An Insider’s Guide to Special Events Reimagined

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has massively impacted the events industry, bringing the whole industry in the UK to a standstill in March. We are a resilient bunch, so it wasn’t long before we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and looked at how we could survive the pandemic. From what I have seen and experienced, this has been through running events virtually and living and breathing our new motto – ‘Postpone, don’t cancel!’ I have also been so proud to see how event companies all over the UK have been chipping in and supporting frontline workers during the pandemic including Eventify who sent care packages to frontline NHS staff, read more about this here.

As the lockdown eases across the UK, event venues have been busy planning how they will re-open when the time comes. I have been catching up with my industry peers to understand what the plans are for their venues, and to see what the new ‘normal’ will look like as we ease back into live events.

When Green and Fortune venue Kings Place re-opens in London’s Kings Cross it will commit to the following:

• 50% extra space for your event, with an option to upgrade to a larger area for less
• Hosting just one event per day on their main conference floors, -1 and -2, so that delegates can observe social distancing requirements
• Designated ‘in’ and ‘out’ access will ensure you and your delegates arrive on-site safely
• Lifts will be for those with mobility issues, and the use of the escalator and stairs encouraged.
• Clear signage will demarcate areas where delegates will queue such as registration, toilets, cloakroom and catering stations
• Hand sanitiser will be widely available throughout the venue

Kings Place has also enhanced its cleaning regime, including the regular cleaning of all critical touchpoints on an hourly basis, and will be introducing touch-free meals within their catering service. I cannot wait to get back to this versatile venue and see it doing what it does best.

The team at Glaziers Hall are ‘waiting with bated breath’ for further government announcements on when it will be possible to open their doors again. While waiting, they have been busy preparing to welcome event guests back by introducing the following changes:

• Sanitiser stations throughout Glaziers Hall, allowing you to sanitise your hands whenever you wish
• Deep cleaning the hall, and certificating it, before the return of guests.
• The main entrance may not be the way you enter or leave, as they have now set up each floor within the hall with their access routes, so they are entirely separate event spaces.
• Working with one of their suppliers, they have developed a packaged meal menu to ensure a safe and speedily service, with no queuing.

The team at Glaziers Hall haven’t only been focusing on COVID-19; they’ve also been hard at work, ensuring they are meeting their environmental commitments. The latest changes to how they operate are the removal of single-use water bottles and the introduction of stationery made from 100% recycled newspaper. Great work, guys!

The brilliant CH&Co has announced a pledge for all of their venues across London. To implement measures to look after their teams and customers. They have shared the following updates to reassure event clients and delegates:

• Closely managing diaries to minimise cross over of event delegates.
• Developed further rescheduling options and competitive rates across all venues
• Venue reception and registration teams are ready to welcome you, ensuring your safety with hand sanitiser available and clear signage in place to assist you with physical distancing.
• Developed new pre-packaged menus and offers for throughout the day, including boxed salads, sandwiches and Asian inspired noodle pots.
• All cutlery will be provided individually with each meal.
• Fresh and seasonal drinks served within physical distancing guidelines.
• Heightened cleaning procedures including hand washing after every interaction
• All teams will have access to PPE and staggered shifts to reduce team interaction.

Wow, a real meaty list from this impressive portfolio of venues! I am sure this will provide reassurance to all event organisers when easing back into live events and meetings.

So that’s a snippet of my learnings. I hope you find that useful! It’s just the beginning as every venue in London, the UK and the rest of the world have all spent the last few months preparing for re-opening and have been putting new measures in place to ensure they can open for events safely. If you would like any further information, get in touch with venue-finding and event management specialists Eventify who are up to date with what event venues are up to across the globe. The team at Eventify can also assist you in finding the perfect venue for your event.

I hope you all stay safe and well. We will meet again!

Diary of a Party Girl x