As we collectively gather again in groups, in-person events are returning as a part of corporate event planning. Still, as the popularity of in-person events increases, in-person attendance continues to be far lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Currently, domestic travel for business isn’t expected to fully recover until 2024, and international business travel in 2025. The lack of business travel has affected hotels relying heavily on business travel and convention revenue streams. In turn, the hotel industry has only continued to raise room prices as travelers reschedule delayed trips and increase travel with higher demand.
In a post-COVID world, as more attendees look to return to in-person events, there are new challenges planners and event planners must face—flight delays or cancellations.
From January through May 2022, more than 1 in 5 domestic flights were delayed. Due to staff layoffs during the pandemic, a shortage of pilots and airport workers has left airports across the globe falling behind with the influx of travelers. Add the unavoidable travel weather delays, and you have many unhappy delayed travelers combined with all of the factors.
Anyone hosting in-person events must now factor in these travel uncertainties as inevitable. It’s crucial to plan accordingly to ensure everyone can still make the most out of the event experience (attendees and organizers of event production services alike). Let’s take a closer look at incorporating immediate action plans and solutions for travel delay disruptions into your planning strategy for in-person events.
Tips on Event Planning When Flight Delays or Cancellations Are Likely to Happen
When it comes to event planning, flight delays or cancellations won’t only affect your attendees, but they’ll also have an impact on your speakers and organizers for event production services if they’re not local. While having a show-must-go-on mentality is essential, it’s also key to be prepared for disruptions with hybrid event planning or entirely in-person events. The following tips on event planning are vital to ensure you’ve got an action plan to cover any scenario.
Include a Virtual Event Component
Every event should include a virtual component by focusing on hybrid event planning for in-person events. With a hybrid event, no matter where your attendees or speakers end up, they can still participate in the event. Virtual and hybrid conventions and tradeshows allow people from all over the world to connect with higher attendee engagement thanks to technology (if you’re new to incorporating virtual to in-person events, consider these hybrid event planning tips to make your event a success!)
Organize a Valuable Night-Before Event or Early Check-In Incentive
Offer high-value incentives to encourage people to fly to in-person events the day before the main event begins. This will help avoid those pesky flight delays or cancellations getting in the way when your attendees arrive early. Don’t just host a cocktail party; instead, make it a more intimate event of value that people will want to attend, versus trying to fly the morning of your event and possibly missing key meetings or speakers. Get inspiration to enhance the event production services you utilize with the latest hybrid event planning trends.
Expect Fewer On-Site In-Person Attendees
It’s always expected that things will happen that ultimately prevent people from making it to in-person events. When things are out of your control, have a plan for what in-person events look like if fewer people can attend in person. This includes incorporating smaller setups with event production services and adding a more intimate setting to make the most of the event with fewer people. Having break-out sessions allows your attendees to get a more personalized experience and take advantage of the smaller-scale event.
Do a “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” Exercise
It’s important to prepare for worst-case scenario situations with in-person events. One of the most useful tips on event planning includes preparing for roadblocks leading up to and during your event. Gather your event production services crew together to brainstorm all possible areas of logistics and programming that could go wrong and have a backup plan for each. This way, you’ll be prepared for common mishaps and have a way to salvage the event for your attendees.
Have Event Components Arrive in Advance
It’s imperative to ensure that all key materials, equipment, décor, and everything else needed for event production services to arrive well ahead of your attendees. This affects in-person events and, ultimately, hybrid event planning. Without these vital components, there’s no event possible, and you don’t want to let down anyone who may have traveled far to attend these in-person events. Including a virtual component is beneficial when planning your hybrid event budget, as you won’t need as many of these venue components with a portion of your attendees not being there in person.
Be Strategic With Your Day-One Morning Programming
You want to start in-person events by getting your attendees excited about what’s to come during the day or the next few days. Start with your day-one morning programming by including hybrid event planning. Offer a virtual component such as live streamed video of speakers, recorded audios, or a thorough summary of what attendees might have missed out on if they have travel issues such as flight delays or cancellations that prevent them from being at the first morning or day of the event.
Effective Hybrid Event Planning for Your Next Event With Reimagined Experiences
It’s so important to involve a virtual component through hybrid event planning for in-person events for your attendees to have the option and convenience of not missing out on your event if they can’t make it in person. By having a strategy to plan ahead and anticipate common travel disruptions such as flight delays or cancellations, you’ll ensure the best possible event for everyone involved.
If you’re looking for help planning your next event, we can help! Reimagined Experiences has 25 years of expertise with event production services for hybrid, virtual and in-person events. We’ve done it all and seen it all! We’ll ensure that all elements of your event run smoothly despite any travel weather delays or otherwise.
Get started today by booking a discovery call with us. Let’s reimagine what’s possible for your next event!
