The Art & Science of Activating Live Events during COVID-19

COVID-19 has radically transformed the way events and productions are organized and executed throughout the world, with many events experiencing perpetual suspensions and cancellations altogether. For some, these cancellations showcase a grim state of the industry; yet, many professionals are looking ahead to the future – spearheading initiatives to get live events back up-and-running safely, inspiring a mix of in-person attendance and digital innovation. We believe it’s possible to host events safely and create a “better normal!”

During the Virtual Town Square hosted by APR on August 5th, we convened a panel of live-event specialists and producers, as well as the CDC’s former Director of Public Health Preparedness and Response Office, Dr. Ali Khan, to discuss the intricacies involved with organizing live events during COVID-19. Doing so in a safe manner takes a delicate mix of artful event design and scientific execution, as spelled out by our panelists and underscored with these five considerations and tools.

Utilize Local Data as Your Foundation

Nothing is more vital than preliminary, exhaustive analyses of local health data when planning to hold an event during this pandemic. “We are in a global pandemic, but not a global outbreak… [meaning that] what you can do in one country you may not be able to do in another,” says Dr. Ali Khan (UNMC, former CDC).

In countries like the U.S., where states and local municipalities manage the public COVID-19 response, cases will fluctuate drastically from state to state and county to county. The lack of a cohesive response from the government creates a seemingly unpredictable landscape for event organizers to traverse safely. Dr. Khan recommends utilizing tools like this one, created by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Stanford University, to help create risk assessments for live events based on local data where the event is supposed to take place.

The Need For Standardization

Producers and event organizers don’t operate under a monolithic organization, yet a consistent set of safety standards for live events to operate within is desperately needed.

Steve Lemon (Event Safety Alliance) elaborates, “I have upwards of 37 different documents from different organizations – each about 15-55 pages in length – describing safety protocols [for live events]. Producers simply don’t have the time to read 37 different documents – they only have time to get their events out the door.”

Add to this the disorganized responses of national and local health jurisdictions, and you’ve quickly got a recipe for confusion, heightening the risk of infection for all attendees at a live event. It only takes one mistake – one misinterpretation – to create a spreading event, something that should be avoided at all costs. “We need to focus on training, compliance, and enforcement to ensure the future of successful event activation.”

So, how are event organizers and producers supposed to combat such a confusing cluster of differing standards? What does “enforcement” actually look like? That leads us to the next consideration shared by our panelists…

Specialized COVID-19 Event Safety Officers

Most events typically require the presence of an Event Safety Officer. However, many brand projects are not including a COVID-specific officer within their budgets to handle the unique safety demands of the COVID-19 virus.

If you are considering holding a live event, it is important to ensure that you have someone present who is specifically trained to assess and respond to COVID-19 related risks. Dr. Khan says that this person “should typically be trained in occupational and public health.” Additionally, having a local liaison who has already established relationships with local public health officials will bolster these coordinated efforts significantly.

Staggered Entrances & Exits

The largest risk of spreading COVID-19 manifests in close quarters. Dr. Khan states that we must “look at how people get infected to then decide how to prevent the infection. 70-80% of the risk comes from coughing, sneezing, spitting, talking, etc. onto other people. That is where the risk is, so that is where you must stop it.”

While many events and large gatherings take this into account when planning out spatial arrangements (e.g. having seats spaced 6-feet apart), many still fail to consider the risks associated with getting people in and out of the venue. Long lines, backed-up entrances, and crowds surging toward an exit create ripe spreading grounds for COVID-19.

To mitigate this risk, the panel recommended utilizing multiple entrances and staggering your entrance times (e.g. 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, etc.) for small, segmented groups to prevent clusters of people from forming – and use this same strategy when planning out your exit procedures. 

Virtual Alternatives

Of course, the safest way to mitigate all of the risks associated with live events is to move the entire event over to virtual alternatives. The creative potential for virtual live events is nearly limitless – something that brands within this space would do well to capitalize on. 

Kenny Underwood (Cheeky Rascal Productions/Light It Blue Campaign) provides an example of this innovation within the sports arena called the Ultimate Garden Clash, where pole vaulters “competed against one another in their backyards by live-streaming their vaults for a virtual audience.” This is just one of the ways that producers may “come together as an industry to show the world we can produce live events safely, effectively, and efficiently.”

Cindy Dababneh (McDonald’s Events and Shoots) exemplified this through her recent organizing of a McDonald’s bi-annual global conference, where over 14,000 people attended – all from the safety and comforts of their homes. “Now is the time for realistic optimism,” she says. “It’s important not to get discouraged and continue to adapt.”

What The Future Holds

Many people believe that a COVID-19 vaccine would greatly reduce the risk of spreading the virus at live events by only allowing inoculated individuals to attend. So, we asked Dr. Khan, “When will we see a COVID-19 vaccine come to the public?” Here’s his reply:

“I never start a conversation about a vaccine without first saying that China, with its 1.4 billion people, is dropping to zero cases without a vaccine… We do not need a vaccine to reach elimination. However, the best minds in the U.S. (Operation Warp Speed) are working to get vaccines out by January… but it will take significant time to roll these vaccines out to the public.”

When asked about existing capabilities to verify whether or not attendees at events have been vaccinated, Dr. Khan says that “there’s no reason – just like with the yellow cards handed out to people who received vaccines during the Yellow Fever – that we can’t utilize apps to verify whether or not a person has been vaccinated,” but something like this likely “won’t be up and running until next spring or summer, at best.”

Dr. Khan is pushing for an optimistic future, where – instead of lamenting the “normals” of the past – we create a “better normal.” In an industry that prides itself on adaptability and innovation, what that better normal will look like is greatly influenced by the creative decisions we make today. With a scientific approach to event safety and artistic adaptations to the way events are produced in the first place, brands have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of this change. Carpe diem, producers! Let’s get it done!