Can a “Return to Normal” Happen in 2021?

By Jessica Haynes

Event organizers are tough people. I’ve known a great deal of them and can say with confidence they can handle a million things being thrown at them at once. At least, until COVID-19 happened.

The rollercoaster ride of planning festivals and events we are all familiar with suddenly collapsed underneath us in March 2020, forcing event organizers across the world to confront frantic questions from our colleagues and our own worries about the toll the pandemic would have on our lives.

Luckily, I had recently joined IFEA and found rapport with hundreds of other event organizers in the same position as the pandemic raged and festivals canceled in those first few months. We were all worried but we also shared another emotion: hope. Hope that live events would one day come back and be more important than ever in rebuilding our communities.

Looking Back

As marketing and events director at Frankenmuth River Place Shops, I was inspired by IFEA’s webinars and resources to evolve many of our events into smaller activities that followed mandated public health guidelines for our region. Those efforts continued to bring guests to our outdoor shopping complex and also supported the many small businesses that call our corner of Michigan home.

I am especially proud of our team’s success in transforming our largest annual festival, Frankenmuth Dog Bowl, into multiple summer weekends of activities including dog agility performances, police canine demonstrations, tethered hot air balloon rides, and more.

Not only did we bring in well over a thousand people each weekend for those activities, our team was able to continue to support our nonprofit partners such as the Saginaw Valley Police Canine Association and promote sponsors who continued their monetary support of Dog Bowl during the pandemic.

Downsizing a festival that brings in more than 100,000 guests like Dog Bowl is a daunting task. We did this by staying true to Dog Bowl’s mission – to advocate for responsible pet ownership through educational programs and world-class events.

That mission was more important than ever in 2020. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, around 11 million U.S. households added a pet to their family last year. A majority of those pet owners reported reduced stress and an increased sense of well-being because of their animal companion.

Providing opportunities for those pet owners to strengthen the bond with their new companion is the heart of Dog Bowl. Our team double-downed on that effort with marketing strategies to educate pet owners on various topics such as familiarizing their pets with masks and creating a pet-friendly routine for working from home.

We didn’t stop at Dog Bowl. Our monthly Funtown Chowdown Food Truck Festival was converted into food truck pop-ups with fewer food trucks, no live music or beer tent, and minimal seating. We didn’t know what to expect in terms of attendance but our guests came out to support us. So did our locals.

When Frankenmuth’s traditional Holiday Candlewalk event was cancelled, we took it as an opportunity to once again revamp our own holiday-themed activities. From November to December, Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted children and families in a specially-designed Santa’s Workshop, complete with clear safety barriers and “Holly Jolly Spray” hand sanitizer. Our carolers wore masks and spread holiday cheer that was sorely needed. We put up extra decorations to light up Frankenmuth; even the Grinch stopped by River Place Shops and felt his heart grow two sizes larger!

Most importantly, our retail stores remained resilient and continued to promote their amazing products and services to thousands of shoppers each weekend.

Being creative and staying positive made the difference in what our team was able to accomplish in 2020. Even as our team struggled with personal issues related to the pandemic, we stayed true to our company’s mission of “creating enjoyable experiences.”

Moving Forward

Now it is 2021, and event organizers face many of the same questions that came up a year ago: How can we re-imagine, re-present, re-connect and re-open our events in a safe and positive way?

The IFEA Committee Task Force tackled those same questions over many months, and created the following questions for

event organizers to contemplate: • Consider the community impact. What is at risk by not having the festival or bringing it back in 2021? • Use your imagination and envision how your event could change for the better – whether that means new programming, re-focusing on the event’s mission, or trying a different marketing program to attract new attendees. • Evaluate how you can evolve your event to make it safer and more adaptable as the pandemic continues.

As members of the Re-Open Committee, our group of event organizers took an in-depth look at the administrative pre-planning that needs to happen before opening the gates. Those pre-planning efforts became three distinct categories: Safety protocols, event assurance and messaging.

Safety Protocols

The Re-Open Committee took a multidimensional look at how safety can be enhanced throughout the event planning process, from preparing employees to disinfecting equipment once the event is over.

Before you open your venue to the public, your organization should be prepared with information on: • Your region or state’s restrictions on gatherings • Requirements for employee and attendee safety measures – Personal

Protective Equipment, temperature scans, registering arrival and departure times for guests, etc. • How to minimize congestion points –Employee check-in stations, vendor load-in areas, means of entry, evacuation plans from various parts of the venue, etc. • Signage that is visible, clear, and in appropriate locations for employees and guests • Chain of command– consider opting to send one of the event’s lead organizers to complete COVID-19 Officer Compliance training • Additional security enforcement • Cleaning and disinfecting protocol, especially for food and beverage service areas • Communication plan – revamp how internal and external communications are created and distributed throughout the festival organization

Event Assurance

Like many event organizers nowadays, you may be wondering – how many people are going to show up to my event? How will I ensure safety for everyone involved?

The Re-Open Committee very quickly agreed event organizers have a responsibility to our festivals and to our teams. Our Committee Chair, Jeff English, CEE, referred to this as duty of care, a legal obligation to adhere to a standard of reasonable care – and made sure we knew why that term is so important.

Duty of care is what protects ourselves and our festivals from litigation related to negligence, and is more necessary than ever when operating during a pandemic.

Event organizers can boost their efforts in providing duty of care with these strategies: • Assess risks ahead of the festival and be aware of all potential liabilities - visit the Event Risk Management Solutions website and understand what steps you need to take to minimize your festival’s

Risk Horizon • Have an Event Assurance and

Compliance Plan outlining steps you

are taking before, during and after the event to comply with mandated public health guidelines • Train employees on how to handle situations with guests or vendors, hazard and infection control measures, etc. • Ensure consistent messaging on event standards related to COVID-19

Messaging

In my role at River Place Shops, I quickly learned how to adapt our external communications to reach a public that was feeling disconnected. It was imperative to provide clear and accurate information in light of fake events pages and last-minute restriction changes.

Messaging was partly what I enjoyed most in 2020 because of the challenge involved. I had to respond calmly to users commonly referred to as “trolls,” and lead my team to develop new social media standards that were positive and engaging.

Is your team looking to enhance your communications this year? Consider the following tactics: • Designate one person to lead external communications with government officials and the general public • Develop protocol for combatting event rumors and counter-messaging • Consistent messaging across all public-facing festival platforms • Timeline for communication strategies based on event changes – this was extremely helpful for me in 2020 as events canceled or changed

Messaging is a complex topic for any event organizer but add in a pandemic and you have a potential recipe for disaster. A poorly worded post, inconsistent review of social media engagement or simply “ghosting” your followers can have a detrimental and long-term effect on your festival.

The easiest way to avoid that kind of trouble is to know your strategy and make sure your team knows it, too. Break the communication down into segments and talk over these topics with your team: • Know your audience: Everyone on your festival team is responsible for messaging, from a volunteer at the gate to the committee chairperson. Create brochures or rack cards so all team members have the same information and know who to contact if they or your guests have questions. • Set the tone for dialogue: Is your event family-focused or for senior citizens? Does it attract millennials or baby boomers? Tailor the tone of your messaging so it is understood and

engaging to your guest demographic. • Maintain that tone through to the event:

Adapt event signage so it is consistent with guest expectations before they even enter the venue.

One aspect our team has been focusing on for 2021 is how to make our methods of communication flexible. We are incorporating QR codes into our print products with messaging that encourages users to check our website for updates – it is much easier to update a website page than reprinting thousands of brochures!

We are also including all COVID-19 mandated health guidelines when promoting our activities. From press releases to social media, that information sends a strong message to our guests of what is expected of them while attending an activity at River Place Shops.

As event organizers prepare for what will hopefully be a somewhat normal return to business in 2021, it is also important to remember that things will most likely continue to change and change quickly. Evaluating your marketing timeline is going to be key this year.

For example, our team is shortening digital and social media marketing programs to allow extra time for last-minute changes. We may have started to promote a festival months before previously but are now waiting until closer to the festival to allow us more flexibility.

Remember Your “Why” 2020 showed event organizers that a flexible mindset is key. How can your team change up the typical way you promote events? How can you re-imagine, re-present, re-connect and then re-present your events for your fans?

For event organizers, how are we pushing ourselves to persevere despite the odds?

I do my best to remember why I became an event organizer – to create enjoyable experiences and to take on new challenges so I would grow as a person and a professional.

I also remind myself of the extraordinary work being done every day by healthcare providers and essential workers. I have two sisters who are registered nurses and fight for their patients every time they clock in. They are juggling virtual learning for their children and themselves in a pandemic. Elizabeth and Sarah, you are the real heroes in this pandemic and I cannot be more proud of you.

It is their excitement to be part of our family-friendly activities at River Place Shops and take a break from their stressful work lives that reminds me the work being done by event organizers is also valuable.

Event organizers are tasked with bringing culture to our communities, continuing traditions, and staying true to our festival’s missions while providing entertainment and an escape from the daily grind that is needed more than ever.

My goal for 2021 is to stay true to our company’s mission of “creating enjoyable experiences” for my family, friends, colleagues and myself. COVID-19 may have changed our concept of normal in 2020 but event organizers are tough. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and make the new normal better than before.

Jessica Haynes is the marketing and events director at Frankenmuth River Place Shops, where she oversees more than 20 annual community festivals and events at the outdoor shopping complex located in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Part of her role is organizing the Frankenmuth Dog Bowl, the world’s largest Olympic-style festival for dogs where she has participated in police canine demonstrations and hot air balloon competitions. Haynes is a member of Junior Chamber International and learned firsthand how to make exciting events come to life through her local chapter. She is an avid dog lover and especially appreciates her favorite canine guests at River Place Shops who know she always has a treat on hand. Haynes enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and her best friend, 7-year-old rescue dog Holly.

The IFEA Covid-19 Re-Open Task Force was are a collaborative effort by the Committee Chairs and the work of their committee team members including:

• Committee Chair: Jeff English, CFEE, General Counsel and Corporate

Secretary, CLARK Material Handling Company

• Committee Chair: Kat Paye, CFEE, The Festival Foundation, National Cherry Festival

• Chuck Ashby, City of Henderson Parks & Recreation

• Peter Ashwin, Event Risk Management Solutions

• Serri Ayers, Richardson, TX Parks and Recreation

• Dana Baird, Frisco Texas

• Jennifer Burns, Illumination Fireworks

• Daphne Dickens, Des Moines Art Festival

• Jay Downie, CFEE, Downtown Fort Worth Initiative, Inc.

• Tavi Fulkerson, The Fulkerson Group

• Tammy Gazzola, Weatherford, TX Chamber of Commerce

• Dan Goode, SunFest

• Gayle Hall, CFEE, Grapevine TX Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Cara Harting, City of Frisco

• Eric Hjellming, Drum Corps International

• Jim Holt, CFEE, Memphis in May

• Greg Jackson, Tucson Parks and Recreation

• Paul Jamieson, CFEE, SunFest

• Carina Jimenez, CFEE, McAllen Parks and Recreation

• Hayden Kramer, Town of Indian Trail Parks & Recreation

• Nan Krushinski, City of Delray Beach

• Dianna Lawrence, CFEE, Community Event Manager - Richardson, TX

• Julie Machon, City of Montgomery, OH

• JoAnn Nasser, National Cherry Blossom Festival

• Whitney Nelson, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

• Suzanne Neve, Florida Festivals and Events Association

• Lisa Potvin, CFEE City of Concord

• Randy Prasse, Kentucky Bourbon Festival

• Denise Rice, Honey Bucket Portable Restrooms

• Kenney Sarah, NC Azalea Festival

• Karol Shepherd, Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival

• Jenny Wright, CFEE, Woodlands, TX Arts Council

• Kelly Zanders, CFEE, EAA

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