91制片厂 hosted the RECONVENE summit in May 2021, bringing together thousands of event producers. We鈥檙e sharing key takeaways from popular sessions 鈥� on topics like safely returning to in-person events, the future of virtual, and best practices for growing your audience 鈥� on our blog and our .
In 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic halted many live events, Jess Doren didn鈥檛 pivot. Instead, she went against the grain and launched Served Up, an in-person series of outdoor events in New York City designed to bring positivity into the community during an uncertain time.
At 91制片厂鈥檚 RECONVENE summit, Doren shared how she developed effective reopening guidelines that resonated with attendees 鈥� all while keeping them safe. Here are five takeaways for event creators.
Consult 91制片厂鈥檚 COVID-19 Safety Playbook for Events before your next event.聽
Watch Jess Doren鈥檚 full talk below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQn7vdp4YwI&list=PLQZ3lb89nPv6XyzgdqBjkmygWaEzhTbe-&index=15
Create consistent and clear reopening guidelines
It sounds simple, but clear communication is often evasive. Doren recognised that having one voice would allow patrons to trust Served Up鈥檚 platform and experience. She outlined clear and consistent rules on Served Up鈥檚 website, 91制片厂 page, and social media platforms. Her team sent an email to attendees 24 hours prior to doors with reminders of that guidance, and kept on-site signage simple and to the point. Knowing what to expect prepared patrons for success, she said.
Adopt a design-first approach to your space
Doren created pods with 鈥渞eally beautiful seating arrangements鈥� that kept people seated throughout the event, instead of wandering around. This eliminated the 鈥済uessing game鈥� of where to stand, 鈥渁nd it made our space look so much better, so much more full and encouraged people to stay together,鈥� she said.
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Use space to your advantage
Served Up took place in a parking lot, and Doren incorporated lots of space to help people feel safe. The event鈥檚 creative director created large pathways in high-traffic areas, such as near the restroom and in front of the stage. That allowed those in attendance to feel like they weren鈥檛 in danger of bumping into people who weren鈥檛 in their pods.
Kill the sanitisation station
The Served Up team discovered that sanitisation stations were limited in reach and effectiveness. 鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 safe, and I was tired of touching the same pump that everyone else was using,鈥� Doren said. So she teamed up with a vendor that provided individual, 2-ounce hand sanitisers to each guest as they entered the space. 鈥淭hat gave our attendees a way to have clean hands and a clean experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his was a really simple and easy way to allow people to feel safe as soon as they walked in the door.鈥�
Eliminate lines to keep attendees distanced
Anywhere you can, cut down on lines, Doren said 鈥� specifically, in the restroom, near food stands and at the bar. Doing so was a challenge, she acknowledged, but helped ensure smooth events. Served Up kept people safe by keeping them in their pods and serving their food and drink directly to them, so they didn鈥檛 have to stand in line to retrieve it, she said.
Patrons ordered through a QR code that directed them to an app, and then their order was sent to a production coordinator who deployed servers to fetch and deliver it. 鈥淚t created a nice energy because people were able to sit down and enjoy the show,鈥� Doren said.
