Tag: live events

News

Live Events Are Booming

The global pandemic forced many event organisers to switch from hosting live events to hosting them virtually. This did allow many of our clients to attract attendees who might not have made it to a live event however, many attendees missed the engagement that you get from live events. 

Our clients have been extremely happy to return to in-person live events and attendees have too. There is something special about in-person events and our event staff have enjoyed the return to live events. Clients are very good at creating memorable attendee experiences and our staff are fortunate to be able to be part of this and deliver the events. 

Post-pandemic, we have been lucky to attract many new team members allowing us to be able to offer our clients event staff support across the UK. This means we can adapt to our client’s requests more easily which has been good recently because live events have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in the UK. 

The events industry has found ways to survive and even thrive during the pandemic and we believe everyone has learnt from this experience. The pandemic taught us that both event organisers and suppliers always need to be adaptable in order to survive. 

“Coming out of the pandemic has shown the appetite for live events is higher than it has ever been,” Elisa Drummond, Co-Founder of Pinnacle Event Staff. 

The public have been ‘cooped up’ for two years due to the pandemic and they are now ready to attend live events. We have noticed an increase in enquiries for event staff to support large corporate events as well as hospitality staff at summer events. We are hoping that this increase in enquiries continues throughout the winter months in the run up to Christmas. 

If you are interested in talking to us to find out how we can support your next event, then please get in touch. 

News

Live Events: What Do They Look Like?

The Covid-19 pandemic certainly saw a huge migration of live events to digital platforms however live events are returning but what do they now look like? 

Virtual events aren’t new, the webinar has been around for years and we don’t think that virtual events will replace live events. There is room for both in the events industry. 

Live events – what do they look like

Many delegates won’t dismiss the fact that they prefer to be face-to-face and in-person at events. Virtual events can’t replace the positive feelings you feel from interacting with a brand in person. 

Delegates that attend in-person events are also more likely to ‘get their money’s worth’ and experience more of what’s on offer due to the effort they’ve made to attend. 

We have certainly seen more brands looking to regain any lost momentum they experienced during the lockdown and people are chomping at the bit to attend live events again so it won’t be long until live events are up and running again. 

What everyone must remember is that engagement and behaviour are the two main considerations for engineering a successful event – personalised experiences are still vital. 

What does the future hold? 

There is no doubt that getting back to normal will take some time and events will look different in the meantime. We will see a return to live events and there will be more virtual events as well as smaller satellite events. 

“People thrive on being around people who are like them and interested in the same topic which we believe will lead to the events business making a roaring come back. The importance of human interaction is now more important than ever. Yes, the lockdown has taught us that we can survive without human interaction but it is difficult. When you attend a live event you see colleagues, meet new contacts and interact face-to-face. You just can’t get that from an event held on zoom,” says Elisa Drummond, Co-Founder of Pinnace Event Staff. 

The future of events is undoubtedly bright but is still not set in stone so this is going to be a very interesting time to watch brands adapt to the situation. 

If you would like any advice or support for your next event, please get in touch. 

News

How can we safely return to live events?

As we enter another four weeks of lockdown, it is apparent that business as we know it will continue to be in turmoil and it is clear that live events will not be the same for the foreseeable future.

Currently, the only option is to meet online so in-person and face-to-face meetings are not possible. However, when live events do become an option again what restrictions could be in place?

Smaller events

We believe that live events will be possible in 2021 but they will have less capacity and only small events will be possible. Venues will have to reduce their capacity until a vaccine is available. Having the option to run live events will be great news for the industry however smaller numbers will mean an effect on the event’s revenue.

Security at events will increase

If a vaccine is still not available when live events start up again then it is likely that testing or some screening will be needed to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This will affect the registration/check-in process at events. Recent news has suggested that 15-minute COVID-19 tests will be administered onsite at sports events to test spectators and get sports fans back to watching live sport asap.

Growth in Hybrid events

There will be a growth in hybrid events where both face-to-face and an online option will be available to the delegate. This will enable large-scale events to take place but the online aspect will assist with the possible restrictions on event capacity and international travel.

A business will increase regional meetings

As remote working has been embraced by many companies across the UK, there may be a need for regular regional team catch-ups. These may be team-building activities or communication events on a smaller scale. These are likely to be small in size but more regular than in previous years.

While most of the above possibilities are less than desirable, they are worth considering. We are trying to predict what lies ahead so that we can make sure our staff are on hand to support the events industry post-COVID-19.

If you would like to discuss how we can provide assistance with your online event and/or live event post-COVID-19, then please get in touch today.

News

What will live events look like in the future?

The UK government has announced the lifting of more restrictions today however the future of live events is still very much unknown.

When they are ready to allow us to plan, organise, and gather again, we need to ensure we are ready to create events that are as safe as possible. Organising an event will now have an extra step involved which will be incorporating the guidelines from health officials to protect the wellbeing of all attendees and staff working at the event.

Things for event organisers to consider

  • Assess the risk of transmission of COVID-19 at your event and identify and manage those risks
  • Create pre-event checklists addressing the risks associated with COVID-19 at your event
  • Create safety guidelines and policies for suppliers, staff, and attendees to adhere to
  • Communicate all guidelines and policies prior to the event

There is also the question of what will be the etiquette at live trade shows, exhibitions, and conferences in the future. Will we be able to shake hands or will it be an elbow pump from now on? Will the norm at large-scale exhibitions be temperature-checking delegates as they enter the hall? These may feature in the immediate future but we are sure some old habits will return.

This is a time for our industry to lead the way in demonstrating ways we can balance the need to interact with awareness as well as maintaining safe practices. If you take the cruise industry, for example, they have had hand sanitisers on ships to protect passengers from the norovirus for years. We think practices like this will become the ‘new normal’ at live events in the future.

As the UK Government makes more announcements over the coming weeks, we will be listening to see if any of the current restrictions are lifted further. One thing is for sure, the lockdown has shown us the importance of human connection and the need for us all to come together through live events.

We are confident that we will be dusting off our lanyards very soon but in the meantime, if you are planning your future event and need advice or support, please get in touch.