Things To Remember When Hosting A Post-Lockdown Summer Event

For the time being, the warmer months look set to be filled with cheer and merriment.

There’re plenty of reasons to be optimistic here. After all, with the news that festivals are now gearing up again for the summer season, hope may prevail in orchestrating your own events as well. There’s plenty of scope to achieve your event hosting dreams here, and your ambitions could well be fully realised soon.

Still, the road ahead in organising event can still be bumpy, and you’ll need to approach things in the right fashion to ensure that yours is a resounding success. What should you expect? How might you go about planning your occasion sufficiently?

You’ll find some answers to these questions down below, so do keep reading.

What To Expect

After such a tumultuous 2020 and a turbulent start to 2021, there’s perhaps no concrete answer on what you can truly expect from a post-lockdown summer event.

Of course, uncertainty has been the theme of recent times, affecting everything from job losses to holiday plans. Still, while there are a broad range of possible things that could occur during your special occasion, having at least a vague sense of what to expect could be helpful.

You should try keep in mind that…

The Event May be Short Lived 

It could be that you make all your preparations, and at the eleventh hour the event must close.

A new coronavirus could immerge onto the scene and enforce another nationwide lockdown. Or it could be that your immediate area experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases, and thus only your event and those local to you must shut down.

In this situation, you would be powerless to do anything except comply with such a mandate. However, adopting a certain perspective may help. After all, many retailers have had to endure temporary closures in recent times, so if your event is just a bit of fun, it could help to appreciate that your livelihood isn’t on the line. There’ll be other summers, and other events to go along with them!

Time is Short

Events can take a good while to materialise, with many affairs to get in order. The sooner you get started, the better.

For instance, if you’re booking services such as caterers, live entertainers, and a host of other similar professionals, then they will have their own schedules you may need to adhere to. As time moves on, those work calendars of theirs may slowly become more filled with other bookings. If you’re only starting organising your event in the May-June period, then you potentially have a limited window in which to book supporting services and get the ball rolling on your summer event.

You need to be so fast to organise everything in the nick of time, but not so quick as to speedily rush through the process and risk forgetting crucial arrangements or missing big red flags. That balance is key, so try to remain level-headed yet proactive throughout the entire process.

Regulations Must be Followed

While fun times are resuming, try to remind yourself that the coronavirus hasn’t fully gone away.

The Holt Festival is making a hotly anticipated return to the summer scene in 2021, though with a special programme of events designed to accord with COVID-19 regulations responsibly. It may be a good idea to follow their example and plan your own post-lockdown event in a similar fashion. For example, you’ll be expected to enforce social distance measures and the wearing of masks indoors.

Further solutions here may include:

Limiting capacity numbers – Fewer people may mean the virus won’t spread as easily.

Providing face masks – It could be that some guests may forget, lose, or damage their mask while your event takes place. Instead of ejecting them, you could offer a replacement.

Create logical routes – If your events can follow a one-way system with one exit and one entrance, then there could be less likelihood of crowds mixing too closely.

Monitoring queues – Assigning staff members to organise any queues may help ensure attendees behave responsibly.

Offering information – Leaflets, or rehearsed lines for your staff to recite, could help assure guests that the event is COVID-19-compliant.

If you have these measures in check, you may be able to keep everybody comfortable and safe whilst still enjoying your post-lockdown event organically. Make your intentions publicly known in your advertising materials as well, and it may reflect positive on you as an organiser and on everyone hoping to make the event a reality.

Anxieties May be Rife

People have responded to the pandemic in a variety of ways, with some potentially struggling more than others.

After all, the world was essentially forced to grow accustomed to a new normal. Staying inside and being alone for extensive periods would likely change certain individuals, and that seems to be what’s happened in some cases. Sadly, many have begun to feel immense social anxiety now restrictions have begun to ease, worrying about suddenly needing to meet strangers once again or function as part of a group.

It might be that you should temper your expectations regarding how ‘rowdy’ your event might be. Seeing pockets of people perhaps not being thrilled by every second of your event should not cause you alarm once you have the fact that they may be struggling in mind, as they may just be trying to reacquaint themselves with events such as yours. Perhaps instruct your staff or volunteers to be extra sensitive around those who seem to be out of sorts and place an extra emphasis on maintaining a welcoming environment.

What Other Plans to Consider

Summer events were never easy to orchestrate before the pandemic, and additional present-day challenges may serve to only make them more difficult to organise. Still, the more common concerns still exist alongside all the new coronavirus related ones.

Plan your event well in advance so that no unexpected surprises can suddenly appear. Keep reading for more insights into the measures you could take.

Consider Focusing on Outdoor Gatherings

Even if some events are permitted indoors in the summer, attendees may still have reservations about partaking.

After all, just because the restrictions are lifting, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the coronavirus is entirely dead in the water. Unfortunately, the pandemic has permanently altered the fabric of our society, and some people may be wondering ‘what if’ for a while longer yet, potentially even after the disease has subsided.

Additionally, few people may want to boil inside crowded interiors for long as well. Therefore, it could be best to have your event outside in the sunshine, regardless of its functioning or purpose. That way, everybody can enjoy the cool breeze and a sense of more space to enjoy around them. Who knows, you may draw in more people this way, and they may stay longer when enjoying these aspects too?

Anticipate Outdoor Issues

Summer events should try to make good use of the weather, even if the British varieties are largely unpredictable.

Of course, in doing this, your event may be left open to whole host of other potential problems. Here’s what they could be, and how to solve them:

Bad weather – Lend or sell guests umbrellas at the entrance if rain is forecast. You could also liaison with the venue owners ahead of time, and make sure their indoor facilities are available for use or shelter in an emergency too.

Faulty generators – If your power sources are exposed to the elements, they may be more at risk of becoming defective. Shelter them appropriately and have a generator on standby in case any issues occur with the first.

The presence of vermin – You should hire an extermination company prior to the event who can spray the area. This may prevent creatures like mosquitos spoiling your big day.

Bathroom facilities – The event may be outdoors, but that doesn’t mean guests should be relieving themselves in the bushes. You could hire toilet blocks to avert this problem.

Your event shouldn’t live or die by circumstance and luck alone, so accounting for each of these issues will ensure you post-lockdown event thrives through any circumstance. Outdoor summer events do take more logistical work but enjoying the fresh air along with all the fun undoubtedly makes all your hard work worth it.

Work Closely with Other Businesses

Events are rarely a solo endeavour, and it’ll take plenty of support from other businesses to ensure your success.

For example, dressage competitions can have many demands that need to be met. That said, companies like Combi-Ride can provide the best arena surfaces for dressage events imaginable. These industry leading experts offer great prices on all the surfaces that they fit and provide free no obligation quotes also. Also holding nationwide delivery capabilities, these are the types of firms you need to collaborate with to ensure your event is a marvel.

If you were to host a dressage competition, you could need other services too. For example, you would require food and accommodation arrangements for the horses, and handlers to ensure they’re well-looked after as your event transpires. It may seem like a lot, but with the right support services in tow, it should all become much more manageable.

Whether you’re orchestrating horse and rider contests or lending a stage to live performers, you may need a host of other businesses to prop up your efforts as well. Suppliers, PR representatives, caterers, cleaners – they’re all professionals who can contribute a lot to the smooth running of your event. Try to use them all when necessary!

Offer Opportunities 

If you’re lucky enough to be in the position of hosting a summer event, then you may also have first-choice picks over who you hire.

The pandemic has been a testing time for many people, with countless jobs being lost and prospects being made uncertain. While people have tried to cope under these circumstances across a myriad of different ways, they may need their connections, be they friends or family, to offer them their next opportunity.

It could be a good idea to use your post-lockdown summer event to help the misfortunate people in your life get out and be proactive. Even if positions are being filled in a voluntary capacity, your loved ones may still appreciate a chance to dust down their skills and make themselves useful. It could also be something for them to talk about and be proud of during their next round of job interviews.

Unfortunately, it can be quite easy to be stressed when hosting any type of event, and you may be striving for perfection or worrying about how everything will reflect on you. Still, no matter what happens, if you can provide an opportunity to your struggling loved ones, you can be assured that at least something good came out of your efforts. Appreciating your kindness, those you threw a bone to may work twice as hard for you to repay your kindness, potentially making your event even better than you anticipated.

Secure Additional Paperwork

While insurance isn’t mandatory if you’re venturing onto the events scene, it can be a huge asset should anything go wrong.

It could be a good idea to acquire public liability insurance and event liability insurance for the duration of your summer event, just so you’re covered against accidental damages and injuries. If your event is taking place on somebody else’s land, then some landowners will request that you hold this kind of coverage also, so you may have more options at your disposal should you acquire it as well.

Remember, events were prone to bouts of bad luck even before the pandemic. Try not to get too wrapped up in the post-lockdown thrills and assume all will now be well with coronavirus taking more of a backseat. Other issues can still be prevalent, and insurance arrangements can ensure you’re prepared to tackle them head on.

Insurance is no substitute for decent event practices either. While accidents can be common, ensuring that there’re no slippery surfaces, trip hazards, or faulty machinery should be your first priorities. Though hopefully used as a last resort, insurance could still be a necessary tool in your arsenal.