If you’re an event planner or if you plan to host an event really soon, then you’re probably fearing what every event attendee fears as well in these uncertain times: cancelations.
Either way, you don’t really know what the future holds. At least that’s how you probably feel after these two long-winded pandemic-ridden years.
Well, if push comes to shove and you really need to cancel your event or postpone it, here are some of the best practices if you ever find yourself forced to do so.
Communicate In Real-Time
You’re not living in the future, and you should definitely not live in the past. The most important thing is the present. Focus on what you need to do right now and communicate with your partners and attendees appropriately.
If something comes up that might force you to cancel, don’t alarm the others. Instead, say that you are monitoring the situation and you’ll adapt as things evolve. The same goes for those who feel courageous: don’t claim that you won’t cancel an event and then live through the shame of being forced to cancel it anyway.
Don’t Forget Insurance
You wouldn’t drive without insurance, would you? If something unforeseen happens, you’d be left with the bill, which can leave a scorch mark on your wallet. The same logic applies to events as well.
Getting event insurance is probably the best way to protect yourself, your partners, and your attendees in case of cancelation of another similar thing. Insurers like Eventsured provide these types of insurances made especially for events of all types – be it corporate, weddings, and everything in between. Any similar provider is also worth looking at.
Offer Attendees Several Refund Methods
It’s safe to say that even though you are forced to cancel at the moment, your loyal fans might still want to come to your event if it gets rescheduled. However, others aren’t so fortunate as to afford a reschedule due to multiple reasons (they might not be from the area, for example).
As such, you’ll need to offer your attendees several refund methods to make them happy and prove that you are a true professional.
For example, you can let them receive a refund on the banking account associated with the card that they paid for the ticket with. Or you could set up a booth and give them cash. Or you could just ask them about their favorite money transfer method, like Paypal, for example, and use that.
Send Reminders About When Your Event Will Reschedule
This ties directly into our rule of communication. Well, let’s just say that your event did end up getting canceled but you’ve already rescheduled for another time. Reminding your audience about this once might not be enough. You might want to convince them to sign up for your newsletter or follow your page on social media to get the latest updates.
Rescheduling takes time, so be prepared to create a timeline of newsletters with call to action buttons and skillful copywriting techniques to keep your possible attendees in the loop.
Keep Calm And Carry On!
If you’re rescheduling, just keep calm and move forward. Dwelling in the past too much can hurt you, so it’s best to stay focused on what you can do at the moment.go through all the necessary hoops to get your new event going and let the past rest.
The Bottom Line
In these (still somewhat) uncertain times, it’s best to have insurance on just about everything. Canceled events have become the norm rather than the exception to the rules these past two years, so it’s best to adapt.
If you don’t want to go fully digital or hybrid, and you want to keep your event 100% in the real world, then follow the steps above to achieve as much success as you can, given the present circumstances. If you communicate properly, we’re sure your attendees will understand.