The rise of outdoor events post lockdown

As we begin to consider life after lockdown and the return of our much missed social calendar, it’s difficult to imagine returning to our usual ways. Particularly for the events industry, who as we know have been terribly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. However with discussions for the return of mass gatherings by the end of the year, there is hope for us yet.

Adapting to change is what event planners do best. As an industry we’ve survived everything from recessions to air traffic control strikes and terrorism to volcanic ash clouds, so it will take more than social distancing to take us down. One way in which the events industry can bounce back is with the rise of outdoor events.

Hosting an event in the open air has its benefits. Offering flexibility in space and regulations means more control over your event’s look and feel. So, whilst you might not be sharing canapes and business cards anytime soon, there are still plenty of options for your events’ agenda post lockdown. Here we explore the future of outdoor events.

Changes for venues

Luckily for us, there are a multitude of venues that celebrate the Great British outdoors. Come rain or shine, each provides acres of event space that can be personalised with marquees, stands and pop-ups. Consider historical venues such as Kilkea Castle in County Kildare Ireland, Sopwell House in St Albans or for a more central location, look to the likes of Magazine London. This recently opened mega-venue has outdoor capacity for 7,000 people, providing plenty of space for social distancing. Located next to the InterContinental O2, you can also benefit from hundreds of bedrooms.

The use of bedrooms for overnight stays brings with it another set of challenges but hotel groups are already tackling that with new exacting standards of hotel cleanliness and innovations in the way they operate. This includes contactless check-in using smartphone technology, replacing in-room items like guest directories with digital versions and changing access to toilets by using foot operated door handles plus sensor activated taps, flushing and dispensers once inside.

Whilst we can speculate on what lies in the future, it is also reassuring to look at countries who are a few steps ahead of us in coping with the issues presented to the meetings and events industry. There are some lessons to be learnt from those hotels who have not shut their doors during the pandemic, including the Grand Hotel Huis in the Netherlands.

This five star hotel very quickly had to adopt innovative measures to comply with the new safety regulations. Outdoor space was quickly utilised for all events, but the main change included a comprehensive 1.5 metre hospitality policy, covering everything from seating arrangements to housekeeping services. Witnessing the Grand Hotel Huis’ smooth success in delivering events during the pandemic is increasingly reassuring to those of us in the UK.

Overcoming logistical challenges

With the range of stunning venues in the UK and Ireland that can be used for outdoor events, choosing a location will not be an issue. The area event planners will need to focus their efforts is of course, logistics. Considering that public transport is unfortunately now less favourable, locations will need to be reachable by car with plenty of parking for attendees. Similarly they will need to be within a daily driving distance from home or be able to provide ample bedroom space for those comfortable with staying over.

Once attendees arrive, the main considerations will be around the flow of the event and ensuring that social distancing practices are adhered to. And it seems the best form is with a sense of humour! Perhaps we can take inspiration from the German cafe who offered noodle hats to seated guests? Or test out Maryland’s 6 feet bumper tables - although I’m not sure how smooth they’ll be in off road situations.

For a more professional looking product, why not try Grigore Lup’s social distancing shoes. The Romanian shoemaker’s long-nosed leather footwear is definitely a way of keeping people apart (if not a slight trip hazard).

These might not be the conventional solutions the events industry is used to, but they would definitely add to an event’s memorability factor!

The slightly more serious factors to consider include the provisions for facemasks, hand sanitizer and robust queuing systems. Luckily we’re not new to joining long lines with months of supermarket queuing, but it will be a key consideration for event registration and staggering the arrivals of attendees.

The biggest concern for most is cleanliness. Whilst this will be a proactive collaboration between the venue, event organisers and the attendees themselves, it will be crucial to adhere to a strict disinfection policy, particularly in regards to toilets, as even in an outdoor location, this is where most people will cross contaminate.

Bearing each logistical element in mind, it’s clear that it will take time to build flawless health and safety plans and contracts covering any future restrictions.

Mixing up the agenda

When we consider the measures that will need to be put in place to host events post lockdown, it’s hard to imagine the traditional conference or night of networking taking place. Going forward, we will need to be more flexible in regards to the agenda of our events. One way of doing this is by kicking off our events calendars with teambuilding. Perfect for reuniting your team post lockdown, there are a plethora of outdoor, non contact games to choose from such as zorbing, treasure hunts or sailing.

Additionally, avoid the need for overnight stays and focus on shorter, one day events. This not only saves money but also reduces the need for an evening event. Instead encourage networking in pre and post event with online tools. Another way to stray from tradition is with pre-prepared food, avoiding the need for contact and buffet options. Think gourmet lunch boxes, picnics in the gardens, street food takeaways or deliveries. 

The new normal for the events industry will be undoubtedly strange for us all. But with any big change, we will adapt and find a way to connect outside of the virtual world. By utilising our outdoor space, there are clearly plenty of opportunities to not only reunite with our colleagues, clients and suppliers, but to create wow factor experiences that will be hard to forget.

I would like to say a big thank you to Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand, for helping me put this article together especially Nic Wood, Vice President of Group Sales, and Tessa Whalley, Director of Group Sales.