Tips and Safe Practices for Holding Live Events During COVID-19 from Two Recent Live Meetings

As our personal and professional communities still push through the COVID-19 pandemic, there still are silver linings appearing around us. Even with surges and hot spots popping up throughout the U.S., we still see meetings being held and attendees having the desire to go to live events. With events such as a meeting for a nonprofit for scientists at the Wilde Dunes Resort in Charleston, SC to a Georgia truckers association meeting at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, FL, we’re able to examine the best practices, see what worked, what didn’t and the best ways to navigate these uncharted waters. 

5 Takeaways from the Risk Management in Mtg's Moving Forward Webinar

HopSkip in partnership with Legalease with the Ladies ™ recently released part two of our webinar series, where Barbara Dunn and Lisa Sommer Devlin provided an insightful conversation sharing insight around managing risk in meetings moving forward.  Check out some of the main takeaways below. 

Interested in accessing the full webinar content?  Click here. 

HopSkip's Covid Meetings and Events Guidelines Resource List

Fellow meeting and event industry members,

During these trying times, HopSkip wanted to display several useful resources to review when planning meetings moving ahead during the pandemic. Below are several resources to help bring clarity to the fluid and non-standardized meeting guidelines that hotels and planners alike are dealing with. Read on to learn more about COVID-19 resources:

Webinar Recap: 5 takeaways from the Event Contracts in the Age of COVID-19

This past week, we had the opportunity to partner with two of the industry’s top attorney’s Barbara Dunn, who represents Groups and Associations for Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and Lisa Sommer Devlin, who represents hotel clients for Devlin Law Firm, P.C. to share some knowledge and tips to 1,100+ planners and hoteliers about navigating event contracts in the age of COVID-19.

Hotel Brands Announce the Launch of Enhanced Cleanliness Programs

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA):  Stay Safe

AHLA recently announced the launch of the new “Stay Safe” initiative that is centered around enhanced hotel cleaning practices protocols for both guest and worker social interactions to ensure all guests and workers feel safe and healthy once travel resumes.

New Normal Part 4- Virtual Components of Events

We’ve all come to know the virtual event platform as a common solution for many cancelled face to face events planned during the height of the pandemic and quarantines. Companies such as Zoom, 6connex, and Vfair are just a few that have helped planners transition their meetings or conferences. 

New Normal Part 3- Social Distancing Meeting Space and Exhibitor Set Up

The big elephant in the room these days is how in the world are we going to have social distancing practices in place while being able to accommodate all our attendees with the space our hotel partners have to offer? How will exhibitors be set up? 

New Normal Part 2- Food at Events

Food, drinks and the F&B minimums are some of the most important and detailed parts of planning an event. Unfortunately these days, the rules of the ways meals have to be served, how they are served, when, and where they are eaten are all under review. 

New Normal Part 1- Masks

As planners begin resuming face to face events in 2020 and beyond, until the release of a vaccine available en masse, many will have to deal with the use of masks at their functions. Mask use and implementation will vary state by state, event by event, and especially which time of the year. However, there are pros and cons to this “new normal” of hygiene we have to be aware of in our planning community.

It’s time for planners to optimize earnings, and increase RFP productivity

Spending the first four years of my career as a management consultant required me to live in hotel rooms every Monday through Friday, pretty much every week of the year. Being a seasoned business traveler, I "thought" I knew the hotel booking process well, but quickly learned that I was mistaken.