Interviews
Christina Artis from Aptitude Health lessons learned from COVID-19 and, how she is viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
Name: Christina Artis
Company Name: Aptitude Health
Location: Atlanta, GA
Job Title: Project Operations Manager
Years of Experience: 7 years
How were you able to adapt during COVID-19 when the meeting and events industry got disrupted?
Flexibility is possibly the meeting planner’s most valuable superpower, especially in 2020. March 2020 was full of uncertainty. We had several events on our calendar and weren’t immediately sure whether to postpone or cancel them altogether. However, we soon realized the pandemic recovery wouldn’t happen within a few short months.
Eventually, we cancelled all of our live meetings. We pivoted quickly to offering virtual solutions for programs ‒ a model that proved to be highly successful. The demand for more programs seemingly increased overnight, here in the US and abroad. Our entire team works tirelessly to meet the growing demands.
We are extremely fortunate to be experiencing growth during the pandemic. I’m eager to travel onsite, experience face-to-face interaction and manage live meeting logistics again. However, as we look forward to live events later this year, it is clear that virtual programs are here to stay. I’m excited to explore a hybrid solution.
As a planner, what was the number one thing you learned over the past year?
The world and event industry alike, are constantly evolving. Being equipped with adaptability, ingenuity, and a willingness to learn new things will serve any meeting professional well.
Is there anything you are changing in your planning process moving forward as a result of the pandemic?
I anticipate that our meetings may offer a hybrid of the live and virtual meetings. Although unsure of what that looks like at this point, I am excited to explore it more.
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.