Just when the COVID-19 regulations started to loosen up and planning community events started to flow with ease, here we go again. New mandates are requiring proof of vaccination in order to enter most public facilities. We say…we accept the challenge to get even more creative with our event planning strategy when planning community events.
Top 5 Tips for Planning Community Events
Planning community events can be easy. Now that event professionals are back in business after COVID it is imperative that they stay up to date with COVID-19 restrictions in the area in which the community event will be held. Keeping that in mind, you should also convey to your potential attendees that you are aware of the local restrictions when advertising your event.
As the events industry scene continues to pivot as needed, we suggest following these 5 tips when planning a community event to ensure that your event is a total hit:
1. Decide the Community Event Type
If you’ve been hired to plan a community event, the first thing you need to know is the actual community. Locals are attracted to events that are appealing to their lifestyle and that varies by city and state. Some cities have a more relaxed vibe than others so just like a comedian needs to know their audience, so do event professionals. Last thing you want to do is plan a wild Woodstock-themed event in a religious community.
If you’re looking to attract a lot of already skeptical locals, you’ll need to personalize your promotional efforts so that it really connects to your target audience. Tailor it in a way that will impress them so much, they’ll be telling everyone around town about it! Word-of-mouth is one of the best forms of marketing a community event and in order to get a good buzz going you must be very strategic with the advertising content.
Now that you know who you’re serving and what type of event you’re producing, it’s time to pick a location.
2. Picking Your Community Event Venue
Now that everyone is focusing more on health and safety, they are being extremely careful about the public venues they are willing to go to. This will work in your favor when planning community events because you’re looking to attract people who are excited to be outside again but that are also not looking to go too far from home.
Use this as an opportunity to network and support local businesses to see which local business or organization is looking to collaborate with you on planning an event that will bring the locals running.
3. Don’t Forget the Backup Plan
Besides keeping a COVID-19 Safety Checklist at the forefront of your event planning, it is also vital that you have solutions on deck for each challenge that may arise. Making your community event hybrid-friendly is going to be a lifesaver because that safeguards total cancellation of the event. If regulations quickly change and people can’t attend in person, you’ll still have an online platform that will keep the event alive.
Conclusion
Once you know the “what” and “where” of your community event, just keep the potential attendees’ safety and worries in mind. Besides following these 3 tips for planning community events, you should also keep in mind that requests for refunds may occur in a higher volume than you are used to. It may be a good idea to advertise how refunds will be processed upon request to put them at ease and inspire them to go even more now.
As we continue to embrace new rules and regulations in all aspects of the events industry, be sure to keep your brand in business and scaling! Register for the annual Event Planner Expo where the new landscape of the events industry will be the main premise.
