COVID-19 EVENTS IN THE AGE OF

By Deborah Huston, Certified Event Planner Event Coordinator for Real Producers of Oakland County & Wayne County

When news of a pandemic broke earlier this year, few of us could have predicted that we would spend months wearing masks, distancing ourselves from friends and colleagues, and missing out on all of our favorite live events, restaurants, travel destinations and so much more.

While the desire for in-person interaction has only intensified for some, many are still wary of planning or attending an event without serious protocols in place. Guests want reassurance that everything is being done to keep their health a top priority.

The good news is that once we are given the all-clear to gather in larger numbers again, our newly-heightened awareness of how to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 will also help keep the usual suspects like influenza and the common cold at bay as well.

Whether you’re planning an upcoming staff meeting or holiday party, a real estate agent hosting an open house, or looking ahead to your next family gathering, a few changes can make all the difference to help make your guests feel more comfortable attending — and keep everyone healthy!

LOOK TO CULINARY AND CATERING PROS

While buffet lines and self-serve stations have long been standards of catered events, today’s protocols greatly reduce the number of people handling items used for serving and coming in contact with food. Plated dinners might have been reserved for more formal occasions in the past, but restaurants, caterers and venues are hiring more servers and training them in the latest CDC and FDA protocols to meet the demand for increased staffing across the board.

Of course, the fewer people touching liquor bottles, dishes and serving utensils the better, so hiring bartenders and waitstaff to serve food and beverages is ideal. Also, opt for passed hors d’oeuvres instead of stations and plated dinners or individual meal boxes instead of buffets. Eliminate as much hand-to-hand contact as possible by using individually rolled utensils placed at the tables. Say goodbye to bowls of chips and questions like, “Can you please pass the salt?” by replacing communal items with single-serve condiments and individually wrapped snacks.

AMP UP THE CLEANLINESS

We all know we need to wash our hands a lot more regularly these days, but sometimes a thorough washing isn’t always an option. Hand sanitizing stations should be readily available near each restroom and also near the bar or other common areas. To eliminate unnecessary surface touching, prop open any interior doors that are not used for privacy, and/or have a volunteer act as the doorperson for high traffic entryways.

If your company is hosting many events or regular visitors in your office, consider replacing doorknobs with elbow-friendly push pads or touch-free, auto-open devices where feasible. Also install touchless soap dispensers and hand dryers, as well as motion-sensing light switches in restrooms. If hosting an event in your home or another location where touch-free devices are not available, disposable paper towels instead of communal cloth towels are the best bet.

GO ABOVE AND BEYOND

While temperature checks and health questionnaires upon entry would have seemed extreme and borderline invasive in 2019, the coronavirus has pushed us into a whole new level of caution in 2020 and made us more receptive to a variety of new precautionary measures. While a few guests may scoff at such policies, most will happily comply if it is an event they are truly interested in attending. Touchless forehead monitors are quick and easy, and a short questionnaire prior to entry will offer a sense of assurance that you care enough not to admit someone who is symptomatic or has been in a high-risk situation recently.

Regardless of which measures you take, communication is key. Let your guests know ahead of time what is being done to assure their safety, as well as what you will be requiring of them prior to entry into your event, so they can make an informed go/no-go decision.

As an optimist, I am hopeful we will be back to some semblance of normal by the holidays and will find our calendars brimming with too many events to choose from. In-person events may never go back to the way things were pre-coronavirus, but the new normals to ensure guests’ well-being might just be the better way after all. Your best practices for health and hygiene will be rewarded with good attendance, happy guests and fond memories!

Deborah Huston is a freelance event coordinator with over 25 years’ experience in planning and executing corporate, private and charitable events for organizations of all sizes. She is the owner of DJH Event Management in the Metro Detroit area, specializing in small-to-mid-sized business functions and networking events.

Coaches Corner- Deborah Huston, Certified Event Planner- Event Coordinator for Real Producers of Oakland County and Wayne County