When the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11th, 2020, event planning, the way we had known it, rapidly changed.
In person weddings, parties, concerts, festivals and corporate events gave way to the need for safety, social distancing, ever changing permitted indoor/outdoor venue attendee capacities, border closures, lockdowns, stay at home orders and halting of non essential travel via land, air and sea.
Now, more than one year later, with vaccinations on the rise across Canada, US and internationally, there is light at the end of the tunnel for those of us who love to plan and host events.
With that being said, we still need to be aware that COVID-19 has not yet gone away. So what should we take into consideration when event planning during the pandemic? A good place to start is to find out what are the current guidelines in your area for events and gatherings.
Here in Ontario Canada, one of our go to resources is the province’s government website (https://www.ontario.ca/page/reopening-ontario).
For events in the US a useful reference is the CDC’s “Guidance for Organizing Large Events and Gatherings“.
Remember that the constant changes associated with the pandemic makes these guidelines ever evolving so make sure to refer to your region’s resources often. And if you are in doubt, call or email your local official COVID-19 agency.
In subsequent posts we will explore what else you should be considering when event planning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have any questions or require help in planning your next event don’t hesitate to contact the ESN Support Team. We are here to assist.
