One of the key tools in any event producer’s toolbox is the ability to plan. Consider all the possibilities, take action and make decisions to put a thoughtfully crafted, detailed plan into action. We’re sure we are not alone when we say one of the biggest impacts of Covid-19 is that the ability to plan has been stolen from us. Let’s explore your options for future event planning.
Navigating through the changes
With world, national and local news changing on a daily, sometimes hourly basis, predicting the future and how a new date for an event might work is pretty much like looking at a red sky at night and hoping for good weather tomorrow.
Choosing dates for events maybe tricky as we are unsure about venues opening, capacities and how potential attendees will respond to invitations. But let’s not forget one of the strengths of event producers is planning for contingency of course. Having a Plan A is comforting, but having Plans B and C? That makes for a more solid foundation of security when moving forward.
Future event planning – Plan A
Plan A maybe a live event, with distancing in place and increased health measures (screening, hand sanitation, face-masks etc). A live event could be with multiple “watch parties” – a small group of people together (distanced) in the same room. The shared experience of watching a talk on a screen with more than one person is more powerful than watching a talk on a screen by yourself. We’ve seen this with TED circles. Anyone can watch a TED talk on their own, but to watch it at the same time with others, and then discuss it, is really impactful and far more memorable.
Future event planning – Plan B
Plan B could be a whole event delivered virtually, but even then there are so many creative ways to deliver – a host or a panel could be in a shared space, pre-record links or talks, live speaker Q&As with the audience, speed networking with one other person, shared conversations over coffee break – which we know are one of the top 3 things people miss about live face to face events.
Opportunities in this storm
A mix of content type to keep engagement and energy is a really important consideration of live events. At Autumn, we have pitched for virtual events and brought onboard the technical skills to deliver these. Hybrid events will increase engagement from more attendees, something all our clients, sponsors and partners want to see. The opportunity to invite people from across the globe who may have been restricted by time or budget, is a fantastic reason to expand our future event planning.
At Autumn, we are trusted by our clients to deliver exceptional events. We are expanding our offer to our clients and expanding our team. This broadens our capability to deliver outstanding live experiences across an increasingly turbulent terrain.
How can your event planning be adapted? Do you need some advice on how to move your event activity to a hybrid model of live and online? Let us help you to continue to engage with your audiences in a meaningful and authentic way.
