The Coronavirus has had a worldwide impact on the hospitality and events industries, causing event planners to cancel and postpone events worldwide.
Tripleseat asked thousands of event planners who recently used EventUp, the Tripleseat web directory of restaurants and unique venues, what they are doing to restart the industry in 2020, and the plans they have for future events this year. We’ve compiled the results into an infographic, The Events Industry in 2020.
Here’s more details about what we found:
Nearly everyone — 96 percent of people who took part in the survey — said they have rescheduled an event originally planned for the spring or summer of 2020. Most planners are moving events to late summer or beyond; the top three time frames are September at 29 percent, January 2021 or after at 24 percent; and August at 16 percent.
The majority of these events are corporate events, with 76 percent of respondents reporting that they are planning conferences, meetings, networking parties, and other activities for businesses. Thirty-three percent of planners said they are working on social events, such as reunions, birthday parties, graduation parties, or baby showers. Holiday parties were the third-largest category, at 21 percent. Weddings are next, at 18 percent, with planners saying they’re involved with rehearsal dinners, receptions, or bridal showers. The rest of the events — 17 percent — include fundraisers, art festivals, music festivals, educational workshops, and other types of events.
When asked what planners are planning or implementing in place of live events in the short term, the answers mostly involved online solutions: webinars, virtual events, virtual meetings, virtual happy hours or networking parties, online office hours, online conferences, and livestreaming on social media platforms. For planners in communities that have less stringent social distancing regulations, they are installing hand sanitizer stations, requiring staff to wear masks and gloves.
As planners start to work on their future events, they’re looking for specific information and practices from venues. This includes:
. Booking and cancellation policies, 74.7%
. Cleaning and safety protocols, 53.7%
. Specials and incentives for booking events, 36.8%
. Video conferencing capabilities, 36.8%
. Venue availability, 41.1%
. Deadlines for event setups, equipment needs, meal counts, etc. 15.8%
The hospitality and events industry is preparing to get back to business, as some cities and states discuss plans for reopening. Restaurants and venues have several resources, such as the National Restaurant Association’s reopening guide, and federal guidelines for businesses that are located in areas that are lifting restrictions.
Tripleseat has been creating new content and resources for event professionals as they work to drive business during and after the Coronavirus. Find the latest content on Tripleseat’s blog; Two Chicks, Three Seats podcast; social media; Facebook group; and Zoom Social Hour roundtables.
Author: Azure Collier
Editors Note: This post was originally published on the Tripleseat blog.
