Conference News August 2020 | Page 47

47 Christmas Parties Best be prepared elcome to our annual Christmas party supplement. It goes without saying that, despite the event start date of 1 October being confirmed by the Government, there remains a risk that Christmas party season could face a bump in the road. While certain types of events will be permitted in October, other venues, such as nightclubs, will not, but we don’t know if that will be same come December… or whether a feared ‘second wave’ will throw everything into turmoil once more. There are concerns, too, about deposits and contract terms. Will venues play nice with organisers, or insist on full payment even if a localised lockdown prevents the event from happening? Sheesh, there is much doom and gloom to contemplate, and Christmas is supposed to be a happy time. Still, for every chance things may hit the tinsel-decked buffers, there is as much a chance that all will be well, and in that eventuality is it not sensible to be prepared should a last-minute request come in? Big fancy parties might be harder to plan, but smaller, personal festive gatherings are just as important, and we hope you will find the ideas in this supplement useful. Furthermore, the Covid-19 situation has made a lot of us reassess what really matters, so it is plausible Christmas party season may have a more charity or CSR-focused theme. Christmas is a time for giving, so how can we as an industry give back? Check out p49. The famous Liz Taylor, MD at Taylor Lynn Corporation, also contributes her thoughts on how to plan a party in keeping with the current Government hygiene guidance. Enjoy the supplement. Martin Fullard Editor Conference News www.conference-news.co.uk