Without doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic hit us for six. And we are not just thinking about the events and hospitality industry (though this was affected perhaps more than most). Society at large across the globe has been affected in one way or another, whether this is through lockdowns, social distancing and other restrictions. In fact, the phrase ‘social distancing’ – which was not even a phrase 18 months ago – is now part of our everyday language, as is the wearing of face masks and the even the need to not shake hands.
Of course, much of the events and hospitality sector relies on lots of people being in the same place, all at the same time. Think of festivals, music concerts, theatre performances, Christmas party nights and others, and you have the perfect recipe for spreading germs. That said, with a high percentage of UK adults now having received the vaccination, there’s plenty of pilot events taking place to allow fans back into football stadiums and festivals, for instance, which is certainly a step in the right direction, though many would argue that it doesn’t go far enough and has been too slow coming.
The devastating impact on the events industry has been far-reaching, with the full impact yet to be seen. Suffice to say that the quicker we can return to ‘normal’, the better.
But, what will events look like post-COVID? Here are some of our thoughts.
It’s fair to say that hand sanitiser dispensers are here to stay. Even if there’s no COVID-19 around, it’s anyhow good practice to keep your hands clean to minimise the spread of germs. At any event, therefore, you can expect to see hand sanitiser dispensers at the entrance areas and dotted around the venue site. Whether it’s a festival or a trade show or exhibition, hand sanitizer dispenser hire will surely be in high demand for some time yet. Indoor and outdoor hand sanitiser dispenser units, here we come!
It started with keeping our distance entirely then moved onto an elbow pump. As humans, we are programmed to interact with each other face-to-face and part of this is to give each other a handshake or a kiss. Again, as COVID-19 restrictions relax over time, we suspect that there might be a general reluctance to go back to this 100% of the time.
Catering events could be interesting. Are the days of buffet lunches gone? And what about sharing platters in the middle of tables? We’re now so accustomed to being served at a table (and not being allowed to get up!), that it will be difficult to buck this new trend. And when it comes to cutlery, are we going to be happy with stainless steel cutlery that has been laid out on the table in advance, or are we going to be happier with disposable or reusable cutlery that comes in a sealed package?
We think that the hire of crockery for individual portions will be on the increase. This might be a tasting bowl, ramekin or other similar item. Also check out our bento boxes for hire online here at Event Hire UK, which are Japanese-style boxes with internal compartments, enabling caterers to serve both hot and cold food in individual portions to guests in a socially distanced way.
And finally, in our opinion, the jury is still out on the world of virtual events. Yes, we all moved to Zoom meetings whether we wanted to or not during COVID-19 and certain exhibitions, for instance, moved online. The success of these has been debated, and the chances are that we will be so relieved to eventually come out of COVID-19 that exhibitions, parties and other events are likely to return in earnest with a bang, perhaps even bigger and better than ever!
Whatever you need for your event, rest assured that the team here at Event Hire UK is on hand to provide you with a first-class service from start to finish, whether you need to furniture hire, catering equipment hire, crockery, cutlery or glassware hire. We have the range, the numbers, the prices and the service to help you create memorable events in a post-COVID world and long may it continue.
