There’s a new scene in all corporate live events across the country today. On-site Covid-19 tests, questions about vaccinations, and temperature screenings are now an integral part of the registration process. On top of that, extra masks and hand sanitizers are now the mainstays of the ubiquitous swag bags. Most importantly, pandemic protocols are strictly enforced.
Despite all of this, experts are expecting the number of live corporate events to increase. In fact, according to the industry leader in organizing business and sports events, Northstar Meetings, 80% of event planners are pushing through with their in-person event even though Covid-19 is still raging.
In truth, it’s possible to organize an in-person corporate event today. According to Northstar Meetings, there’s a way to do it safely. The key to successfully pulling it off is through diligent planning, ongoing collaboration, and active communication. That’ll help people to get back comfortably. This article aims to show you how to organize face-to-face corporate events amid the pandemic.
Expect the Unexpected and Plan for It
Corporate events are no different from life. Anything can happen. Because of this, you should expect the unexpected. You don’t know it yet, but brainstorming with your team can help you identify scenarios that can be grounds for accidents, failures, or anything to happen. Identifying worst-case scenarios before they happen can help you prepare for them.
From the get-go, create a plan B for every scenario. With solutions at the ready, you’ll know what to do when problems occur. For example, your plan A is to live-stream a remote speaker’s seminar at the live event. A problem arises when the venue’s Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting. As a result, the speaker can’t commence with a scheduled seminar. At the same time, attendees who can’t go to your event can’t connect or view your conference. So what will you do?
Your plan B should involve having hard copies of the speaker’s critical pointers for the seminar. You can hand these to in-person attendees or send them to remote attendees through email. With the hard copies, attendees know what to expect from the seminar.
You can also experience other technical issues. You should be prepared for all of them.
Coordinate Health and Safety Protocols With the Event Venue and Accommodation
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, health and safety protocols are necessary for any event, and so is coordination.
You must coordinate with your chosen venue about your expected health and safety protocols. If you’re organizing a corporate incentive event, hotel accommodations for the attendees should also be updated with your protocols, too. It’ll be expected that venues and hotels will have their own protocols, making it more essential to coordinate with them.
When coordinating with venues and accommodations, you should communicate to them your company’s desire to make health and safety protocols uniform. That’ll make it easier for attendees to abide by them.
As soon as everything is coordinated, make sure that all attendees, speakers, and key people invited to your event are well-informed about the health and safety protocols in place. Use all mediums necessary to get your message across. Your goal here is to guarantee everybody will be safe against the risk of Covid-19 during the event.
Hire a Corporate Car Rental Service
Having a corporate car rental service for your event’s transportation needs can be advantageous on your part. Aside from ensuring attendees will arrive at the event, having a transportation service means attendees will not be late for the event. They will be safe and secure, especially if you’ve also organized an after-event party. You don’t have to worry about attendees driving under the influence of alcohol.
Consider hiring a professional chauffeur service for your special guests. It will show them how you value your company’s partnership with them. It will also show how professional you are as an organizer. Plus, a chauffeured vehicle will give a “wow” factor to your event.
Hire a Security Company to Handle Safety Protocols
Although it’s not required, you should still consider hiring a security company to provide a safe and secure event for your attendees. Aside from ensuring everybody is secured against any threat, a security team can also double as safety officers who will enforce and remind attendees to socially distance themselves or wear masks if necessary.
However, make sure that you will hire a professional security team that can cater to corporate events. You don’t need bouncer-like dudes to scare your attendees. You’ll need professional-looking security personnel to keep your attendees safe.
Extra Needs
Planning a corporate event is never easy, and the pandemic has made it even more challenging. Planning now requires extra measures, grit, and coordination to keep everybody safe and healthy. Hopefully, the tips here can help you make your corporate events unforgettable.
