CORPORATE CONFIDENCE
CN talks to Venues and Events International CEO Anita Lowe , along with two corporate clients , on building confidence ahead of the return to live
fter a challenging year of lockdowns and bans on social gatherings , on 22 February the UK Government unveiled a plan to gradually , and conditionally , lift the restrictions , paving the way for a return to in-person events . The decision has brought hope to everyone involved in the events industry and the clients and sectors it serves .
If everything goes according to the plan , live events should be happening with restrictions from 17 May , with a full lifting of restrictions planned for 21 June . This , though , presents challenges with regards to safety measures and the need to ensure everyone involved will be protected .
Anita Lowe , CEO of agency Venues and Events International , shares with us her excitement and expertise about the return of
Above : Anita Lowe , CEO , Venues and Events International
live events and the confidence she ’ s already seeing from clients . As you would expect , the first
“ In the first week , we took enquiries worth £ 415,000 of venue-find business and £ 777,000 of events business .” marker of a return to business is a surge in enquiries .
“ Since the announcement that restrictions are due to be lifted from 21 June , enquiries for live business meetings have increased significantly ,” she says . “ In the first week , we took enquiries worth £ 415,000 of venue-find business and £ 777,000 of events business , taking us through to March 2022 .
“ Many of these bookings are from September onwards and are on a provisional basis and still to confirm . We ’ re finding clients are reluctant to confirm bookings until they can determine whether the roadmap remains on track . One thing is for sure : if all these bookings confirm , September will be a busy month .”
Lowe adds that there remains an element of caution . “ We have continued to engage with our clients throughout the pandemic , providing regular updates on what to expect when meetings can return ,” she says . “ Despite restrictions lifting in June , people will still be cautious around social distancing . Therefore , clients ’ expectations , for hotels and venues to demonstrate the measures put in place to ensure delegates ’ safety , are understandably high .”
After a year of hard-fought survival , businesses of all sizes across most industry sectors are now dealing with financial difficulties , which means there is less budget available to fund an events programme . Some are no longer able to afford major events . Lowe says this means a personal approach is needed . She says : “ We are working with our hotel partners to ensure we treat each enquiry on an individual basis to find the best solution that works for all parties .” www . conference-news . co . uk