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: Linda Hoover
Company Name: Event Planning Solutions, LLC
Job Title: President
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Years of Experience: More than 20
How were you able to adapt during COVID-19 when the meeting and events industry got disrupted?
Luckily, we were using a conference software program that was able to quickly launch a virtual solution that aligned with our client's websites. We spent a few weeks ‘playing’ to learn and were able to transition our clients to the virtual space within 2 months. The next step was to figure out how to bring our brand of personal touch to the virtual conference for our clients.
As a planner, what was the number one thing you learned over the past year?
The obvious answer is how to successfully host conferences in the virtual space. However, this past year reinforced relationships are so critical in the meeting planning world. Relationships with the host venues to help figure out how to move contracts to the fall and then move them again. Clients that trusted us to guide them through this process. Our regular vendors brainstormed with us how to provide value in the virtual space. Speakers who provided feedback on the virtual tool. Regular participants who showed up to participate.
Is there anything you are changing in your planning process moving forward as a result of the pandemic?
While I believe the virtual space can provide the education that is gained at many conferences. It is the non-tangible benefits of being together that are hard to replicate. Meeting someone getting a cup of coffee that you have a connection with or a fantastic post-seminar conversation with the presenter. Thus, we are planning agendas with a bit more unstructured time. Of course, we are also trying to determine economical ways to record presentations to enable attendees’ to watch after the event.
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.