Even though we’re seeing a lot of success with virtual events these days (like our own Good Vibes series we hosted in the USA and France), as a full-service corporate event planning company, we still appreciate the value of in-person events. There is no way to be sure when concerns over COVID-19 will subside and face-to-face events will resume as they used to be, but with VIBE as your event production agency, you can host a successful – and safe – gathering. All it takes is following a few safeguards.
Outside is Better than Inside – But It is Not Without Risk
The medical community continues to agree that the concentration of virus droplets in the air becomes more concentrated in all kinds of indoor spaces. Outdoor spaces, of course, allow virus particles to disperse more in the air. Get creative about outdoor and open-air venues. A large barn with open doors, a garden atrium, a block party – these are all great examples of non-traditional outdoor spaces that blend the safety of fresh, open air with the intimacy and comfort of being indoors. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of the space by ensuring adequate shade or heating, plenty of water or beverage refilling stations, and placing ample room between seats and tables.
Make Masks Fun
We’ve all become familiar with rules requiring masks in public places, but it can be frustrating to remember to bring a mask to an event. The good news is that wearing masks is still one of the simplest and most effective ways to limit unintentional spread of COVID-19.
Besides making sure your guests are aware of mask requirements (even outdoors) and expectations, you can integrate masks into your event activities. Consider holding a mask fashion show, or creative mask contest as part of your event. Also, make sure to have plenty of masks on hand at the event (PS – these make great branded goodie bag items) to further encourage mask wearing.
Get “In the Zone” on Germ Control
Some areas at an event are inherently more high-risk than others when it comes to how germs are spread. Think of where people tend to cluster, and then work out alternatives to keep things spread out. Check-in and registration, for example, could happen online, or even with hand-held tablets manned by event staff to keep guests from gathering too close together in one area. Likewise, photographers should move around the event as opposed to designating only one photo area. When it comes to food & beverage consider limiting how long guests must be without masks by serving smaller bites throughout the evening, and in designated spaces only.
Proactive “zones” like sanitizing stations, wipes dispensers, and social distancing aids like plants or creative room dividers are smart ideas, too, and fairly simple to execute as well. The adage of “if you build it, they will come,” applies well to reminding people to wash hands and engage in protective behaviors. You can even consider having trays of different scented hand sanitizers passed by staff during the event as a fun way to encourage periodic germ-control ‘refreshments.’
On our end, we’ve hosted quite a few digital events these past few months. In addition to the above, we’ve taken a few extra steps from monitoring our participants’ body temperature daily, sanitizing microphones, along with making available to our participants disinfecting wipes. All our staff members are required to wear their mask throughout the full duration of the event… and for events spreading over a few days, our staff disinfect with CDC and EPA-approved agents all the production equipment. These protocols have become an integral part of our event planning process.
About the VIBE Agency: The VIBE Agency is a Miami-based award-winning full-service production agency that specializes in the creation and orchestration of live and virtual experiences for the corporate industry. The agency is forward-thinking and was recognized as one of the 50 top event companies by Special Events magazine in 2019 and 2020. If it can’t be live, make it VIBE!
