Following last week’s revised government guidance regarding Covid-19 restrictions the meetings and business events industry has been thrown into confusion again. We had been told that as of 1st October business events could resume, providing they stuck to social distancing guidelines and venues were made Covid-safe. The PM’s statement last week clarified what is and isn’t allowed with regards to social gatherings but his throwaway comment that “the spread of the virus is now affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events” left many in the business events industry confused. It looks like we’ll just have to wait for further guidance on this one.
The rules around day-to-day working are clearer. We’re being encouraged to work from home where possible. After 6 months of working from home most of us are now familiar with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet. “You’re on mute Mark!” (it’s always Mark) has become a staple of most online meetings, and we’re resigned to staying on these platforms for the foreseeable future. But for some of us, including coaches and trainers, face-to-face meetings simply have to resume in order for their businesses to survive.
So how do we approach face-to-face meetings in a Covid-safe way?
The rules around day-to-day working are clearer. We’re being encouraged to work from home where possible. After 6 months of working from home most of us are now familiar with Zoom, Teams and Google Meet. “You’re on mute Mark!” (it’s always Mark) has become a staple of most online meetings, and we’re resigned to staying on these platforms for the foreseeable future. But for some of us, including coaches and trainers, face-to-face meetings simply have to resume in order for their businesses to survive.
So how do we approach face-to-face meetings in a Covid-safe way?