Coronavirus & Events: Outlook & Recovery Timeline | AIDA

1. MAPPING A COVID OUTLOOK AND RECOVERY TIMELINE FOR THE EVENTS INDUSTRY When is it safe to plan an in-person event, and what factors should be considered in advance in case of a major natural disaster, such as a hurricane, earthquake or tsunami? These are the kind of questions being asked by event experts after the industry was destabilized by the advent of the novel Coronavirus. While event professionals eagerly await the resumption of normal activities, the rest of the world are trying to make the most out of the widespread closures. Keeping this in mind, let us try and map an outlook and timeframe for COVID recovery and when things will return to normal. Navigating Confusing Narratives The most difficult aspect of trying to plan ahead is that nobody really knows what the future holds, and there are different reports every day about what the future looks like. The rise in virtual platforms and event tracker apps have kept the situation in control, to a certain extent. In this terribly confusing scenario, it is indeed ambitious to try and shed some light on when we can expect a return to normality and when it is safe to plan events. German Health Minister Jens Spahn confirmed in a live interview on CNBC this week that they are currently unable to determine whether people with immunity can return to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, but if they had such a test, there would be real upheaval. Immunity tests seem to be the only way to return to "normal," but these tests must behave as if people without immunity are back to work or returning to a controlled environment when such tests are available. However, experts do not foresee a "controlled environment" in India or any other part of the world - at least not for the foreseeable future. Experts warn that reducing containment too quickly could lead to an outbreak of the virus, which would likely mean taking intermittent social isolation measures until it reemerges. Unfortunately, whether or not the event industry follows the movement of the sick is irrelevant. In fact, there are a number of preventive measures that could limit the spread of the virus but cannot be used to ensure participation in events via employee engagement apps. The full impact of China's opening has yet to be felt, and initial reactions to tourist flows have not been encouraging, so it would be premature to declare it a success. The Future: Bleak, Yet Hopeful?

2. With closures continuing for the rest of the year, events will continue to be affected, with the potential for further outbreaks in the future. Many countries have not yet fully felt the brunt of the Coronavirus, and many of them have to make do with less efficient medical infrastructure. Countries may not have six months to recover and deal with the virus again. It is also worth noting that, even if most countries get it under control in the coming months, this will not necessarily be the case in all countries. Given that further COVID-19 immunity tests may be available by August-end, the outlook seems rather pessimistic. Yet many seem to share the view that a second wave is highly likely, not only in India, but also in parts of Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. One of the mistakes many early forecasts made was that their efforts were based on China's recovery and its focus on the US. Although some of these earlier forecasts have since been revived, their expectations seem unrealistic, to say the least. Perhaps this is because we prefer to believe in the good news rather than looking at the facts. Richard Green's analysis is an excellent summary of his research and commentary on this subject and the current state of affairs. One reason for this prospect is that schools are still closed, and Wuhan's comeback is not really a comeback. The great gathering is still a distant dream, but it is still an important event in the history of China's economic recovery. China is the starting point for a return to normality, even though there is much debate in various countries about what "normality" means. France has confirmed a ban on large gatherings until at least mid-July, and the news that they will not take place until at least August comes from the CDC itself. Debating Normality, Ushering Good Times If the uncertainty continues with travel restrictions and lockouts, event planners should view the fourth quarter as a safe bet. Those postponed to late autumn will be affected, and in the next two to three weeks there will likely be a significant increase in cancellations and postponements of events, such as the Burning Man Festival. Assuming that a planning period of three to four months is the absolute minimum for planning, it makes sense to plan well into August. How can you plan an event with thousands of participants a few months in advance? Assuming we start dipping into September, we can expect a three- to four-month planning period for events. One piece of news that has raised alarm bells and no one in the industry has reported is that Microsoft will suspend live events until July 2021. Such decisions can be reversed at any time, and breakthroughs could always be accelerated, but the clear stance of big companies like Microsoft is that event

3. professionals today should be more prepared than ever for a potentially prolonged period of economic slowdown. While the value of meetings and events for companies and individuals can be debated for months, the events are the first to falter when the virus begins to disintegrate. When most experts speak of an economic comeback, they refer to the crisis in manufacturing and key services. Events are an important vehicle for the transmission of a virus, but they are not the only means of transmission. Travel size will be one of the two most important risk factors that countries and participants will take into account when assessing participant risk. Will you take the risk of attending an event when things are unclear or you do not feel safe? This leaves room only for small local initiatives, but when will we be confident enough to hold a small meeting? When will the industry recover, and will it recover faster than the rest of the world? Only time will tell. Original Source: ​https://blog.tracedeals.in/events-after-covid-pandemic/