Editor : Mike Fletcher
Publishing Director : Duncan Siegle
Living with Covid-19
Editorial Director : Martin Fullard
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As DEN went to press , the UK Government took the decision to postpone the full lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and hoards of mask-less protestors gathered at the gates of Downing Street to shout and spray about their lost liberties .
The Government ’ s Events Research Programme has shown live events can be staged safely and the sector is ready to put the findings into action . But with audience restrictions remaining in place until 19 July at the earliest , many in-person events are simply financially unviable .
I say ’ 19 July at the earliest ’ because the view from a minority of Parliament back-benchers is that the further restrictions last into the summer , the easier it will be to keep them in place until the autumn and then once flu season is upon us , Boris Johnson will feel duty-bound to protect the NHS and extend again for the remainder of the year .
This is not doom-saying and economically , it doesn ’ t stack-up under the current furlough scheme . But with Delta cases rising , it ’ s clear that the race between the vaccine and variants still has a way to go .
Even when capacity restrictions are fully lifted , society will still need to live with Covid- 19 . Accelerated digital progression and virtual alternatives to mass public gatherings and B2B conferencing and exhibitions will be a mainstay of event planners ’ lives .
Hybrid is currently a theoretical strategy . But what it means and how it evolves the live event landscape for the behavioural demands of workplace employees and consumers once constraints are curtailed , will grow in clarity through practice .
Digital event planning therefore will have an important long-term role to play for a society living with Covid . It ’ s an evolving skill-set that will future-proof supply chains and businesses whichever way the wind blows from here .
Mike Fletcher Editor Digital Event News
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Contributors
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