There is no doubt that being in a global pandemic has changed a lot of things; specifically, the event industry. Whether it be galas, fundraising banquets, or weddings, adjustments have had to take place for the safety and protection of the public causing numerous events to practice flexibility and creativity. Let’s look at how the absence of in-person events has led to the development of creative and contactless events during quarantine.
To a lot of people, a wedding is one of the biggest events that one will host. Not only that but it is planned well in advance and with intentionality. Because of this, many people did not want to cancel their weddings during the pandemic. With government restrictions, a lot of weddings were small and without friends and family. Kevin Moore and Megan Musa, a young couple engaged during quarantine, found that “drive-in weddings” might be the solution to this problem. With this unique idea, many couples were able to get married with family and friends in their presence.
Next, many nonprofits live-streamed their events. The amount of video content increased alongside the number of people on Instagram Stories and Facebook Lives.
A Global Web Index in a March 2020 survey suggested that close to a quarter (24%) of U.S. internet users ages 16 to 64 began watching more livestreams during the first month of lockdowns. This statistic further reflects the idea of events transitioning to nontraditional formats.
Over the past year, businesses and people have had to come up with unique ways to communicate and participate in events. Whether it is virtually or through a drive-in or something else, the event industry has changed and sustained contactless opportunities for events.
Delaney Dye is a junior at Anderson University majoring in youth leadership development and public relations with a focus in event planning and a minor in family science. Dye is an associate with Fifth Street Communications®, a student-run public relations agency at Anderson University.