Planners and Designers Surviving COVID-19 and Preparing for an Overflow

After realizing how serious this coronavirus is, leaves many people thinking when will it be all over knowing that it’s a totally new virus. According to Dr. Faheem Younus, MD, the chief of infectious diseases at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health says that it is unpredictable.  He states pandemics has happened before, and they eventually pass as they become more contained, and as vaccines are developed and distributed.  

However, Dr. Rishi Desai, MD, a former epidemic intelligence service officer in the division of viral diseases at the CDC, states that based on past pandemi s it could be a year or more as to when all this will pass because all viruses are different, they behave and spread differently.  Dr. Rishi Desai, states as more info becomes available about COVID-19, better predictions will be made. “His expectation is that COVID-19 will continue to be a threat for a good part of 2020, and that we will start to see the page turn in 2021”. Dr. Desai says. “At that point, we may have a vaccine, and we will have much more experience with this disease.”

Watching the news everyday can be disheartening with the amount of deaths being reported. Whether you believe that this epidemic is manmade or an act of God….we must still take proper precautions to protect ourselves and love ones. Remember to comply with the continuation of practicing social distance until further notice.

Meanwhile as a small business such as ours that maybe suffering at this time, there are things we as, event designers, can prepare to do to continue swimming above water.  Just think of the long “work-to-do-list and “personal-to-do-list you needed time to complete before now.  Make yourself a list and work on them one at a time until you have completed everything that you can.    

For those who have to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis dealing with postponements, cancellations, and terminations of their wedding or event, this is the time to vision how you want to make it amazing for you and your guests when the dust settles.  

Just a few things you can focus on and add to your To-Do-List:

~Décor:  think about the theme, colors, lighting, ambience of the room. 

~Take advantage of deals and sales such as venue specials and vendor specials that are advertised. 

~If you are a designer look into deals from suppliers. 

~Take the time to discover new trends.

~Update your website and re-evaluate marketing strategies.

~Clean out your storage unit….put unwanted items up for sale.

~Redo your contracts to include clauses that protect your investments.

Making preparation and lining things up for the aftermath, is the best way to be prepared to further impress your guests.   

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