This time last year, if you would have asked me the outlook for the event industry in 2020, my answer would have been extremely positive. Particularly in our Ozarks region, great strides have been made in developing the event industry in the years leading up to 2020. No longer just another blip on the map in “flyover country,” musical acts, theatrical productions and a variety of performing artists from around the world were making regular stops in our local clubs, theaters and arenas. The private event industry continued to flourish as happenings of all sizes from non-profit fundraisers to corporate meetings and even weddings were able to take advantage of the regional resources available to create events with great impact that was previously only seen in larger markets. A number of regional festivals and annual gatherings were establishing themselves as successes seeing year-over-year continued growth.

Yes, Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas events of all shapes and sizes were really coming in to their own. Of course, what’s good for the event industry is good for nearly every other industry in a given region. Reliable entertainment is a valuable recruitment and retainment tool for employers. More people living and working in an area is good for the local housing market and helps brick and mortar businesses thrive. Tourists visiting for events need hotel rooms while in town and want to grab a drink and a bite before and after the show. Visitors and locals alike get exposed to your area’s unique culture while out and about, showing them what your community has to offer. A healthy event economy truly does enable a region’s success in a number of ways.

But, sadly, most of us did not anticipate the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of events in our region alone were cancelled and countless more around the globe. That being said, folks in the event industry are known to be an innovative (some might call us scrappy) bunch and we found a variety of ways to continue to come together safely amidst the challenges. Following are a few techniques we developed along the way.

Virtual, Live-Stream & Hybrid Events
- A proven way to keep your in-person audience small while still reaching the masses is to add a live-stream component.
- We can make it easy for people to join your event from the safety and comfort of their home or office. Enabling remote presenters and attendees while ensuring a seamless line of communication between virtual and in-person speakers and guests gives you nearly unlimited possibilities of how many people can join.
- Some organizers choose to completely pre-record their event and air it to attendees as a “live” broadcast to increase creative potential and diversify programming. You help determine the program and we’ll take care of the rest.
- Even beyond the pandemic, we see these techniques as a way to increase your reach for years to come.
DIY Solutions
- Life doesn’t stop when challenges arise and we helped lots of people celebrate milestones safely within their bubble.
- Our shop staff built easy-to-use and affordable packages of powered speakers, wireless microphones, HD projectors, and LED lighting solutions so you can make your own private event special in your safe space.
- We’ve implemented 100% digital contracts and payment options for contact-less pick up and return of equipment.
- Wedding ceremonies, back-yard movie nights, or even a basement karaoke party (this is a judgement-free zone), our rental gear will help make it happen.
Outdoor Events
- While we are no strangers to an outdoor show, we helped several clients implement CDC guidelines to ensure available space was maximized to help keep people spaced out and safe while gathering.
- Creative crowd control and traffic flow solutions, additional PA, FM transmitters, IMAG and LED walls to cover larger areas, and well-thought out and executed stage management plans to ensure performer safety—we have the tools and skillsets to help you prepare for a successful gig.
Maximizing Indoor Spaces
- If your event can’t move outdoors and you want to safely accommodate your in-person attendees, the use of overflow rooms, auxiliary spaces and remote video feeds can help.
- In addition to helping our clients implement live-stream options, we worked with them and the venue to set projectors, screens and spaced out seating in unused rooms to ensure in-person attendees could still see and hear the presentations at a safe distance, sometimes in completely separate spaces.
- Scheduling multiple, in-person showings of the same event throughout the day is another way to keep audiences safe. For example, planning your 90-minute program to take place at 10am, 2pm and 6pm gives you the opportunity for more total attendees while keeping your room occupancy limited at for any given show. Make use of the time between showings to reset any necessary production and sanitize the communal spaces. Asking guests to reserve their time slot in advance helps ensure that no-one is turned away at the door due to occupancy restrictions.

We’re confident that 2021 will bring us great progress in defeating this pandemic. While we’re excited to get back to many of the concerts, festivals and special events cancelled over the last year, we’ve seen first hand how the above techniques can be used to create engaging, safe and successful events despite the challenges we’ve all been facing. Many of these options will continue to better your events beyond the pandemic as consumer behaviors evolve. No one tool is perfect for every job, but we’ve worked hard to diversify our skillset to ensure we can help you achieve your goals regardless of whatever challenges life has in store.