The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced that fully-vaccinated people can now choose to go maskless. What does that mean for the fundraising and gala events? Is it time for jubilation?
To say that the nonprofit sector has been getting antsy to shed masks and resume in-person events is an understatement. So much of what this industry stands for—and needs—is based on synergies that arise from gala events and the collegiality that influences the success of such gatherings. Needless to say, therefore, that the past 15 months have been very trying for many nonprofits—both financially as well as operationally.
Meanwhile, many of the event planning companies that cater to nonprofit organizations scaled back—and in some cases, threw in the towel. On the flip side, some donors and supporters of many nonprofits feel that they have lost their “connection” to their favorite causes. While virtual or even hybrid events have made every effort to fill the void, nothing works like an in-person event where supporters can rub shoulders with, and try to outbid, one another at a live auction.
The question now is how do we may the jump from rather impersonal virtual events to exciting yet safe in-person fundraisers?
For a period to come, some participants will be somewhat leery attending a gala dinner maskless—even after the elusive herd immunity has been reached. The onus to ease the minds of such segment of donor and supporter population will shift onto the event planning company that is recruited by the nonprofit to roll out the first few post-Covid in-person events. This may sound rather onerous a task on an event planning company. Thankfully, however, new tools are emerging on the horizon to help organizers to breathe easier.
For the foreseeable future, the attendees will be needing reassurance and peace of mind that taking part at a large in-person event can be safe. Thanks to emerging health screening protocols organizers can now safely provide that needed assurance. A robust health screening platform must meet specific criteria to be both reliable and trustworthy by those that going to be subject to: It has to be secure. It has to be efficient. It also has to be cloud base to free up the operators from the constraints of physical devices.
Neither the organizers nor the event planning professionals can afford to have tens of potential attendees queued up at the entrance to the event waiting for the results of their instant health screening. There need to be simple and enforceable guidelines on how to collect data from prospective attendees; and how to grant them admission to the event.
A robust health screening platform is the best guarantee to secure participation of the largest possible audience weary of their—and their love ones’—safety. It is only with such a tool that event organizers can win their stakeholders’ backing by attending large in-person events.
As we fast evolve to a maskless and vaccinated world, a reliable health screening is the best insurance a nonprofit organization can put in place to buy itself and its supporters the peace of mind that will only invigorate its gala event—with attendant financial rewards.
Your Great Event is one the leading event planning companies providing advanced health screening protocols for its clients. Let our professionals help you win back your valuable donors as you plan your post-Covid in-person event.