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An Event Professional’s Pandemic Guide

The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic globally, paving way for a huge economic fallout across industries. One of the worst hit is the event as well as hospitality sector. In a panoramic view, major big ticket shows have been called off and hotels are deserted with minimum staff retention. Outright cancellations or postponed events have looped the event managers in a labyrinth; with uncertainty lingering in the air.

Executive Events happened to cross paths with various event professionals on their social media handles; locally and globally to understand the depth of abrasion the pandemic has inflicted on the industry. 

With medical conferences being our forte, conversations with the brave souls who work at the forefront during this pandemic – doctors and health workers have offered insights into an anticipated lifestyle pattern once the global pandemic settles. With government regulations, social gathering has become a question of ethics at this point. Social distancing has become a drill – a proven way to slow down the spread of the virus. It’s an unwritten fact that the event industry revolves around ‘social gathering’ and considering the current havoc – we anticipate that social distancing is here to stay for much more than a few weeks. It might even holistically upend the service industry across nations. Keeping aside panic, we urge all businesses – both small and large to scale up their presence online and maintain visibility for strong comeback into the market. Keeping tap of expert opinions, as service providers, we’re ready to brace ourselves for the unforeseen future. However, it’s a pleasure to serve you a few tips. 

• Persistent communication - Ensure you are in constant communication with all stakeholders, especially your clients. Let them know you will be at the threshold once things fall back into place. Have representatives from support functions including Business Development, Client Relations and HR co-ordinate your responses. 
• Safety Compliance – It’s imperative that all employees heed to government rules and regulations at this point. Patience is bitter and our perseverance is what will save us. Reach out to employees as well as your clients to know how they’re doing at this difficult time.
• Evaluate risks – Identify the implications of the pandemic on the event industry – globally as well as at a local level. Having an aerial view of the situation will help you tackle the crisis effectively. Evaluate if any relevant changes in government response to the pandemic trigger changes in business law. Keep a check on the financial graph of the company to formulate contingency measures.
• Do not panic – Panic can kill business. Hold faith that we will be out of this soon. Though we cannot bank on a lightning boom, the world needs to wait. As Leah Lagos, a NY based psychologist stated, “The risks of under reaction are so much more catastrophic than the risks of overreaction”. Let that sink in.