Who remembers getting a paint-by-number set as a kid? The painting was divided into hundreds of tiny, irregular patches, each containing a number corresponding to a paint color provided in a little plastic pot. Using a small paintbrush, you painstakingly filled in each patch with tiny swipes of paint. As you completed every section of the canvas, your meticulous attention to detail was rewarded as you beheld your beautiful Van Gogh or Monet reproduction. It was only by having enough discipline and persistence to complete each tiny section that you were able to enjoy the completed final product.
Events look a little different these days. The final product you had planned in your head is probably not the exact masterpiece you will be able to create. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t still produce something that has meaning and value. It just means that you must design your event using a different set of tools and incorporating details that you never even imagined before.
If you’re still planning an in-person event, talk to your venue about how they can help you achieve a socially distant event that will assure the safety and comfort of your participants. This will include everything from reinventing conference room layouts and food service to bringing in different seating options and modifying traffic flow. If you typically host a large conference at a single location, consider breaking it into several smaller regional events.
If you’ve decided to shift to a virtual event, spend some time investigating the various tools that are available. Look for platforms that not only have the ability to deliver your core content, but will help you create opportunities for your participants to engage with you and each other, through chat rooms, virtual lounges, gamification, polls, surveys, and the like. In addition, talk to your audio/visual specialist about how they can help you deliver the visual components you had planned for your in-person event.
Effective meetings and events professionals have achieved success in their careers only because of their ability to lead, problem-solve, and adapt quickly to changing conditions. Although current circumstances are challenging, there’s no one more qualified to turn chaos into something extraordinary. It’s time to rise to the occasion!
Linda Joyce Jones is a self-proclaimed obsessive organizer of people, places, things and events. Her passion for planning events has been used in orchestrating special occasions in her personal and professional life for over 25 years. Her forthcoming book, The Event Planning Toolkit: Your Guide to Planning Extraordinary Meetings and Events will help you rise to the occasion to plan and execute extraordinary meetings and events by getting organized, reducing time-wasting mistakes, and inspiring creativity. Sign up for the Eventures Newsletter to learn more about the book and be notified about pre-orders, book launch, and more..