As we head into what is traditionally a very busy summer season for PROs, two factors make me optimistic that special events are going to continue to gather steam coming off the pandemic that crippled that part of the portable sanitation industry for the past two years. And neither one involves the eradication of the virus that has taken the lives of almost a million Americans.
First of all, people are fed up with COVID-19 and there is a relentless movement to return to the large social gatherings we love so much like fairs, festivals and camping/concerts. And secondly, it appears COVID-19 is going to be around for a long time in one form or another, so we’re just going to go about our business and deal with it as variants come and go.
These conclusions came to mind earlier this year as I watched 80,000 fans of the Green Bay Packers assembling for a playoff game at storied Lambeau Field, located a few miles from my home in Wisconsin. A far cry from the height of pandemic concerns — when the NFL was keeping fans out of stadiums across the country — in 2022 the fans would not be deterred, as they were packed in shoulder to shoulder, whooping and hollering for their team.
I believe PROs are thinking the same way as they prepare inventories and look to buy and upgrade new equipment to support the return of events that were canceled in 2020 and faced spotty cancellations due to the emerging delta COVID variant in 2021, and more recently the omicron variant. The contractors I’ve spoken to recently expect their traditional events customers to place orders and follow through this summer, but they understand the outlook can change swiftly at the whim of the mutating virus.
HOW ABOUT EVENT PLANNERS?
Recent reported surveys show event organizers live in a parallel universe to restroom contractors. They feel good about the summer ahead, but they realize planning and executing their events is more complicated than it was in 2019 and before. Bizbash.com asked event planners how they were feeling about 2022. Some expected a big comeback; others were mindful that adjustments may be necessary to hold events safely and successfully.
“My biggest hope for the industry is that we come back not only bigger and better than ever, but also wiser,” said Vivian Perez, sales and marketing manager for Metro Events in San Francisco. “We have learned a lot during the past two years, and I hope we don’t forget those lessons. We got creative and scrappy. We pivoted. Most importantly, we showed a lot of support for each other.”
Eric Holmen, of California’s Splash, said there may be a continued trend toward smaller, targeted events to generate revenue. “I think we are all hoping for and expecting a bigger comeback of in-person events in 2022. A survey we recently conducted at Splash indicates that a comeback is coming: 50% of respondents said they plan to host more in-person events.”
Kristin Martinez, of Fast Forward Events in San Diego, said partners and suppliers for events will have to address pricing, labor structures and terms and clauses in contracts to ensure success in a world of uncertainty. “Having a partner on the other side of the contract means that risk and negative impacts can be mitigated. This requires trust, openness and willingness to change, and copious amounts of grace as we all navigate recovery. I really think that some creative problem solving and breaking out of the ‘that’s how it’s always been’ will change the landscape of what is possible and how we do it.”
“The silver lining of the pandemic is that attendees are viewing live events with a new sense of appreciation and thus enabling planners to drive better engagement rates,” said Colleen Brzozowski, of Sodexo Live in Chicago. “People want to feel the excitement of an in-person networking event.”
SAFETY IS JOB ONE
A new report from TheVendry.com noted drastic changes to the event industry since the beginning of the pandemic, concluding that public health and safety have emerged as a top priority for event organizers. Among other safeguards, the report said events will stress the need for sanitizing stations and may require attendees and others involved in events to provide proof of vaccination and follow masking protocols as necessary.
“While we continue to aspire and work toward a pandemic-free existence, hand sanitizing is likely an event must-have for the indefinite future, even though sooner rather than later masks will, fingers crossed, become obsolete,” the report stated.
Chicago-based business consulting firm Hub International released a report about insurance risks for special events in 2022, indicating that proof-of-vaccination requirements for event attendees and workers will be part of the new normal. It noted the success of the 2021 Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, which required vaccination and negative COVID tests. It said 90% of almost 400,000 festival goers were vaccinated and only 203 COVID cases were tracked to the event.
As the event industry tries to meet pent-up demand in 2022, Hub International said labor is a significant issue. After the live concert industry imploded in 2020, many of its skilled workers went away. Now festival planners are caught up in the global labor shortage and will have difficulty hiring to adequately staff events. Also, after a pattern of canceled events the past two years, prices for liability and event cancellation insurance have risen 20%, threatening profitability.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
These are some of the same concerns PROs — and the entire wastewater industry — have moving into the busy season. Labor competition seems at an all-time high as the pool of available workers have many options and will chase money, benefits and favorable working conditions. The cost of doing business, all around, is rising with supply chain issues, fuel price hikes and, well, the same insurances sought by event companies.
One point made by the event planners rings especially true. Your customers need cooperative and communicative business partners to be able to pull off successful events in these uncertain times. More than ever, they should lean on the expertise of portable sanitation professionals to recommend appropriate restroom placements and service protocols at every major event. And when they order more equipment for a margin of safety, PROs must be ready to deliver.
How is your event preparation going for 2022? Are your biggest and best fairs and festivals gearing up for a return to pre-pandemic attendance? I have heard a mix of hope and concern in my discussions with PROs in the past few months, but I believe events are on a major upswing.
That said, I want to hear from you. We’re in need of events to cover for our On Location feature. We’d like to cover your company and the resurgence of some of your favorite special events this year. Drop me a line at editor@promonthly and we’ll look forward to including your crew and your special event partners in a feature story. And good luck this summer!
