How to Bring Your Live Events Back & Out of the Virtual Space

Tips on Transitioning Back to Live Events

Live events are FINALLY starting to come back and the Clarity team could not be happier! With that being said, virtual events have been the go-to for the past year, so meeting planners and everyone else in the events industry, have adapted to them. Transitioning back to live events in this new post-COVID-19 world can be tricky because of the different guidelines and regulations, so we decided to share some of the tips we have in making this transition seamless. 

1. Event Space Rules & Regulations
2. Travel Protocol
3. Social distancing diagrams
4. Booking venues in advance 
5. Considering a hybrid event
6. Choosing the right vendors

Be ready to adapt to change

Adapting to change is going to be key when it comes to transitioning back to live events. There are many different rules that have been put in place, like social distancing, for our safety of course, so be sure that you work closely with hotels to stay up to date on the different guidelines and regulations to ensure a safe and seamless live event. You should also be prepared for these guidelines and regulations to change, because they will, especially in the beginning. 

Travel protocols are the second part of the need to adapt to change. Not only are there a lot of new rules that you have to follow in terms of the venue space, but there are just as many when it comes to traveling. For example, in some countries you might need to show a negative COVID-19 test result in order to enter. Your attendees and presenters are going to have to follow these regulations and traveling ultimately is going to be more time-consuming than it used to be. It might not have been the norm in the past, but when planning out your live events, be sure to build in additional time for travel so everyone has ample time to get there. 

Be flexible with your planning

Similar to adapting to change, being flexible is just as important. 2021 is going to be a year where we all need to be more flexible as the world figures out how to come back to live events. You can either wait it out and see what happens or step out and pave the way for others. What’s it going to be? Clarity is here to pave the way with you as we already have hybrid and live events on the books for this fall. 

In terms of being flexible, you should plan on going through several diagrams with the hotel as social distancing requirements will continue to change as cities open up. When you are thinking about what the social distancing is going to look like at your venue, our recommendation is to plan for the worst-case scenario (6 feet apart seating). That might sound weird, but the reason is that you can always shrink the space if guidelines loosen up and the distancing requirement shrinks, but you can never expand the space. Plan for the worst, and you will be covered either way. 

It’s also important to consider that certain markets are going to open quicker than others when you are thinking about how to be flexible in planning. If you are planning a live event in cities like Orlando, Las Vegas, or Dallas, our suggestion is to work in advance to secure your venue space because these cities are going to book up quicker than others. 

Lastly, you might also want to consider a hybrid event as a transition from virtual to live. If you are unsure about transitioning back to a fully live event right away, a hybrid event is a perfect balance between live and virtual. You can still have your virtual audience, but you can also have a small live audience. It’s the perfect way to dip your toes back into the live event environment. 

Talk to your vendors ahead of time

Our final piece of advice to you is to choose your vendors wisely. Clarity feels that the companies that stayed in the game during 2020 are going to be your best bet. These companies have proven that they can evolve, adapt, and sustain during difficult times. They are more likely to provide you support, service, and the labor resources you need now in 2021. While other companies are slowly coming back; they will be under-resourced well into 2021. Companies that have stayed in the game will have increased their resource pool making them a great choice as you bring back your live events. 

That's how to Bring Live Events Back!

There you have it! The Clarity team is so excited to get back into the swing of things and welcome back live events. We understand that it might be a little nerve-wracking at first, but hope that this list of tips will ease your transition back. If you have any questions regarding the transition back to live events, or you would like to start planning and preparing, give Clarity a call today! We would love to help make your first live event back a remarkable one!