Coming back to live events

Compared to other countries, Australia seemed to enjoy an early return to live events – though this turned out to be a stop/start return with events vulnerable to the consistent snap lockdowns across the country. When free of these snap lockdowns, most states and territories are allowing large-scale public and group events where a COVID-safe plan is in place. Venues for large events have adapted to ensure that the guest experience is as seamless as possible and fun events for large groups – like sports matches and music festivals – are back on the calendar.

But are Australian event-goers happy to be back, or are they keeping their distance until everyone is vaccinated? Our global survey asked attendees to share their perceptions and concerns about returning to live events during COVID-19 recovery.

Your live event strategy: what you need to know

• More than 60% of Australians are at least somewhat excited to return to live events, though border closures and snap lockdowns are making us more hesitant to travel interstate.
• Australian event-goers are most looking forward to live arts entertainment (45%) and dining activities (64%), as well as large-scale events like music festivals (42%) and live sports (35%).
• Local health authorities play a big role in guest confidence, with more than 40% of attendees happy to return to events if public health agencies in their area deem it safe to do so.

Aussie event creators saw monetary challenges as reopening happened, explains James Harding, the Director of Beerfest Australia: “Our security bill doubled… the ratios [of covid marshalls] started off as 1:500 – so one covid marshall to 500 people, then 1:250, then 1:100. So the security costs went up; cleaning costs doubled.”

There were, however, positives outcomes when open communication was practised. “We found having open and honest conversations with contractors [meant] they were prepared to work on quotes… we didn’t need to pay deposits upfront anymore”, says James.

Back to the attendees, and many Aussies are raring to go. But, with some still hesitant due to sudden changes in COVID-19 restrictions, it’s important to learn how to navigate snap lockdowns to give your guests the confidence they need to get back out there.

Ensuring safety at large events

The COVID-19 vaccination program in Australia is picking up speed but, rather than waiting, event creators can reassure guests by spending more time and effort on a COVID-safe event management plan that builds confidence and protects their guests and team.

Spend more time on the following considerations for a safer event and a more positive guest experience:

Get support from local health authorities

Australians have a high level of trust in government health guidance, particularly from local health departments. Most local government health agencies provide direction when it comes to hosting events during COVID-19, plus programs designed to support event creators to get the community back out to live events safely. Make sure you take advantage of available services and let your guests know that you’re working in partnership with local health agencies for extra peace of mind.

Have the right COVID-safe plan in place

A COVID-safe plan is mandatory for any event in any state or territory in Australia, but don’t stop with the basics. Make sure your event safety plan addresses your specific event activities and environment, as well as any post-lockdown rules that might come into play unexpectedly. Over 40% of event-goers would feel safer at an event where the right social distancing rules and measures are enforced: Use tools like the Eventbrite venue map planner to create the optimum seating plan for your event. This will further increase guest social distancing safety while maximising ticket sales.

Check temperatures

With the country’s vaccination status still improving, 43% of those surveyed said they would feel safer attending an event where guest temperatures are checked on the way in. Make sure to build this into your check-in process alongside other COVID-safe tasks like patron data collection. A pre-entry questionnaire designed to ensure all attendees have followed best practices is also a good idea, as another 31% of respondents reported this would make them feel safer.

Event promotion strategy coming out of COVID-19

Australians get their event recommendations from a range of sources, with social media (65%) and friends or family suggestions (65%) the stand-out sources. How do you leverage these opportunities and adapt your event promotion strategy to generate word-of-mouth and hype?

Word of mouth

When discussing how COVID has affected event promotion and ticket sales, James Harding says that when he was first reopening, “word of mouth travelled really strongly, so there were areas [of marketing] that cost more, but there were areas of saving.” James actually says that ticket sales skyrocketed – “we had record first-week sales. We had better sales results than we’ve ever achieved.” With consumers talking about Beerfest events on social media and events quickly being sold out, “we didn’t need to advertise our event nearly as much as we’ve had to in the past,” explains James.

Think locally

With Australians looking forward to supporting their local community and local business recovery, engaging with local partners and artists is a must for your 2021 event marketing strategies. Add mutually beneficial event promotions – like hanging local art on the walls of an event at a restaurant or working with local micro-influencers to boost your reach and audience – and you have a valuable hotpot of local talent on show that locals will flock to see and support.

Boost sales and event revenue with a smart ticketing strategy

52% of Australians expect to buy tickets for an in-person experience or event in the future: Make sure it’s one of yours. Encourage your audience to start buying different ticket types to your events with innovative marketing ideas for events like VIP packages, group incentives, or discounts for social media promotions or shares. With Australians most looking forward to returning to dining events, try incorporating unique local food and drink options for a more exciting guest experience.

A global look at the international events landscape

COVID-19 has impacted global events in vastly different ways, and will continue to do so during the recovery phase and beyond. While international regions fared worse than Australia during the initial stages of the pandemic, the events industry is roaring back to life on the back of successful vaccination programs across Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the UK, for example, over 44 million people have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine [as of 23 June 2021].

From data collected by Eventbrite, over half of respondents from the UK and Ireland will feel confident and safe to attend in-person events when the majority of the people in their country have been vaccinated. This is significantly lower in Australia, where less than one-third of respondents correlate the majority of the population being vaccinated with the safety of in-person events. This could, however, be a result of the slower Australian vaccine rollout – causing event creators and attendees alike to focus on other safety mechanisms, like face masks and temp checks, to ease anxiety. Either way, event creators should dedicate time and resources to ensure that people feel safe at their events.