly perfect for clients who want high quality items for their event at a lower cost.

In any case, planning ahead gives you more options. It's quite likely that your business has been affected by COVID-19 enough that you'll need to revise or completely restart your event planning. Most suppliers will give you the option to postpone your event and give you a credit to use when you reschedule. Take the time while we can't hold events to fine-tune your event budget before you finalise your moodboard.

5. Do something different with your next event
Disasters like this force us all to rethink our goals. Take the opportunity to research different venues, themes and props, as well as reasons to celebrate. Look into new avenues to market your event, explore emerging technology for attendees to register, to interact with and promote your products and services. Consider doing something that makes a difference to your community.

People will want to celebrate in the streets - literally - when the COVID-19 danger has passed. If you want your brand to be connected with a sense of joy and hope, now is the time to think laterally about the kind of event you want to hold. 

Do you want dancing at your venue? Are you going to put on the best Christmas staff party your company has ever seen?

In the expected rush to organise parties again, why not think outside the box when it come to your venue choice? If money is still tight, here's a few ways to create maximum visual impact at your venue. 

Enjoyed this? See our blog post on 6 Ways To Create An Eco-Friendly Event