Opinion by Sunil Narang, general manager – Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai
Almost a year into the Covid-19 pandemic and everyone in our industry has witnessed some kind of event getting either cancelled or postponed. From weddings to MICE conferences, from exhibitions to celebrations, no gathering has been impervious to the risks that continue to be posed by the pandemic.
In India, much of the hospitality, tourism, and events sector came to a grinding halt in March. Since then, everybody’s attention, and quite rightly so has been on alleviating concerns around health and safety, and offering solutions rooted in empathy and care. By Q4 of 2020, events had resumed the world over, albeit with much precaution and safety nets in place. Social events like weddings and ancillary events are the ones driving the pace and we’re gradually seeing the demand returning for in- person events.
Providing the event hosts and attendees with the confidence and assurance that their health and safety is the top priority is of primary importance. At Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, we are guided by our enhanced global health and safety programme, Lead With Care, and are incredibly proud to work alongside international experts to inform our health and safety decisions during the pandemic. In this new environment, our approach to health and safety is about doing what we do best – continuing to demonstrate personalised and genuine care while strengthening our already stringent and industry- leading health and safety procedures, enhancing tools and training, and embracing technological innovation.
The one thing that Covid-19 has taught us is the importance of being flexible. Preparedness for the unexpected is a crucial takeaway from this pandemic and to adapt to the current ever-changing nature of the environment around us, agility and customisation are of essence.
Given the year that’s gone by, events are restricted to smaller numbers for the foreseeable future. While this puts a damper on larger-than-life celebrations, there is an opportunity here for us to curate premium, niche experiences.
Another trend that’s on the rise is the concept of staycation weddings versus a destination wedding or a non-residential one where the wedding parties can look forward to cocooning themselves in a safe haven within the comforts of the hotel.
As for corporate events, conventions, expos, and MICE events, getting back to normalcy will take some time. However, in the interim, one can expect more sophisticated virtual participation options driven by technology.
Through the course of 2020, Covid-19 has led to an en masse shift towards the use of digital solutions and it is likely that events in this post-pandemic world will adopt a hybrid model, with organisers bringing in speakers and attendees both in-person and virtually. Event organisers will no doubt identify potential in these hybrid event formats to elevate the production value of virtual events. After all, we are highly social beings and the serendipity of face-to-face meetings and interactions is something that virtual platforms cannot do complete justice to.
If anything, this new normal has taught the importance of fostering connections. The key is to find the right balance that serves towards satisfying our fundamental need for human connections whilst making upgrades to accommodate this new reality we find ourselves in.
