Venues and Events International’s chief executive officer has said it has seen encouragement in terms of clients enquiring about live events and thinking more seriously about returning face-to-face due to step three of the government roadmap.
From today (Monday 17 May), indoor events for up 1,000 people or 50% venue capacity, not including staff, contractors or exhibitors, will reopen in England. Outdoor events for up to 4,000 (or 50% capacity) may also resume, and special dispensation will be given to seated stadiums.
The event management company’s chief executive officer Anita Lowe (pictured) said it has received “lots of questions” and those seeking consultative and honest advice. She added that they also asked what advice they should give to their delegates should they go ahead.
“We’re able to provide clients with these questions the confidence that we will support them in the delivery of safe events,” said Lowe. “Our team are HSSE qualified and able to carry out risk assessments that take into consideration Covid guidelines and hotel procedures. This assurance is boosting the excitement for everyone to be meeting face-to-face again.”
When asked what the news means to the agency, Lowe said: “This is a huge milestone and something we as an agency are very excited for as we’re finally starting to see some form of normality with venue find enquiries coming through again.
“It’s so uplifting to see venues and hotels staff coming back from furlough and for us to be able to resume conversations and relationships with them to start planning for the future again.”
Reengineered
At present Lowe said the agency has “reengineered” its proposition to continue supporting the needs of clients who have required a virtual solution or another form of communication. She said this is to “enable them to effectively ensure their own message is delivered in a powerful way to ensure maximum ROI within the different times.”
Lowe added that Venues and Events International has kept up the momentum of regular engagement even for clients who have not booked anything with the agency. She said this was done to ensure that they are “armed and ready for a smooth transition for the return of live events.”
As for the mood among the agency’s clients with regards to returning to live, Lowe said there is a “mixture of excitement and nervousness, but definitely more excitement as people can’t wait to meet again.”
Buzz among clients
Lowe added that delegate safety is at the forefront of all the agency’s clients, with consideration taken before booking confirmation and many clients undertaking surveys to understand if employees feel confident to meet in person again.
“Overall, there is a huge buzz, they just want to get it right,” she said, “and that’s why they’re asking us lots of questions as we can assure them we can support on contract negotiations and delivery of safe events.”
Lowe said the agency’s pipeline of events and its recovery is looking as forecasted due to it receiving an “encouraging number of live, hybrid and virtual enquiries” until the end of the year. She said this positivity is furthered due to these enquiries increasing each day.
“From a client relationship perspective, because our relationships are so strong, our clients are excited to see us thrive as an agency again,” said Lowe. “Although some clients haven’t been able to give us business in the last 15 months, through our engagement, we’ve maintained these relationships and they’re excited to be back working with us again.”
