Covid Policies and Making Decisions About Events

It was a breath of fresh air planning an in-person event for The Buckeye Ranch this month. Being able to plan all those logistics brought a sense of normalcy I haven’t felt in such a long time, and the impact the event had on the audience could not be compared to a virtual event.

With all of that success comes the continuation of questions around in-person vs. virtual events, and I wish I knew the answer. Organizations are making decisions based on what their Boards want and also realizing that in order to raise money, with their events, they have to go back to a version of in-person. Most people are experiencing virtual event fatigue, and it has been interesting yo see the different approaches nonprofits are taking. From still going virtual to fully in-person, I’ve found the best way to address Covid is to give thought to the messaging all around it. It’s important to offer hybrid options, if your budget allows, but that can still be difficult to figure-out if you don’t have the expertise.

Requiring vaccinations or negative tests seems to be the best approach, as well as the red, yellow, and green stickers (or bracelets) indicating ones comfort level around handshakes and social distancing. Most importantly, communicating how an organization is addressing Covid concerns is a top priority for any in-person events.

I’m sure you would all agree that getting back to “normal” is what everyone wants, but in this time of uncertainty, and Covid fatigue, we have to take our attendees’ needs into consideration more than ever.