We at ORO believe being prepared is never out-of-season which is why we’ve created this 3-part planning series! Read on for the second planning topic in our WWOD series.

Regroup with your Key Partners: Vendors, Venues and Industry Associations

There will be measures in place for everyone and every business moving forward and understanding those as it relates to your key vendors and venues is imperative. (You can reference the government mandated guidelines here)

Reach out to your partners, touch base on a personal level and then discuss what opening policies or restrictions (i.e. group size, sanitation procedures, etc.) you as the planner should be aware of. Are you able to schedule in-person tours in the coming months or request a virtual tour link which could then be provided to your client? Understanding if your venue partners are experiencing any staffing shortages may also be of importance. Should you need to request additional service or security staff, it’s better to know early on to accurately account for any price adjustments in the budget.

When speaking with your catering partners, beyond there updated staffing and sanitation policies, inquire if there are any new and exciting F&B menus or presentation styles they’ve developed over the past few months. These new ideas may spark a need for a different seating style at your event and/or a revised rental order. Having these types of conversations early on will prove advantageous to the layout redesign.

You may also look to industry associations for additional guidance! Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has an active forum called PCMA Catalyst should you wish to reach out to other special event professionals or peruse their active discussions. Similarly, WIPA may be a great option for the wedding professional looking for additional resources.

Assuming your key partners will be able to operate the same as before, will pose quite a few challenges that could have been prevented with a little due diligence and pre-planning.