After 18 months of virtual events, the return of live, in-person events are just around the corner.
For some states, like where Nectar is in sunny Queensland, the return of in-person events has been gradually building for a couple of months. For other states, like NSW and Victoria, in-person events are just not a reality right now….but they will be (roll on 2022).
For the events industry in Australia, it’s been a tough 18 months or so. We miss the rush of the in-person experience – networking with old and new colleagues, having a coffee or a meal together and even just exchanging a handshake and business card. Seems like a lifetime ago, right?
Live, in-person events are truly irreplaceable. Although virtual events have filled the gap and have benefits in their own right, everyone, including us here at Nectar, are eager to get back to face-to-face interactions.
As we look to the future of events, event safety must be our top priority. The question on everyone’s mind is how we minimize the risk for our attendees, partners, and staff.
The team at Nectar have put together some FAQ’s to help give you some direction and feel confident in planning a safe in-person event.
What are the rules around in-person events?
Each state has clear COVIDSafe Event Guidelines that event managers must operate under. On top of that each venue should have their own COVIDSafe plan that event managers should be familiar with before signing any contract.
Venue contracts will look different than they did pre-COVID. Read them carefully and ensure you feel comfortable knowing what you or the venue will be held accountable for should your event plans change.
How many people can we fit in the venue?
This will depend on the restrictions at the time and the venue location.
For conferences we recommend booking a room based on ‘cabaret’ set up rather than ‘theatre’ for your anticipated numbers. This gives you a little more flexibility to fit people in the room and keep them socially distanced.
Most venues are working on a percentage capacity for rooms rather than having chairs a certain distance apart.
Can people stand for networking?
This will depend on the restrictions at the time and the venue location. This can change but right now in Queensland – yes!
If that’s not an option, you could look at a more structured networking event where people are seated at tables and move around the room.
What if a speaker can’t make it?
The benefit of the last 18 months of virtual events and virtual tech is that having a speaker present virtually at a live event is now not only acceptable but relatively cost effective. Even virtual panels can work well.
We recommend ensuring you have large enough screens in the room though to ensure both speaker and their content can be seen clearly by all in the audience.
Planning a return to in-person events?
At Nectar Creative Communications, we offer an end-to-end solution for both digital and live events, making it possible for you to connect with your audience in a way you haven’t before.
Let our team of expert Event Producers take care of the creative, technical, and logistical elements of your next conference or event.
Let’s talk!
Call us on 1300 878 815 or email info@nectarcc.com.au
Visit our website for more information: www.nectarcc.com.au
