 If the last 12 months (and more) has taught us anything, it’s that the world can change in the blink of an eye. From long-term lockdowns to snap circuit breakers and shifts in COVIDSafe regulations, Event Managers (and Project Managers) are constantly facing shifting sands.
It can be an overwhelming and unsettling time (to say the least) as the best laid plans are disrupted. Sometimes it can be hard to change direction when you are sprinting to the finish. Yet, last year made us stronger, better, more informed and taught us many things. Lessons we can bring into 2021.
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 “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” George Bernard Shaw
As event managers we know how to plan for any scenario, it’s what we do. However COVID has changed one important element – we are no longer just planning internally, we are needing to communicate externally. We shared our thoughts recently with Meetings & Events Australia on why scenario planning is more than meets the eye in a COVIDSafe world.  "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.” Randy Pausch
With National Volunteer Week just over a month away, we are pleased to provide a copy of our free Toolkit, to help you with your planning.  Last week marked our return to the office after almost nine months.
When we left the office in March, we had no idea what to expect. All we knew was that we were facing ‘unprecedented’ times and our year was about to be turned upside down. While we had already grieved 2020 and what the year had planned, the return to the office brought up new emotions. It reminded us of how much our world, our industry and our community had lost. However, it also highlighted these important practices and helped define our new outlook for a new world.  While many of us attended or delivered webinars in the past, 2020 certainly opened our eyes to what makes an engaging and successful virtual event.
While live events start back up, virtual (and hybrid) events will still be front and centre throughout 2021 and beyond, due to convenience, audience reach, travel restrictions, change in working locations and company event policies. This won’t be a hangover from 2020, it will be an exciting new phase. With change comes learning and we have listed our top tips for enhancing the attendee experience, that you can take into 2021.  As we return to events and event planning ramps up, it is crucial we remember that events are not a one size fits all.
Event formats, protocols and experiences will all shift and change in this new world and what might have been the ‘norm’ for your previous events, now need to be reimagined. What might work for one organisation, won’t be the right fit for another. What might work for one audience, might not work for another. What might work for one of your events, will be out of place for another event. Every event should be considered and planned on an event by event basis.  My love of the Olympic Games was cemented in 1992 when I was completely captivated by the Barcelona games.
I videotaped nearly every event, had every magazine that featured the games and even took the day off school to attend the athletes parade. I knew then that my dream job would be to one day be part of the action.  To all the businesses who have closed today in Melbourne, as part of Stage 4 restrictions, and to all the other businesses around Australia who continue to be impacted by closures, we send our love and support.
It is now over four months since our world was turned upside down and our core industry was 'shut down'. We have been (and still are) where you now find yourself so we wanted to share our advice and top tips on how to get through this.  A silent and almost invisible damaging side effect of COVID-19, and the (necessary) social distancing, is the divide it is creating between the young and the old - as well as those located in and out of 'hot spots'.
This is becoming more evident as restrictions start to ease and some parts of the community return to a new type of normal, while other parts of the community continue to lock down for their safety.  Over nine weeks ago, when the world changed, organisations rushed to move their events online - and did a great job to do this.
However in the scramble to adjust, many simple considerations have been overlooked. Now is the time to stop, take stock and review how you are managing your online events. |
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