Inspiration Hub

COVID-19 has made online events more popular than ever — from a health perspective, it’s the safest way to gather while COVID-19 transmission remains a risk. But there are still risks associated with an online event that warrant consideration. Be aware of those risks and consider the following when planning your next online event:

There is one question on the minds of event professionals looking at getting back to live events, what will hybrid look like? Here is a potential scenario.

As event professionals know, even the best-planned gathering can fall flat without the right marketing. To maximize the impact of and business results from your online or real-world event at a time when some people might be hesitant to travel, it’s vital to start with a comprehensive event marketing plan. This plan outlines the different components your event marketing will need (like a website and content strategy that addresses any concerns prospective attendees might have) and enables you to build a marketing timeline that will attract the maximum number of guests to your event.

Society as a whole–including meeting planners–failed to prepare effectively for the COVID-19 pandemic. You probably experienced extreme stressors ranging from sudden event cancellations to uncertainty about how to protect future meetings. As a neuroscientist whose expertise is in disaster avoidance, decision making, strategic planning and risk management, I have some strategic suggestions for how meeting planners can best adapt to and plan for the long-term impact of the pandemic.

Virtual meetings require careful design to keep attendees engaged and deliver value for the hosts. But how do you translate the energy and insights from a face-to-face meeting through a computer screen? Marteen Vannest, senior consultant at Meeting Design Institute, which produces a free masterclass and certified training on producing online meetings, suggests starting with the “why” of the meeting.

As we move into the summer months, our industry is still assessing the toll that COVID-19 has/is/will be taking on exhibitions and events. As reported by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) in late April, we are gaining a clearer picture from data fielded by an ongoing survey to business-to-business (B2B) exhibition executives. In addition to monitoring the economic impact, industry leaders have been proactive in finding solutions to the logistical challenges unique to trade shows when dealing with communicable diseases such as this novel coronavirus.

Addendums, amendments, mutual cancellation clauses, “frustration of purpose”—what do they all mean? And when should each be applied? In the latest Smart Meetings Accelerator “Top Planner Contract Questions Answered,” Lisa Sommer Devlin, an expert in contract law at Devlin Law Firm, answers those very questions (and more) for planners.

Venue and vendor services need to look ahead at sustainable solutions for moving forward to include the environmental impacts that they can include.

In my conversations with meeting planners, many of the concerns I hear around planning live meetings in this new normal are logistical: how will we practice social distancing? Will I need more space for the same size event? How can we handle food and beverages?

In a recent survey of more than 1,000 people who have attended at least one in-person conference and one virtual conference, the preferences for how virtual events are scheduled, priced, and executed became clear—and revealed a few surprises. For instance, 85 percent of respondents under age 24 prefer in-person conferences to virtual ones, despite their technological acumen. On the other hand, only 67 percent of respondents aged 35-44 preferred in-person events, with family responsibilities being a likely factor driving that lower percentage.

I recently asked my team what, if anything, they learned about themselves during the coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine lockdown. Responses varied, but the point was to acknowledge the unimaginable situation we are in and how we might use such a time for change.

To hold the pandemic at bay, disposable items seem to be the easy solution to keep things clean and safe. But do not throw out the baby with the bath water! The MICE industry has come a long way in recent years to help slow man-made climate change—which, don’t forget, will hit us with its own health challenges down the road.

While the financial hit from massive layoffs and furloughs in the hospitality industry has been devastating, COVID-19 has also highlighted the creativity and strength of the meetings industry. Venues have donated unused food and supplies from cancelled events and hotels have been housing healthcare workers all over the country. Planners have made masks and raised funds for their communities. More recently, industry speaker and resiliency expert Deborah Gardner launched an initiative to help both front-line workers and furloughed or laid-off hospitality staff.

Even before we started taking the necessary steps of social distancing by fully telecommuting, work was trending virtual. Zoom meetings were commonplace and webinars occurred regularly, but the current state of things has resulted in an even fuller reliance on digital methods of communication.

The Platinum Events Facebook page has testimonials from people who were thrilled by the company’s production for weddings and fundraising events. Alongside those are more recent recommendations for Platinum’s work sanitizing restaurants and grocery stores—the company’s new line of work.

Meetings Mean Business has postponed in-person events during Global Meetings Industry Day, the April 14 day of advocacy for the meetings and events industry, due to social distancing and travel restrictions. MMB hopes to host a celebration at IMEX America in September. Next week, though, planners have three other options to recognize and advocate for an industry which supports 26 million jobs around the world and $621 million in direct gross domestic product.  

Despite the terrible impacts of the coronavirus on the meeting industry, there’s a silver lining. Hear me out! There is no question times are hard. The coronavirus pandemic has already devastated lives and businesses globally, and we don’t know how much worse things will get. The meeting industry is reeling under a wave of cancellations, postponements and uncertainty. All my short-term facilitation and on-site training engagements have been cancelled—and I’m lucky in comparison with colleagues who are struggling with the significant financial impact of the loss of work, deposits and income that a few months ago looked secure. Consequently, in the short term, the situation looks bleak.

Remote work is the new normal for meeting professionals during quarantine life, which may be tricky if you rely on interaction at the office to keep you sane. On the flip side, remote work affords you the opportunity to integrate wellness into your day. You can play the music that helps you focus, or take movement breaks without looking strange for lunging down the office hallway.

I turned 50 years old last year. Leading up to the milestone birthday, I found myself getting angrier and angrier by the day. Just about everything made me mad. To rescue me from divorce, I agreed with my spouse to see a therapist. Turns out I was anxious. Very anxious.

The therapy proved helpful and I learned a great deal about anxiety. I’m reminded about what the therapist and I discussed as I hunker down and prepare to ride out the COVID-19 crisis, along with the rest of my friends, colleagues and co-workers, who make up the meeting industry—a vital aspect our work, our community and our economy.

In an appeal to industry professionals on March 24, EIC wrote, “Our ask today is [for you] to reach out to your elected officials and key decision makers, who are looking at ways to provide economic relief. We may not be able to control what’s happening in the world right now, but we absolutely control how and with whom we share our message."

Travel and daily life continue to be affected by COVID-19 as “shelter-in-place” orders are mandated across the United States, and the world. Even still, amid isolation and quarantine, technology and the internet are keeping people connected. From working remotely to socializing with friends and family, there is readily available tech that can assist in day-to-day tasks during these uncertain times.