Will they show?
As more states and regions begin to open, the question for event organizers and business owners is the same: will anyone show up?
The last couple weeks have shown that there are generally two kinds of people: those who follow social distancing guidelines, and those who choose not to follow social distancing guidelines.
We must not forget that there is a third category people can fall into; those who fear things they haven’t experienced. It is important to remember that this is a global pandemic, in a greater scale than anyone in our lifetime has experienced. Right now, we don’t have the luxury hindsight to see if the decisions being made are right or wrong, and it is likely that no one will know whether something was a “good call” for quite some time. What we do know, is that communities will need to regain their sense of safety if we want to make it through this crisis together.
When consumers return to stores, they are going to pick places they trust; places that go above and beyond the mandate to build a relationship with the consumer to ensure they feel protected. I would put myself on the daredevil side of the spectrum, but would I feel comfortable having dinner in an environment where the tables are just “spread out a bit”? Would I enjoy a visit to my barber if I have to wear a mask? And what does my experience look like while waiting or paying?
The above are all examples from our daily lives, small groups, or one on one interactions - now imagine a large-scale event! More complicated than a small gathering, or a trip to a local store, what kind of provisions will need to be in place to ensure participants safety, while respecting the other attendees?
While this may sound like stating the obvious, there is no blueprint telling us what exactly needs to be done. The solution will be a combination of many small solutions, provisions and measures taken to achieve a scenario where the joy of experiencing human interaction again outweighs the fear of infection.
These are the concerns and realities our team at satis&fy are wrapping their heads around; testing, experimenting, and bringing to life solutions to meet these new problems. We are in this business of creating live experiences for a reason – we love and miss those magic moments. Waiting for a vaccine, or for the virus go away is not an option for us, so we will continue to drive innovation forward, creating impactful solutions that can help bring us together in this time of separation.
Looking forward to continuing the conversation,
V
written by Dirk Vennemann, President of Client Services