event planning

We all want to get back to the lives we were living before the COVID-19 pandemic entered the picture, and while restrictions have largely been lifted and we’re getting closer to a sense of normalcy, planning an event with a large group of people certainly feels different than it did pre-COVID. There are more things to be mindful of if you want to throw a successful and safe event, and we want to use today’s blog to share some of those tips for throwing a successful corporate event in the wake of COVID-19. Below, we share some tips for planning a corporate event in a post-pandemic world.

Event Planning After The Pandemic

We understand that the pandemic can be a polarizing issue for many, but all we want to do with this blog is offer some suggestions for throwing a successful corporate event in a world still dealing with the fallout from COVID-19. With that in mind, here are some things to consider when planning your next corporate event.

1. Hygiene Option Availability – It’s a good idea to make it easy for your guests to have some hygiene options at their disposal at the event. Hand sanitizer stations and a bowl of disposal masks can make it easier for people to help cut down on the spread of germs if they so choose. You don’t need to force them upon people, but having them available won’t hurt either. Just make it easy for people to have sanitation options available to them.
2. Indoor/Outdoor Options – At Entourage Events Groups, a number of our venues have indoor and outdoor options so that you can host your group in the perfect setting. Consider taking your next corporate event outside, as outdoor transmission is less likely to occur than in an indoor setting. We can also adjust on the fly so that if the weather doesn’t comply, we can shift the gathering indoors with ease.
3. Food And Beverage Choices – Many corporate events involve a meal or a cocktail hour with appetizers, and you’ll want to be mindful of how you handle the food situation if COVID-19 is still a potential issue. Plated options tend to work better than a buffet where everyone heads to a singular point to collect their food, and working with a team that has ample staff can help to cut down on lines at the bar so that people aren’t clustered in small spaces.
4. Go Paperless – Not only can going paperless help the environment, but it can also cut down on the transfer of germs as people share and touch the same documents. Make your menu a scannable QR code that people can access using their phone and handle ticket sales or RSVPs online to reduce germ transmission.
5. Be Ready To Adapt At The Last Minute – This may be easier said than done, but start thinking about how COVID-19 could impact your event and have a backup plan in place. If your CEO’s flight got canceled or your keynote speaker had to back out because someone in their family tested positive, have a backup plan in place so that you’re not scrambling at the last minute. You can’t prepare for everything, but try to understand how your event could be vulnerable to a COVID-19 disturbance and at least run through some backup plans in your head in case you need to switch things up in a hurry.
6. Streamline The Process – Finally, to help cut down on your interaction and reliance on multiple companies in order to pull off your event, streamline the process by going with an event’s team like Entourage Events Group. We can help secure the venue, decorate the area, run audio and visual production, create and prepare a menu and staff the event so that you don’t need to rely on 4-5 different companies to pull off your event. Streamlining the process reduces your risk of running into a COVID-19 related headache with a caterer or decorator, because we can do it all!

Nobody likes planning an event with COVID-19 on the mind, but it’s a reality in the world we live in. The team at Entourage Events Group can help you pull off a safe and successful event if you let us. For more information, or to schedule a tour of one of our venues, give our team a call today at (612) 564-3777.