The Future of Live Events

10 minute read

In partnership with the One Industry One Voice campaign, we are looking ahead to live events in 2021 and the future of the events industry.

45% of businesses in the UK spend between ￡1 and ￡10m per year on events, with a further 96% of business leaders saying events and experiences add value to their business.

However, between March -November 2020 Over 90% of event organisers and agencies have seen events cancelled, with 36% seeing all events cancelled in the period.

We’ve all experienced the effects that the pandemic has had on the live event industry this year. From weddings to gigs, conferences to exhibitions. Event after event has been cancelled.

Now coming towards the end of 2020, with a vaccine already being distributed. And with an event industry equipped with the knowledge and tools to create safe events, Julia Charles Event Management is looking ahead to live events in 2021 and beyond.

As an event management company, we want to reassure our wonderful clients that we can create covid-safe live events. Live events are magic. They are engaging, exciting and create moments of pure joy.

That live-event engagement, that one on one interaction, and that buzz of electricity in the air at a live event is something we all want back. Virtual events are great, but there is nothing in the world like the feeling of being at a live event.

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE LIVE EVENTS SAFE?

As an event management company, we have a whole tool kit of covid safe solutions at our disposal to create safe and enjoyable events.

Our clients are able to pick and choose what covid-safe solutions they want at their live event. Therefore, making both the client and the guests attending the event feel safe and reassured.

Our extensive list includes lots of the basics that you’d expect from any live event. Such as plenty of sanitising stations, temperature checks and pre and post event cleaning. As well as more innovative options including disinfection mist on entry and exit of the venue, contactless business cards, photo badges to allow contactless entry and exit and much much more.

Take a look at our list below to see how we can help throughout each stage of your live event.

As a company, our aim is to reassure our clients. Therefore our policy on booking events has changed. Meaning that our clients can be even more secure, knowing that we will support them in creating a safe event.

Furthermore, we have already created numerous live covid safe events in 2020, showing that we can provide safe live events. check out our Simple Life Events to see more.

HOW TO MAKE A LIVE EVENT COVID SAFE

We get a lot of questions from our clients asking how we intend to make live events Covid-safe. What precautions are we putting in place and how the event will run. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions and our answers…

Q: How can you make my live event safe whilst there is still a risk of Covid-19?

A: We have a long list of different services we can offer our clients to ensure everyone’s safety. We supply everything you need, from full deep cleaning to misting.

As event managers we know how to successfully run events, therefore we can carefully plan every detail to ensure the event is contact-free, efficient, safe and most importantly engaging. Every detail from entrance to exit will be planned to a T.

Q. Will my event experience be compromised?

A. Absolutely not. We will organise every detail to ensure that guest experience is just as good as it would have been pre-covid. With clever ways to use social distancing and added extras to make guests feel confident your event experience will feel just as good.

Q. What Covid-safe precautions are you putting in place?

A. We have lots of covid-safe services to ensure your live event runs safely. Take a look at our info-graph above explaining all of the services we offer before, during and after your events. We will do everything we can to re-assure our clients and create a safe environment for everyone to enjoy.

Q. What if my live events can no longer go ahead?

A. We have put lots of precautions in place to put our clients minds at ease when booking their live event. If your event can’t take place due to Covid we will work hard to find a solution, offering virtual options and changing dates of events.

Q. What are the benefits of booking a live event rather than a virtual event?

A. Don’t get us wrong, we love virtual events, but a live event creates a sense of togetherness and shared experience.

There are so many more options available to you when booking a live event, yes we can create multiple virtual rooms hosting different seminars or shows at the same time but it is not the same as going to a live event and being able to physically interact with one another.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON THE EVENTS INDUSTRY?

There is no denying that Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on the events industry. Not helped, in part, by the government forgetting about our industry whilst allowing people to meet and be together in other, potentially less safe environments.

With 64% of organisers and agencies reporting that (with existing allowable capacities of their events, under Covid-secure rules) they cannot run any of their events sustainably. And only 6% can operate profitably under existing regulations.

Not to mention the millions of self-employed people working in the events industry who have not only lost their income, but found out that they are also not eligible for government support.

Then you take a look at the impact the lack of live events has had on our clients. With 93% of businesses saying the absence of live events and experiences since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on their staff engagement/internal communications.

The reality is that our industry has arguably been the most devastated by Covid-19. We were the first to shut down, and it seems we are one of the last to reopen.

However, we do believe there is hope!

IS THERE HOPE FOR LIVE EVENTS TO TAKE PLACE IN 2021?

Yes! We are already seeing positive steps for live events returning in 2021.

Not only have we got the brilliant news that the Covid vaccine is in UK hospitals and ready to be distributed. But, also, the news that Live Nations chief executive officer Michael Rapino ‘expects shows at large scale next summer’.

Speaking to IQMag, he said: “Our expectations for a robust outdoor summer season in 2021 are also reinforced by the two-thirds of fans keeping their tickets for cancelled festivals so they can go to next year’s show, along with strong early ticket sales for festivals in the UK next summer.”

Obviously, live events will look different. With the likely expectation that all attendees at festivals, for example, must provide proof of negative Covid-19 before being allowed entry.

You only have to look at billboard to see that 90% of artists who have postponed concerts from 2020 are ready to go in 2021.

As we know, China was the first country hit by the pandemic, however, it has been steadily reopening its economy. First its manufacturing sector. Then gradually expanding with the reopening of theme parks, hotels and other attractions returning, most recently cinemas and water parks.

Furthermore, for the first time in 266 days, we saw fans returning to live footballing events. With new restrictions in place and reduction on the number of fans allowed in the stadium, this is another positive example of how live events are on their way back.

As an event management company, we too are seeing the positive effects of people trusting the new restrictions. We have received multiple live event bookings leading up to Christmas. With creativity and lateral thinking, we have come up with safe solutions to ensure these events can still take place.

WHAT ARE THE PROS OF RUNNING A LIVE EVENT?

• Humans are sensory creatures. We like to see, touch and smell, all of these senses can be really stimulated at a live event. With virtual events, there is a lot less stimulation of these senses which can lead to a decline in interaction and create less of an impact.
• By hosting a live and in-person event you are creating an opportunity to create a human connection. Many studies have shown that people are more likely to engage better and buy from a person that they have created a human connection with, as opposed to someone they have spoken to digitally.
• Physical events create strong brand associations that build authority over time.
• Many of us have spent a lot of time working virtually, therefore by hosting a live event you’ll create a real sense of excitement around your event
• When people are attending a live and in-person event there is no risk of them being distracted by external sources. With virtual events your run the risk of attendees being distracted by children, pets, parcels being delivered and more. At a live event, attendees are focused on being present at the event
• With live events, you don’t have to rely on attendees having a dependable internet connections.

When it comes down to it virtual events have their perks, but live events create an irreplaceable human connection, something that most businesses are built on.

We are able to create really safe, fun, engaging and informative live events which we guarantee will see a much better engagement rate than their virtual counterparts.

Furthermore, people are beginning to crave human face-to-face interaction. We can do this safely so we see no reason why you shouldn’t book a live event.

WHAT EVENTS ARE WE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2021

There are so many live events to look forward to in 2021 and we have faith that with all of the new measures in place, they will all go ahead.

We’ve got lots of events in various stages of planning for 2021 that we can not wait to unveil. Some of these include: working in the Middle East on some big projects, various corporate summer festivals, creating exciting brand activation events. Plus much much more that we’re keeping top secret.

We offer so many live event services that we are excited to start running again.

These include:

• Gala Dinners and Award Ceremonies
• Summer Festivals and Family Fun Days
• Conferencing
• Exhibition Stand Design and Production
• Full Event Management and Event Production
• Product Launches and Brand Activations
• Fashion Show Event Production

and much much more!!

Three quarters (75%) of senior decision-makers say the absence of live events and experiences since the start of the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the marketing of their business.

Therefore, we want to ensure that in 2021 we see live events getting back on track. Positively impacting the marketing of our clients’ businesses, boosting the economy and the events industry.

HOW CAN YOU HELP MAKE LIVE EVENTS HAPPEN?

Have faith in the events industry. We know what we’re doing. We know how to create safe events.

Without the events industry, you won’t be able to have festivals or parties. There will be no conferences and no exhibitions. Therefore, we need our clients to believe in us. To know that we can create amazing and covid-safe events in order to stop the entire event industry from disappearing.

53% of executives say live events are more effective than virtual events. With the re-introduction of live events, we can ensure that your brand message is communicated. Your company is celebrated. Vital information is taught. And, most importantly, people are attending live events that will create unforgettable memories that will stick with them for life.

Julia Charles Event Management has been creating live events for over 20 years. We know what we are doing and we have put every single precaution in place to ensure the safety of our live events going forward, #WeAreExperiences.

Additionally, get on socials, support the One Industry One Voice campaign. We need our voices to be loud and clear to the government. We are an amazing, adaptable and ingenious industry and we are ready to safely re-open events!

Why not take a look at a round-up of our events last year and see for yourself just how brilliant live events can be and will be again!