COVID-19 Event Planning Tips and Updated Guidelines
If you were planning on hosting an event during this pandemic, there might still be hope.
First, let me start by saying what you desperately need to hear… If your event was impacted by COVID-19, that freaking SUCKS and I am so sorry! I got married on May 18th last year and I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through.
After all of the time, money and effort you put into such a memorable event and suddenly it seems like it was all for nothing. So, if you haven’t already: I want you to let out a huge cry, yell or scream because you have every right to.
It’s totally not fair to you or anyone on the planet for that matter. Despite any political views, religious beliefs or personal opinions of whether COVID-19 is as serious as our corrupt government is claiming it to be (oops), it is important to remain safe and follow the all of the guidelines. Which is why I’d like to share some of the ways we’re adapting to the changes caused by this global pandemic.
Updated Event Rental Guidelines
Incase you haven’t already heard, Governor Hogan continues to promote Maryland’s “roadmap to recovery“. Which as of the time of this article today (Friday May 15th 2020) at 5pm some businesses such as hair salons, retail stores and some personal services are allowed to operate at 50% capacity and continuing to practice social distancing. Also, ya still gotta keep your mask on too. Somehow throughout this pandemic, we seemed to have lost a few of our rights to freedom (oops again).
So what does that mean for people like us?
You, the person hosting a wedding, graduation or party. And us, the party rental company that wants to help you plan a memorable event. I think it’s safe to say that this year will surely be memorable, just not the memories anybody expected.
The stay-at-home order has been removed which shows strong signs of moving in the right direction to host events. However, that one tiny little… okay it’s not tiny. That HUGE regulation of “no gatherings over 10 people” is what’s preventing events from happening right now.
I often wonder what will happen first…
Will communities get sick of the restrictions and just have events anyways or will the government realize the lasting impact of the current events (unemployment, mental health, etc) that are much greater than this virus itself? Crap… I keep forgetting to avoid taking jabs at political incompetence.
The Facebook group Re-Open Maryland makes me think our community will stand for their freedom sooner than later.
“This virus is brutal… but it’s nowhere near as strong as our community. It’s important that we stand together as a family during these difficult times to kick COVID’s ***.”
How We're Adapting To COVID-19
We rent tents, tables, chairs and other related party rental items for events. Therefore, this virus has impacted our business along with many other amazing businesses in our local community. That being said, we want all of our clients, family and friends to know that we are following all of the requirements enforced by our government. Such as:
- Enforcing our staff to wash their hands frequently.
- Cleaning and sanitizing ALL of our equipment. (Even if it’s already clean)
- Practicing social distancing.
- Following the social gathering regulations on events.
While many clients and others are frantic about what to do about their events during this time, we are right there with you. We like to remind ourselves that we don’t just “rent stuff for events”… We CREATE events!
And knowing that we’re not authorized to help our clients create memories, we are currently planning all the ways we can, towards making this as least crappy as possible.
Event Planning Tips During COVID
We encourage our community to remember that EVERYONE has been impacted by the current events. Which is why we want to remind our clients and community that we are no exception here. Small businesses are here to support you anyway that we can because we know that you’re doing all you can to support us during this. Here are a few event planning tips to help you during this difficult time.
*Also… NONE of these tips are ideal or even remotely fair. Nothing compares to what you may be experiencing through all of this but we are just trying to share helpful tips to make the most of the current crappy situation.*
- Consider postponing before cancelling. As close to impossible as that may seem, it may end up working out better in the long run versus losing everything you worked so hard on for your event up to this point.
- Consider hosting an event outdoors while practicing social distancing. If you’re planning a graduation or small party, you may be able to rent a tent and be strict with not having more than 10 people in an area at one time. Still social distance your guests, wear masks and wash your hands. But maybe this is an alternative backup plan once the restrictions become less strict. I’m not 100% sure if you can do this right now but perhaps soon!
- Keep everything the same but consider moving to 2021. I know, still VERY crappy but it’s still better than cancelling.
- Remember that it’s okay to be upset. 90% of the people you talk to, don’t understand what you’re going through. While COVID is a serious virus and safety is top priority, nobody should ignore the fact that you’ve been impacted as well. So, stay positive and always try to see the best possible outcome because none of us know when this will all go back to normal.Â
A Message To Our Carroll County, Maryland Friends, Family and Community.
As a small business in Maryland, we are here for you. Our clients and community are AMAZING. We are doing all that we can to continue moving forward during these difficult times. We want everyone to know that you are not alone. If you have lost your job, cancelled your event, gotten the virus, lost a loved one to the virus or however else you’ve been negatively impacted, we are here for you.
We feel SO strongly about standing together during this. Both owners Kevin and myself (Dennis) grew up in Carroll County, went to school here and started our business here.
This is our home. We want to protect it and provide for our community. If you have a church that is planning to host an outdoor service, contact us for a tent rental. If you’re a local business that wants to add outdoor space to adapt during all of this, please request a quote. We will work with you through this and we want to help provide for the community that we love.
Lastly, if you agree with what’s mentioned in this article or would like to share your story of how this has impacted you, please leave a comment below and share this with a friend. We are all in this together.
Stay positive and stay strong friends… We love you!
Dennis Hennigan
Writer for Dreamers Event Rentals