COVID Friendly event alternatives are hard to come by, as events in their nature aren’t COVID friendly. However, we can’t stop living and wait for the effects of COVID-19 to stop; we must move forwards.

But how can we do so safely and sensitively? Here are our top tips for COVID friendly event alternatives.

Event Boxes

Plenty of companies, including us, are now offering event boxes as an alternative to live events. The boxes bridge the gap between online and in person, by giving guests something physical in a world that often feels entirely virtual. You can completely customise the content to suit your award ceremony, conference or even launch event.

Caterers are offering delicious hampers, and many businesses have pulled together care packages. We’ve seen how creative people can be. If you’d like more information on our events boxes, click here.

Virtual

I feel like virtual events are getting a bad wrap at the moment. You know that feeling of having too much ice cream when nothing becomes worse than the thought of more ice cream. I feel like that’s where we all are with online events.

They’re getting a bit of a bad rep at the moment, but virtual events still very much serve a purpose. There are tones of articles online about ways to make your online events more engaging, and I gave a keynote speech on the subject back in July.

Postponements

I think the only thing keeping a lot of suppliers going right now is the thought that some events will postpone rather than cancel. The most COVID friendly event alternative is to move your event to a time which will be safe. However, that’s much easier said than done seeing as we don’t know when that will be.

By postponing your event rather than cancelling, you’re helping to keep a struggling industry alive, and giving hope to many suppliers, venues, and businesses alike.

Keep it small

For now, we are allowed to meet in groups of up to six in England. Although I’m not necessarily sure that counts as an event, businesses should not underestimate the value of intimate networking experiences.

We’ve been researching different ideas for our clients to give them a well-needed break from the home office whilst also entertaining their clients. The trick here is to make it memorable and offer experiences they may not usually have access to. Comment below if ideas for small events is something you’d be interested in seeing!

Flexi planning

One of the most critical COVID friendly event alternatives is flexible planning. What does that mean I hear you say?

Flexi planning is the art of planning an event which can be picked up and moved in its entirety, without any financial penalty. We’re working on this with a few clients at the moment.

It’s a great way to get thinking about the future without the risk.

Although it feels like the world is still, we have to keep moving forward. We have to keep making plans, goals and evolving. It’s not enough to wait for this to be over, because we don’t know when that will be.

We’re all alive and working now. Life can’t stop, and it’s OK to make plans to recover safely and sensitively.

I hope some of the tips in this article have been useful. Please do let us know in the comments if you have any ideas we should be aware of! Sharing is caring.