How AV Chicago can take the stress out of hosting an online or hybrid event

Safety is still at utmost importance as we continue to work from home and take precautions around events and social gatherings. As the vaccine numbers increase steadily, meeting and event professionals are gearing up for hosting in-person and hybrid events to bring people back together safely. Luckily, AV Chicago and partner Chop Shop have found a way to take the stress out of planning hybrid and online events. With an expert team and a state of the art facility, any planner should feel comfortable enough to explore the possibilities of hosting a hybrid event. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lsi03QuKZ0

In order to keep engagement after so much technology fatigue, a new hybrid approach may be your best option to keep attendees engaged. Not only will a hybrid event help create an exceptional experience for all your attendees no matter where they are participating, but it will also take care of your in-person hospitality needs as well. President of AV Chicago, Andrew Brode notes

“The studio will be a great asset to our client’s upcoming virtual and hybrid events. We have built a space that looks as spectacular in person as it does virtually. Coupled with our production skills and event platform, we continue to elevate what a virtual event should be.” 
- Andrew Brode, President, AV Chicago

Meeting and event planners are looking for ways to make their upcoming events stronger by using high-end production work including professional video, audio, and lighting. To produce quality online events, you need to find a good partner that can not only handle the technical aspects but also provide a scenic space that will look great on camera and in person. With only a few studios in the Chicagoland area set up for these types of events, AV Chicago’s Chop Shop studio is the premier partner for any hybrid or virtual event. 

Make it easier on yourself for your next event, and create your most engaging presentation yet! To learn more about AV Chicago’s Chop Shop Studio, visit AV Chicago.

Written by: Natalie Kokaska


Out of the Box Ideas for Kits to Accent Virtual Events

Looking to add some flavor to your next virtual event? Here are some ideas that will get everyone excited to jump on Zoom!

Crafts - Bring out your inner child while crafting something for your outer adult 

  1. Paint Your Own Wine Glass Kit:  Wine nights just got a little more interesting! Design your own glass to make what you're drinking out of more fun than what's inside.
  2. Paint by Numbers Kit: Paint like Picasso and finally fill that empty wall space with a design of your own! All you have to do is match the paint color to the numbers. 
  3. Make Your Own Charcuterie Boards: Who said crafting is all paint and glue? Turn delicious foods into a colorful masterpiece! 

Treats - These tasty treats will make it impossible to leave the event hungry

  1. Snack Magic: Satisfy all your junk food cravings with Snack Magic! Snack Magic allows you to pick your own snacks and drinks to enjoy.
  2. Branded S’mores Kit: Experience the best part of camping without the camping. These ooey gooey treats are perfect to make at home! 
  3. Wine Tasting Experiences: Get a taste of all your favorite wines!  The perfect way to add class into any event. 

Photography - Memories fade but pictures last a lifetime

  1. Baby Picture Competition: Guess who?! Send in your best baby picture and go back to a simpler time.
  2. Selfie Stick: Grab onto your selfie stick! Did it really happen if you didn't take a picture?

Competition - A little friendly competition never hurt anyone 

  1. Pot Your Own Succulent Competition: Add some more life into your plants. See who can pot the succulents the fastest! 
  2. Virtual Scavenger Hunt: A digital version of eye spy. Use your computer skills to find what is hidden!

These activities are worth talking about. Hop on these trends to make any virtual event more fun!

Written By: Megan Collins


Creating Memorable Experiences Both In-Person and Virtually

We live in a world that is fast paced and full of possibility. This can make it challenging to keep everybody interested in what you have to offer, and more importantly, interested in coming back to your event or business. Here are some ideas to make your audience feel more involved in all of your events. By continuously supplying the audience with things to do, you can make any event engaging! 

When live events come back, we will be challenged as planners to think of new and exciting ways to keep people entertained and indulged. After over a year of working from home and interacting through our computer cameras, coming back to an in-person event will feel like a very new and exciting experience that we have longed for. But with this excitement, may come new expectations. Events and meetings are a natural habitat for networking and people come to socialize with people with similar interests. Planners are already challenged to find ways for attendees to network with the entire audience both virtually and in-person. Guests tend to feel more comfortable at an event when they are familiar with the community. Construct a LinkedIn or Facebook event group where participants can have conversations leading up to the event and can continue discussions and remain active during the event. 

Just like with live events, it is very important to keep its participants engaged in virtual events. Virtual events can be tricky because it is easier to get distracted while attending an event online. Some factors to keep in mind are polling, chat, and live attendee engagement. Polling is a tool used by marketers to receive data but also increase guest engagement. Pre-event polling lets the guests believe that their interests will be incorporated into the content delivered at the virtual event and makes them more interested in participating. Pre-event polling could also be related to a gift, a catering order, or even an activity that attendees will partake in like Odyssey Team’s Virtual Team Mosaic. Engagement doesn’t start or stop when you start your zoom meeting, it starts as soon as you capture the interest of your attendee and goes through their post-event experience. 

There are several other ways to create memorable experiences at events both in person and virtually. Attendee gifts are a great way to get people excited about attending an event. People love receiving something they can take home. Sending your guests event bags is a perfect way to guarantee virtual event participation, especially if you fill the bag with something they can enjoy during the event. In the recent Virtual Planner Master Class, Garrett Popcorn introduced their new snack-sized bags that are individually packed with your favorite flavor and delivered. These bags are the perfect way to stay engaged with a snack in virtual meetings or even in-person meetings since they are safely packed and sealed. The recent Planner Master Class early registrants enjoyed a gift box shipped to them with a snack pack of Garrett Mix, NEW Garrett Simply Indulgent S’Mores flavor, and Frango milk mints which were great snacks while attending the meeting. 

Entertainers are, of course, great at entertaining the audience and driving engagement. There are so many forms of entertainment to keep audiences engaged and having fun. Some examples of entertainment are live music, DJ, comedian, guest speakers, or even a live show or performance. Entertainment is important for both live and virtual events and can be a real game changer with online programming. It can be used to make the event fun or to get your guest attention for another topic. The world famous Blue Man Group shared a pre-recorded performance for the Planner Master Class to kick off the networking happy hour.  This Webinar performance helped kick off the fun portion of the event into the networking portion and kept the participants interested.

There are so many ideas to keep audiences engaged. Knowing your audience and providing them with options is the perfect first step to any event!

Author: Megan Collins, Ateema


Using Art and Entertainment to Welcome Back Your Employees

Using Art and Entertainment to Welcome Back Your Employees

Many of us have traversed the rocky path of the last 8 months with tunnel vision, focused on the light up ahead that signals better days and a return to business as usual.  However, we can acknowledge that this journey has not been without glimmers of light along the way, provided by virtual gatherings centered around art, music, and entertainment.   The arts have both uplifted and grounded us during these trying times and continue to be the binding element that brings our communities together to tribute, network, and celebrate.

Live Art International hopes to continue this momentum by working with their clients to incorporate art and entertainment into their re-opening plans.   Their visual approach to event branding is the perfect way for companies to energize employees and signal to the community that they are open for business.   “We have 2 clients we are working with to design communal murals”, notes CEO, Dayna Malow.   “Companies are using the creation of art to signify a new beginning, with employees coming together at select times to each contribute to a unique mural being erected on site.” Music is also a cue that a celebration is in order. “ Gatherings that encourage dancing are still off the table, however, we are seeing some traction for our soloist and smaller ensembles, with adequate space allotment provided, so all can be at a safe and comfortable distance”.

Covid precautions have also become a regular part of the coming celebration plans.   â€œWe have now adjusted our artist riders to request larger set-up space and accommodations for bands and musicians, and our art engagement experiences will account for disinfecting time and more disposable single-use materials.” says Malow, “We are helping our clients rethink their event structure, designing micro-activities where larger groups are sub-divided with participation occurring at scheduled times or multiple locations, allowing for social distancing.  This approach is similar to the break out room activities we have all been participating in the last few months.”

As for the coming months, and what the light at the end of the tunnel will mean for the entertainment industry in Chicago, Malow says, “Whatever your re-opening plans may be, we hope that companies will consider including art and music.  The Chicago entertainment community will continue to struggle throughout the ramp up period.  They have played an active role in providing inspiration and encouragement to get us to this point in time.   Supporting entertainers and entertainment vendors allows them to survive another day and ensures that they will be here to provide the celebratory soundtrack when we are all truly back to business.”

Brought to you by: Live Art International


What You Need to Know About #HTSOnline

The Hospitality & Tourism Summit is coming at you completely online for its 19th annual year! So, what does that mean? How can a one-day trade show full of tangible experiences pivot to an online experience?

Ateema Media & Marketing, the producers of the summit, have worked hard over the last several months of quarantine to re-imagine the next best alternative. Dubbing this new format as the Hospitality & Tourism Summit Online, all attendees will have the ability to log on and log off at their leisure throughout the week.

The goal for the Hospitality & Tourism Summit is to bring together all industry friends after months of disconnect. The week is built for everyone to pick and choose their own pathway/schedule based on their interests, prior commitments, etc. Ateema has made this "pick and choose" format possible as they will be uploading the recordings of all of the webinars after they are presented live for attendees to watch on-demand. As well, attendees will have access to the trade show floor until next year's summit. They want all attendees to maximize their attendance but also be strategic with the programming you choose to attend live, because you can!

Keep on reading for some common misconceptions about the Hospitality & Tourism Summit Online and how you work around them:

Common Misconception #1: That you have to be online the entire week.

You do not! You can log on and log off based on what is on your personal agenda is each day. It is recommended that you choose a couple of opportunities to attend live each day. The summit has programming that is as short as 45 minutes. Even the longest sessions don't exceed 90 minutes.

Common Misconception #2: If you don't attend everything live, you won't be getting your ticket's worth.

So wrong! All educational sessions will be recorded and placed online for you to view at a later time that works better for you. The trade show floor will be live until April of 2021 so you can go back in at any time and keep browsing all of the exhibitor booths.

Common Misconception #3: Virtual networking is boring and awkward.

Not anymore! The Hospitality & Tourism Summit virtual networking events will be using a lifelike and user-friendly networking software that requires no prior setup on your part. Simply, click a link to enter the networking rooms, "walk-up" to any table, and join the conversation. If you aren't into the conversation or want to find some new people to talk to, leave the conversation just as easily! Live entertainment will also be provided during networking events.

Common Misconception #4: I am furloughed/out of work right now so this won't bring me value.

Switch your mindset! This is the PERFECT time for you to get involved if you are not currently working. At a time when many people in our industry are looking for solutions, trends, timely topics, and predictions for the future, you can say you were a part of those conversations! This is the time to invest in yourself.


Top 6 Tips for Adding Value

Call it a blessing in disguise but, meeting and event planners have gotten to use their creative side when hosting virtual programs. This has mainly come in the form of video conference systems like Zoom, Microsoft Meetings, Skype, and more. While a virtual event seems pretty straight forward, transferring a sponsor’s or attendee’s benefits to a virtual platform is maybe not-so-straight forward. In this article, we are going to give you our best tips for adding value to your stakeholders, a lot of which are from our very own Virtual Planner Master Class. This Master Class brought together some of the brightest minds in meeting and event planning to help discuss these issues and come up with some amazing solutions. 

  1. Classes and tutorials: Online classes and tutorials offer great sponsorship opportunities and real value to event attendees. Things like cocktail mixing classes, cooking classes, or craft classes will allow your event to be more relaxed and provide real benefits to participants. 
  2. Digital sponsor ad placement: While banners and physical sponsorship apparel may seem longer lasting attendees’ minds, online banners can still make a huge impression during webinars and virtual events. Staying as a static or changing montage of banners, these can bring in more value to sponsors and your event. 
  3. Sponsor entertainment breaks: Many more online meetings and events have begun to utilize breaks in order to give attendees a chance to stretch their legs and grab another cup of coffee. During the break, you could host a small concert or another unique form of entertainment that could feature sponsors’ products and services. Or, simply have a screen with sponsor logo exposure that is displayed during the break with background music. This is an easy and fun way to build value around virtual events. 
  4. Educational opportunities: A great way to retain sponsorship value in an event is simply by educating attendees through quick company overviews and how they relate to the topic at hand. Tying in a sponsor to your event’s overall theme or mission would allow them to stay even more relevant in the minds of your audience.
  5. Integrated chat features: Specialized chat room features during, in between, or after presentations can allow your event attendees to get more involved and actively participate with other members. This doesn’t only make meetings more fun, but it also builds a level of trust and participation among people who may be more apprehensive to network from behind a computer screen. Sponsors could also be added to this feature to bring in more value. 
  6. Online games centered around rewards : Another great way to spend an online break or happy hour is to host games like trivia or team-building exercises. These will be sure to get everyone to relax more and increase participation among attendees. Sponsors could send out prizes to winners or create questions that are centered around their brands. 

Written By: Colin Jay


Make Your Virtual Meeting or Event More Desirable

By now, anyone would be shocked to hear that someone has never attended a virtual meeting or event. But, we might not be so shocked to hear that “it was just ok” or “that could’ve been said in an email”. We are finding that after months of moving events online, some are struggling to find ways to keep their content fresh and provide decent value to the attendees. It may require some out-of-the-norm thinking, but with proper use of technology and incorporation of quality education, a desirable and successful outcome is possible. 


Technology is more important now than ever for hosting engaging meetings and events. However, we are finding that even the best of the best blue light blocking glasses can’t prevent “screen exhaustion” and “zoom fatigue”. It can be challenging to even know where to start when beginning to plan, so start with an informative and user-friendly event website. The event website should be a resource for potential attendees to learn about the event and register. The website can include the event itinerary and communicate to potential participants the value in attending the virtual event. 

Pro tip for standing out: Be concise with the information on your website registration page. Someone should be able to figure out if this is a virtual meeting or event they want to attend within the first 60 seconds on your page. If your website is top notch, people will associate that with how your event will go.


Gaining participant interest and registration is an important first step, but keeping participants engaged with the use of technology once the event starts is even more important. So, sure the event team knows how to effectively use the technology. And if they don’t, hire someone! Nobody wants to join a virtual event and have to deal with the infamous “technical difficulties”. 

Pro tip for standing out: Make sure that there is powerful WiFi wherever the meeting, event, or presenter is streaming from. Although it would be nice in our personal lives to have a mute button, you don’t want a presenter’s mouth moving with the words lagging 2 seconds behind.


There are many new tools to provide a more “real” virtual experience. One of these being virtual reality. While this concept seems new to many of us, taking advantage of VR is not as difficult as it may seem. Give your attendees a tour of a museum or gamify a trade show floor using software. Take VR to another level by having event attendees create an avatar for themself that can walk around an event venue virtually to network or choose different breakout sessions they may be interested in.

Pro tip for standing out: Research new softwares or ways of live streaming. A screen share, although effective, is not always exciting anymore.


Since moving meetings and events online, it is a lot easier for an attendee to get up and walk away, or start working on something else. The point of your virtual meeting or event should not be to provide background noise to someone’s lunch hour. If that was true, our industry would be trending on Spotify Podcasts. Ultimately, you want engaged attendees that are learning something. If they feel as if they didn’t gain valuable knowledge, they will likely not be interested in attending future events with you. Try partnering with an educational institution or a highly valuable principal in the industry to add credibility to the event. 

Pro tip for standing out: Not only does your educational speaker affect the quality of the event, but also the uniqueness of the content they share. People want solutions without having to read between the lines. Find someone who is able to speak on a different angle than attendees have maybe heard before.

Written By: Kelly Pawlak


Three Ways to Host Safe Events Now

The events world has been shaken up for quite a bit now. As the industry progresses through the phases of reopening, there has been one common denominator: safety first...and that will likely be the new standard. Through remaining connected with our industry peers, we found that what almost everyone wants to know is “Of all the work-arounds due to COVID-19, which ones are here to stay forever?”. Until the future of events unravels, here are three ways you can host an event now without compromising the safety of your stakeholders.

1. Try out a hybrid event

While virtual events aren’t going away anytime soon, a hybrid event might be the next stepping stone to ease people back into in-person events. Cannonballing into the pool of pre-COVID events might not set you up for success. Instead, you may find that doing a hybrid event, partially live and partially virtual, is a great way to dip your toes in. For instance, try having your presenter(s) broadcast live at a venue, yet keep attendee participation virtual.

At Virtual Planner Master Class, broadcasted live from The Old Post Office, the Ateema team hosted their event at a venue, just as one would for an in-person event. The main difference was that the presenters were speaking to the attendees through a room equipped with A/V broadcasting capabilities and their outfits included a mask as the finishing touch instead of a name badge. What didn’t change was the wow factor. Jamie Sowski, Marketing & Events Manager for The Old Post Office, was able to have a video production team pre-record their gorgeous and historic event space, play that video during the broadcast, and do a live voice-over just as if she was actually walking potential clients through the venue. 

2. Think unconventionally when working with vendors

Okay, so you may not want to have a medieval-times-feast-style meal for safety reasons. However, that doesn’t mean you have to rule out catering. Whether your event is hybrid or strictly online, catering companies have plenty of creative ways for your attendees to indulge while also keeping them safe.

For virtual events, consider having boxed meals or DIY cooking kits delivered to attendees’ homes. This way, you are bringing the “IRL” factor while eliminating the potential for others (not equipped with PPE and lawfully required to meet sanitization standards) to come in contact with the food. To turn it into a hybrid event, consider broadcasting from a kitchen or bar with a live demo for the attendees to follow along with their goodie boxes delivered prior to the event.

Blue Plate Catering hosted a happy hour after Virtual Planner Master Class where they showcased their deliverable, seasonal offerings, and encouraged attendees to GYOB (grab your own beverage) while watching a mixologist demo their “sealed-with-safety” margaritas.

3. Design strategically for maximum comfort

In addition to the type of hybrid event we mentioned earlier, there are other ways to host a hybrid event. One of those ways is to allow a limited number of attendees to experience the event live with the event host and presenter(s). But before you go crazy with sending out these VIP invites, you need to envision the event design and event flow for maximum safety and respectively, maximum comfort. 

So, how can you grab a venue that permits the ability to socially distance with ease? An answer to this question is outdoor events...bring your guests outside to the openness and fresh air. Or, opt for a large venue. Long gone are the days when a venue says “we've squeezed 100 people in a 500-square-foot room before”. Rooms with spacious floor plans are going to be better received by skeptical guests. It creates a feeling that their personal space is not threatened.

Also, give every guest a way to display their level of comfortability without the awkward do-we-hug-or-do-I-just-wave-hello moment. Support a local printer and create stickers with comical sayings like “Can’t Touch This” or “Free High Fives”. When you create stickers for your attendees, don’t forget stickers for the floor...yes, you read that correctly. Having reminders on the floor that show people which way to walk and how far apart to stand is a great way to plan safe event flow and spatial comfort. 

Written By: Emma McVady


Ideas to Improve Virtual Attendee Engagement

Now more than ever, it is vital to understand how to make virtual events more appealing to stakeholders, sponsors, and attendees. A recent poll from a Virtual Planner Master Class showed that 60% of planners are considering shifting their events to virtual or hybrid. With so many businesses temporarily closing or shifting to a remote workforce, there is a demand for fresh ideas that can take ordinary online events to interactive digital experiences for your attendees. Here are some ideas that can paint your virtual event red against a white background.

 

Don?t Lose Sight of the Physical Aspect

Tangibility is not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ?virtual? ? even more reason to utilize it. If you can manage to pull in a physical aspect, you will set your event apart from the rest.

Looking at a screen can be extremely 2 dimensional. To bring in that 3D element, you?ll have to get creative. If you are a baker, you may consider delivering a cookie kit to those who register for your cookie making tutorial event. That way, your consumers can physically follow along. Or, if you?re a librarian, you may consider delivering a physical copy of a book to your event goers, so your consumers can hold the book.?

There may not be many cookie-bakers and librarians reading this, but the same rule applies for your business?s virtual event. Give a tangible taste of your product or message. This creates value for consumers and adds an interactive element to your next virtual experience.??

Master Class tip: At the last virtual event we hosted, we delivered a tin of Garrett?s Popcorn to each panelist, which offered a positive incentive to the panelists while on the Zoom webinar.

 

Include Positive Incentives

Think about when you were in high school, around homecoming (I know, bear with me). You may have had spirit days, where you all wore hats to school or fashioned a crazy hairdo. It is likely that this made you more excited to come to school. Well, the same rule applies to virtual events.

Adding a twist to your event, like a virtual happy hour, gives people something to be more excited about. Therefore, people are more likely to express excitement for your event ? just like high school spirit week made you excited to come to school.

It would look something like this: you put together your event, you inform consumers that by attending your event, they will have both the event content and the positive incentive of your choice to look forward to. All of the people who tend to flake may say, ?hmmm? I don?t know if I?m up for it, but a virtual happy hour afterward is pretty cool ? can?t miss that. Alright, I?m in!?

Master Class tip: In order to encourage people in the industry to stay connected at this time, we?ve been offering an optional virtual happy hour at the end of each online event. We normally host monthly networking events and meet-ups, so it makes sense for us to continue to connect people virtually even during this time.?

 

Broadcasting a Virtual Experience?

Virtual experiences, like cooking demonstrations, comedy lessons, and cocktail demonstrations are all great tools to get your audience interested in attending your virtual event.?

Similar to positive incentives, virtual experiences add excitement and value to the event. With something like a virtual happy hour, the incentive is simply having fun. However, adding a virtual experience or lesson entices people by giving them the opportunity to learn something.?

You can market your virtual event by letting prospective attendees know that they will have knowledge of something new to take away afterward.?

Master Class tip: Master Class Tip: At our Virtual Planner Master Class, we partnered with Live Art International to create a unique virtual experience with DIY Wine Glass Painting Kits. Two days before the event, early registrants received a wine glass in the mail to self-decorate, along with painting materials and an instruction guide. Then, we encouraged everyone to bring their glass to our virtual happy hour. To take things to another level, we gathered selfies of everyone with their wine glasses and put them into a collage to be shared on social media.?

 

Use Small Group Interaction as a Deliverable

What sets an event apart from a lecture? The answer is simple: interaction. It is important to include small-group opportunities in your virtual event for consumers to see value in it. Speaking to other like-minded individuals makes consumers feel that they are a part of something, and that ?something? is your brand.

For optimal engagement, it is important to preload poll questions to captivate your audience and gather feedback. If you are looking to gather any poll feedback, you should launch the poll with at least 5 minutes of programming left.

Small groups will give your event the value of socialization, brainstorming, discussing, and more. This value is the perfect deliverable to market to consumers. Utilizing Zoom breakout rooms shifts the event from passive to active. Make it known that your event is different because it is not just a lecture, but a collaborative colloquy.

Master Class tip: To encourage small group interaction at our virtual events, we break the group into multiple smaller groups. We shuffle people around intermittently to offer maximum networking opportunities. Our timing formula changes based on the content and audience of the event, but we found moving people around keeps them engaged for much longer than a presentation format does.

Author: Emma McVady, Ateema


5 Trends To Think About While Pivoting Back to Live Events

As companies try to resume conducting business under the new normal, it will be a learning curve for all including event planners, hosts, vendors, venues, and attendees.   Adjusting to the new norm post-COVID-19, those that are able to be flexible, adaptable and can pivot during these challenging times could be the most successful!  Keeping an open mind to new ways of hosting events which includes human interaction can be very advantageous as the industry plans for live events. Here’s our projections for what trends we might see when we start meeting in person again...

Never Enough Precaution

Besides checking your typical details with vendors, suppliers, and the venue, safety and security processes will now be incorporated.  These safety protocols should be communicated to your guests to ensure them that their health and safety are at the forefront.  It is now standard protocol to have a COVID-19 event checklist that includes temperature checking of employees and guests, in addition to requiring all to wear a face covering.  There will be a dramatic difference with how everyone interfaces with each other as well.  Long gone are the days where greeters are handing out materials such as maps and agendas as events will establish more self-service features for their participants.  In addition, hand sanitizer will be more readily available and very much appreciated.  Guests might be limited to bringing their belongings as ensuring the safety for both your guests and employees will go a long way.  

Innovative Food Options 

It is important that participants feel all safety precautions were considered when it comes to the food being served at the events. As part of taking precautionary measures, buffets may not be a popular option to avoid serving utensils having multiple touches and to avoid people standing in lines.  But don’t worry, planners are looking at creative meal options.  Boxed lunches or pre-packed grab and go individual meals will be offered as well as seated meals.  Planners will also be thinking outside of the box such as leveraging favorite food trucks or catering from your popular restaurants with carry out style options to still make it an enjoyable event.  Although seating may be more restricted in numbers at a table, who says you can’t have a great experience with a smaller intimate group which may encourage better networking and connections?    

Behind-the-Scenes Workers Now in the Spotlight 

Pre-COVID 19, it was all about seamlessly transitioning the events with flipping the rooms quickly to avoid any type of event distractions.  Post COVID-19 attendees might want the staff to be more visible.  Seeing them frequently wiping down high touched spaces and continuous cleaning will now be more than welcomed. As well, I’m sure attendees won’t mind the cleaning crew to spend a little extra time in between room flips.  

Empty Rooms a Good Thing Now? 

In order for participants to feel comfortable to be in the same room with others while allowing the appropriate social distance, it is now acceptable and expected that rooms are not filled to capacity to reassure their guests.  Brainstorming possible event room layouts with bigger rooms for less people and to how to space out the furniture will be key.  Foot traffic directions that include warning signs that show “high traffic” or “high touch areas” will be part of the event set up too.  Lastly, event planners will need to consider the staff’s ability to wipe down as frequently as possible based on venue layout.    

Hybrid! Hybrid! Hybrid! 

As we adjust to our new norm, hybrid events should be considered as an option. Hybrid events combine live people with virtual attendees and with budgets that may be more limited to hosting smaller groups this still allows for that personal connection. Something else to consider is combining live presentations and entertainment broadcasted from different rooms as that will help avoid having too many people in one room at a time.  An additional benefit to hosting hybrid events, is the ability to be more flexible because the resources that you will be depending on will be more limited such as security, staff, catering, PPE, cleaning supplies, etc. Hybrid is a great alternative option for those who may still fear gathering with other people but also an opportunity to keep your event participation rate high.