Transcript
When was the last time you had a corporate event? Are you hoping to have another one soon? In light of the current situation, most companies have been quick to indefinitely postpone or cancel their corporate events. In this video, I will be discussing some of the risks accompanying this decision.
Hey, if we’ve not met my name is Felix and I am the event producer at Get Out! Events. Today, I am here to surface and highlight the intangible effects event cancellations can have on your company.
Being an event producer for the past 8 years, I have organised over 2,000 corporate events, with around half a million in combined attendance. What I will be sharing with you today is built upon my experience with thousands of decision-makers I worked with, many of them who are senior HR professionals and C-level executives. The consensus is clear – corporate events are essential to every organisation.
70% of employees say their morale is tied directly to recognition from managers. The beautiful thing about a corporate event is that it lets everyone know how crucial their contributions are to your organisation. It is a platform for you to share your appreciation and vision to your team. If you allow COVID-19 to influence your decision on future corporate events, here’s what you’re giving up in return:
One – Staff motivation. In this trying period, most of your staff are experiencing a sudden change in lifestyle, and work may be taking a back seat in their minds. They are more concerned about their personal lives than they are about their work-life, and this will inevitably cause a drop in productivity. It is even more important now that you continue to plan corporate events to re-motivate your staff, to encourage them to reprioritise their professional obligations. As the saying goes, OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.
Two – Employee engagement. One of the most tangible outcomes of a corporate event is having more engaged employees. Corporate Events bring employees together by allowing them to bond and get to know each other on a personal level. This increases their sense of camaraderie and promotes an emotionally healthier workplace. By cancelling your company events while implementing business continuity plans, employees are pushed back into their silos, and this physical separation invariably leads to a psychological disconnect.
Of course, I am not asking you to go against common sense and logic or to ignore government advisories. Rather, here are some ways that you can still proceed with your corporate event plans.
Firstly, organise smaller-sized events. Instead of organising large events such as 1,000 pax family days, 500 pax dinner and dance or 200 pax team building activities, consider splitting these events into smaller groups. The Government’s social distancing advice does not call for complete isolation, just more manageable crowds. Think about the group size you have in your office right now, after the implementation of your company’s BCP. If that group can gather in the office, they can definitely gather for an event!
Secondly, take preventive measures. Choose a venue that is in a less crowded, contained area so you are able to monitor traffic in and out of the venue. Have sanitisation procedures, temperature taking and contact tracing measures in place. These are not difficult to implement, especially for smaller groups. For food, avoid communal servings such as buffets and opt for pre-packed options instead.
Thirdly, go virtual. Not being able to gather physically does not mean that your employees need to lose all sense of connection to their peers. Consider running virtual town halls or even virtual team building activities. My team has recently developed a virtual team-building app called the Virtual Hunt, which allows participants to complete missions in an online environment, without having to be together physically. While the app is a virtual team building activity, my team has designed it to maintain the essence of teamwork, collaboration and communication. For virtual town halls, you can consider using an app like Zoom or Skype.
Following our Government’s advisories is important but it does not have to come at a cost to your business. If you trust your employees to be socially responsible and take the above measures during your next company event, you can have a safe environment to keep your employees engaged.
The decision to postpone your company’s events indefinitely will have far-reaching repercussions, more than what I was able to highlight in this video. The Coronavirus may cause you to change the way you do business, but it should not change your beliefs. If you believe that Corporate Events are beneficial to your company BEFORE COVID-19 happened, then I hope these tips will convince you to continue with your corporate event plans.
– Felix
