Don’t Do This Alone
As I reflect on the past two years, I remember vividly a sense within the events industry that we needed each other more than ever. Led by a series of coalitions, informal networks, and more, together we navigated our shared anxiety, insights into loans, unemployment, contingency plans, and hopes for the future. It was humbling; a time where vulnerability and authenticity were at its prime because “looking good” when none of us were truly good was no longer the way we wanted to be. I believe we operated in a genuine spirit of togetherness and it was beautiful to witness.
But then something happened; our industry came back thanks largely to the social/wedding market–corporate was much more cautious–and just like that those new connections turned into opportunities to refer work out, make sure someone could pay their rent or staff that month, and get back into the way we once were, albeit a bit more unified. Buzz phrases like “community over collaboration” were used and we strived to operate in that way but, as the requests came in and the stress got higher, many of us forgot about our colleagues because we could barely keep ourselves sane. Since the pandemic hit our industry, we have worked triply hard and emotionally we are still recovering.
Do you remember during the pandemic being on coalition calls, having virtual coffee dates, or just taking long walks because you had the time to do so? I certainly do. As Omicron provides perhaps another shockwave to our industry, I am reminded that we can’t do it all and, in truth, none of us should have ever tried to. I am not saying that we should brace ourselves for another full year of hardship but there are a few things that I think every event professional should strive to do while we figure out what the now normal means.
Find an accountability circle or partner. These are people within the industry that you trust implicitly. These are the ones to whom you can say “Guess what? I just had another cancellation” or “Hey, I am scared…” These are your sounding boards, safe spaces, and problem solvers. These are people who, if it came to it, might loan you money. These are the people many of us met during Covid. Keep and nurture these relationships.
Assess now what would happen if your year was cut by 50%. I do not mean to sound negative because that is not my personality; but last year a friend I made during Covid said this to me and while it was frightening to hear, it shocked me into operating on a shoestring budget–which provided me with an important lesson in financial planning.
Share the Work. When you get work (and, yes, I believe we will all get work) look at your trusted friendors, as well as some new emerging talent, and ask this question: Who can I bring along on a job? I am not advocating for creating work or expense for clients just because, but if you can truly bring someone along, do it–not for yourself and not necessarily for them but rather creating revenue supports our industry overall because we need talented folks to stay in hospitality.
And finally, if you are a business owner who is “booked and busy”: congratulations. After you celebrate, look at some of the firms in your area that you know are talented but just need a chance and refer the work to them.
My hope is that this season has taught us the importance of togetherness; the way I see it none of us made it through 2020 or 2021 alone, nor should we ever try to again.
p.s. Don’t forget to follow along with our journey via IG @belajoyful.
