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Four Tips for Planning a Successful Post-Pandemic Event
Attendee expectations have changed due to the pandemic. Here’s how planners can address them.
Attendee expectations evolved due to the pandemic, and event planners must keep their new wants and needs in mind for successful meetings in our ever-changing world.
It all starts with safety protocols. Even as the risk of contracting COVID-19 decreases, attendees remain cautious. They expect cleanliness and social distancing protocols to be in place and want to be reassured that the locations where they’re staying and meeting are adhering to them.
Secondly, the pandemic has made teleconferencing the norm. Attendees have become more comfortable with that experience, and some may even prefer it–after all, it’s more convenient and less expensive than traveling. Coupled with the fact that there are still many people who don’t feel safe attending meetings in person, offering both options–to attend in-person and via teleconference–is a smart strategy. This hybrid offering is now part of a new normal that attendees both expect and appreciate.
Third, outdoor spaces are now preferable for meetings, so destinations with open-air offerings have a leg up. This goes for all gathering places, from facilities to after-hours venues. Being able to offer that fresh air is sure to increase attendance, help attendees feel safer and enjoy themselves more.
Lastly, now more than ever, events need to offer something new and unique. There needs to be a hook or some wow factor because there are still many people on the fence about attending in-person events. Moreover, events with experiences that are more effective in person, such as teambuilding excursions that build motivation and camaraderie in a way that teleconferencing can’t, are sure to lure more attendees and have a bigger impact.
Greater Fort Lauderdale offers an unrivaled meeting location with gorgeous beaches, a cosmopolitan waterfront downtown, 14,000+ hotel rooms and easy access through Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is undergoing a stunning transformation with phase one set to open in late 2021. The center will feature 350,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, charming waterside views and an incentive of $10 million in free meeting space for qualifying events through 2024.
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