The COVID-19 pandemic has forever transformed the way gatherings take place — both in workplaces and at corporate events. Safety has become a top priority for organisations, and it is up to them to team up with a virtual event production company and develop strategies to bring people back together in a way that won’t compromise their health or wellbeing.

Transitioning to in-person events from online event solutions after almost two years can be pretty challenging. Organisations are bound to make a few mistakes. This article will discuss common mistakes you should avoid when designing safe in-person events with an event company.

1. Having More Guests and Attendees than You Planned

Selling out an event or filling up all registrations calls for a celebration, but you still need to figure out how to organise, seat, and feed everyone attending. Reaching total capacity at an event is the best-case scenario, but hardly anyone ever plans for it.

Regardless of whether you fill up registrations or sell all tickets ahead of time, you must anticipate a full crowd to avoid significant event planning problems. Keep a close eye on social media mentions, event forums, and your event RSVPs. Adjust your plans accordingly if you think the number of people attending is greater than you expected. Seven Events, UK’s top creative events agency, can help you plan for the unexpected so you can deliver a smooth and seamless event experience to all attendees.

2. Not Assembling Kits with Essential PPE Products

While it is now safe to hold in-person events, you still need to ensure everyone’s safety, which means following the standard operating procedures for COVID-19. One of the easiest ways to ensure that everyone has access to personal protective equipment (PPE) during the eventis by distributing PPE kits at the entrance. A custom PPE kit will make your event attendees feel appreciated and give them the confidence and protection they need to participate fully.

Create a PPE kit that includes disposable gloves, a disposable mask, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. You can also include wet wipes, tissues, and a healthy snack. PPE kits are the perfect way to delight people and ensure social distancing.

3. Not Ensuring an Ample Ratio of Venue Space to Room Occupancy

Due to social distancing, you must adjust the pre-COVID occupancy limits in your event venue and accommodate the distancing guidelines. Reduce the capacity of your event, so you have greater flexibility to ensure social distancing. As a rule of thumb, provide more space per person than is necessary for social distancing. Here are a few things you can do:

• Space chairs six feet apart or have everyone sit at their own tables.
• Give speakers their own microphones, so there’s minimal risk of cross-contamination.
• Omit the buffet and provide individually packaged snacks, meals, and drinks.
• Assemble a COVID-19 planning team to help keep all protocols in check.

4.Neglecting Laws that Might Affect Your Gathering

There’s no way you can prevent outside forces from affecting your event. The best you can do is plan for them. For example, if you are hosting an outdoor concert for your employees, they will have a great experience unless they can’t find a route to the venue or a place to park their vehicles.To prevent such problems from arising, you need to plan ahead of time. When planning, remember to research everything going on in the area. You should:

• Check Google events calendars for your event’s region.
• Ask venue managers if there are any zoning laws you need to abide by.
• Reach out to local event planners and see if they have any stories they’d like to share about your chosen event space.

5.Leaving Little to No Time for Event Setup or Take Down

The lesser time your attendees spend at your venue, the better. Avoid wasting precious time by assembling your attendees earlier than usual. They will appreciate arriving at an event that is fully ready for them. Give your event planners or online event solution partners plenty of time to take care of everything. If the venue has another event before or after yours, make sure you have a backup plan.

Details like these can easily slip through the cracks of a complicated event planning process. However, thinking ahead of timeand communicating with everyone, from the venue manager andthe catering company to the signage team and event attendees, will help you ensure you start and end your in-person event on a high note.

6. Forgetting to Create an Attendee Engagement Plan

Have you planned the perfect event with an event company? That’s great! But have you thought about your attendees? If you don’t keep them engaged, then what’s the point of the event? There are primarily four different types of attendee engagements that you need to touch on at any in-person event that you host:

• Content involving speakers, exhibits, and other activities
• Links between sponsors and event attendees in genuinely authentic and creative ways
• Quick communication regarding event logistics and immediate assistance in case of queries your attendees might have
• Engagement between event attendees via in-person networking and online event forums

Transition to In-Person Events Safely Today

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how and where we gather for corporate events, forcing us to adapt to the new normal and take a more flexible approach to event design. Now more than ever, organisations are rethinking the future of corporate events. As the world is recovering, in-person events are becoming safer.

As a responsible organisation, you need to consider utilising spaces safely and effectively for events.If there’s anything that the pandemic has taught us all, it’s that life is unexpected. The best way to approach change is to stay responsive, especially when it comes to event space designing in a post-COVID pandemic community. With the help of an in-person and virtual event production company, design a safe in-person event today!