The post-pandemic world is almost tangible… we feel like we can almost touch it. People are tentatively looking forward to autumn dates for small events, hopeful that they will be able to celebrate love, mark anniversaries, have birthday parties, and host corporate events again.
And while we are sending out good vibes to the universe every day, begging for our events to come back so we can design amazing experiences for our clients, we also know that, like everyone else, things have changed a bit for your vendors, planners, and event services, too.
Here are just a few things you can expect in the post-pandemic event world:
Prices will increase. It is not a great point to start on but it is an important one. First of all, we’ve gone through two event seasons without a single booking. Margins are super tight, loans have been taken out, and some of us have re-mortgaged homes. It’s not only kind of you to expect higher prices, it is just not possible for us to pay our bills without them. Add to that two years’ worth of inflation, increased product and shipping costs, and increased venue fees, and our hands are tied. If your vendors have survived the pandemic and are re-opening their businesses, trust us that we are only increasing our fees so that we can continue to provide you with the type of amazing service you deserve.
Vendors will be booked up far in advance: There is a backlog of brides waiting to get married, retirements waiting to celebrate long careers, anniversaries, and events that have been postponed in 2020 AND 2021. All of these people are super excited to celebrate and they are all wanting to book vendors. Book ahead, book early, and be prepared to wait for the vendors and planners that are in high demand. We know you’ve already waited so long, so trust us when we say the final celebration will be all the sweeter.
Events may still stay small throughout the summer of 2021, if allowed at all: We don’t know this for sure but we wouldn’t bank on any more than 50 people for the summer of 2021, if at all. Be prepared for smaller, too, if variants take off or vaccine programs are delayed. Check out our article on booking summer events carefully here.
New Contracts, new clauses, and protections for vendors: Most vendors will have re-written their cancellation policy and deposit policy to account for pandemics and other so-called “acts of God.” Expect to pay your deposit as soon as you sign the contract, and don’t expect to get it back, even for Covid. A lot of us have watched fellow vendors and planners lose businesses and incomes because their contracts did not protect them from pandemic cancellations. Expect all of your vendors to have incorporated covid policies into their legal documents and business regulations.
Really happy, excited, eager to work vendors and planners: Let’s end on a high note because we all need it. You can expect your vendors to be super excited, super happy, and super grateful to be working again. The events business has been hit hard since day one of the pandemic and we have yet to see loosened restrictions on gatherings. When the time comes, your team will work harder than ever to make sure these events go off without a hitch.
If you need more info about planning, make sure you contact us at info@impactevents.ca.