For all of us in the events industry, it’s been a strange and difficult year. Yet despite the ongoing difficulties, the strength and commitment we’ve witnessed has been incredible, demonstrating the resilience of our industry. From online events to the hundreds of Zoom meetings that have taken place to manage budgets and save jobs, thousands of us across the country have been doing everything we can to make the best out of an extremely challenging situation. With the vaccine now on the way, hopes are higher for a better 2021.
Star Your World is currently running a survey for event planners to gauge industry feelings about what’s likely to happen next year. As well as the likelihood of travel in the near future, we’ve also been gathering your thoughts on what you think will change in the events industry once the pandemic is fully under control.
Early findings suggest that while there’s a long road ahead, all hope isn’t lost. So far most people have stated they are seeing an increase in enquiries compared with six months ago, suggesting that businesses are opening up to the idea of travel next year. Although it seems unlikely things will shift much in the first quarter, companies have had a long time to think through Covid policy, and will have already anticipated ways they can navigate travel more safely in future. While a recession could cause challenges for some companies, others have watched profits soar during the pandemic and will be looking forward to rewarding their hardworking staff as soon as they are able to.
From the dreamy Instagram posts of trips past, it’s clear that the appetite for international travel has not diminished anywhere in the world. And while we recognise that some things will need to change, it’s also clear that the events industry can adapt quickly and think on its feet. It wasn’t the year (or the festive season) that many of us had planned, but we’re still hopeful that we can use our knowledge and expertise to bring back incredible and safe events for corporate groups.
There’s still time to tell us your predictions for next year, please click here to answer our very short survey. We’ll be issuing a full report on our findings in the new year.
Thank you for reading. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Sarah Tennant, Managing Director.
