The New Normal: Post Pandemic Playbook

Social distancing measures to help business events bounce back

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world upside down. There’s no doubt about it, especially for the world of events. Most shows planned to take place in 2020 have already been cancelled with a view to 2021. Even if some shows open this year, albeit with some social-distancing and safeguards in place, will delegates want to travel? Will they want to be on a train from Paris to London or Berlin? Will they want to fly in a confined tube? Until there’s mass-testing and an effective vaccine for COVID-19, the format of big events has to evolve. That’s one thing we can be sure about in this time of uncertainty.

The events industry plays a crucial role in the world of business. B2B brands rely heavily on live events for networking, strategic customer relationship management, new lead generation and vendor relations in the global supply chains. Hence, most companies have stopped attending events, despite the importance of the medium in their business relationships and brand building. These companies employ high value (rare) talent. They don’t want to expose that talent to COVID-19. We, the agency world, have to provide them with solutions ensuring health and safety.

So, what are the practical plays that can ensure the big shows rebound from Q1 next year? It would be brilliant if global events revive sooner but a more realistic time frame would be 2021 if all the predictions about vaccines and continued social distancing remain in place. In this paper, we introduce some ideas that event organisers, venue operators and exhibitors might want to explore. It’s worth to add,  some of the solutions here involve cost and might put a strain on delegate logistics and the business models adopted by most event organisers.

The goal is to host a safe show, with the possibility of social distancing.