While players like Bharat Matrimony have seen an increase in online activity amongst those planning a wedding, actual weddings have been cut down to size, challenging the very notion of the ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’.

Weddings have become intimate but are still allowed. This is not the case with most other live on-ground events. What does the industry need to put in place to tell the government that it’s safe to organise ground events now? A set of SOPs in the Covid19 context.
 
Even as the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) prepares a list of SOPs for different kinds of events post the lockdown, EVENTFAQS Media asked some professionals for their take.   

India should, like some other jurisdictions, be ready with a set of guidelines for live on-ground events. We asked them what should be included in those guidelines.

“We just need to implement the guidelines with sincerity and honesty.” 

- Achint Nag, Founder & Director, Krayonz Entertainment

Yes, India must definitely be ready for live/on-ground events with a set of guidelines. 

In my opinion, since nothing is going to be a fool-proof solution, simple hygiene levels must be implemented. 

- Sanitisation of the venue after set-ups are done is one of the most important aspect of keeping the virus away
- All other guidelines are already so well defined, we just need to implement them with sincerity and honesty. 

There must not be any blame games if any incident occurs post-event - nor should we blame hotels/venues/event teams nor the guests who have decided to move forward with their events based on government guidelines...Guidelines do not guarantee anything!

“The guidelines should not differ from state to state.”
- Keyur Patel, Director, Prasang Events and Entertainment

I think India should be ready with guidelines and they should release it by this month because since the last five or six months India has been suffering. All the business and event fraternity is affected and now it’s high time to release it as there will be more casualty in the psychological as well as the financial conditions. My take:

- Same set of guidelines for the entire country and it should not differ from state to state, because as an event/wedding planner we work in all the states to plan and execute destination weddings. If there are different norms in each state, then it will create confusion, which will require a lot of permission process and this will make it difficult for us to manage. 
- Direct online permissions have to be there instead of going to various authorities. 
- There must be different guidelines for indoor and outdoor events because outdoor events have more space, more facilities. For outdoors, there should also be more flexibility in terms of number of people as it has a larger area compared to indoor venues. Indoor events should have more restriction because it’s a closed area, so movement flexibility will be less.
- Finally, all the other SOPs which are already there for hotels or restaurants or malls should remain the same - like sanitisation, health and safety measures and all that. I feel if these guidelines are considered, it will help the business to grow and come back faster. 

"The show must go on"

- Pratik and Jueta Hemdev, Founders YOLO Entertainment & Weddings

As we believe, the show must go on. It would be ideal for our industry to have a pre-documented checklist of guidelines to be followed to ensure safety, health being of primary importance! 

Well for starters all those norms that have been issued by our Government must be adhered to:

1. 50 pax at an event, with only the most required teams onsite during the event/celebrations/wedding. 

2. All teams/vendors/guests to be checked - contactless temperature checks to be done before entry to the venue, thermal screening can be done at entry points of venues. 

3. Pre-Covid19 tests / Antibody tests - 48 hours prior to the event,  could become a necessity for teams/vendors/guests before that particular event. 

4. Social distancing norms to be followed thoroughly whether it means spacing out tables/lounges of every guest at the venue or using mobile bars/food service stations at regular intervals around the venue / or a buffet system while maintaining the distance.

5. The table setting can be arranged with round tables or with long tables set in a ‘'U' so that the guests are seated at a proper distance yet they can see and communicate with each other. At the event, the host and staff members need to ensure that guests maintain a minimum distance of six feet between each other.

6. Masks to be worn at all times, sanitisers to be placed at every possible touchpoint at the venue and pre-sanitization of the venue to be carried out right before the event/celebration takes place. 

7. Contactless/virtual purchasing of tickets to avoid crowding, the entry in concert halls could be done in batches prior to the event maintaining the required distance all throughout. 

8. Promote more outdoor events than indoor events. In the case of indoor ballrooms or banquet halls, proper ventilation and well-spaced out seating arrangements should be made mandatory.

9. Keeping additional masks and one-day kits of Covid19 testing at every event venue for an emergency. 

10. Past travel history must be checked of guests and teams during the curation of the event.

11. In order to reinforce the social distancing norm and avoid mingling at the venue, guests can also be invited on a rotational attendance basis, with designated time slots that can be mutually agreed upon for a couple of hours each. 

12. Decoration at the venue should be put up in such a way that guests are not able to touch it to avoid any communicable risks.“Like how weddings are allowed to happen, events too can happen.” 

- Zubair Abdul Waheed, Managing Director, Zzeeh Productions 

As artistes are suffering badly during this pandemic, it's high time the government starts following other countries and starts live/on-ground events at least for a limited set of people. 

Like how weddings are allowed to happen, events too can happen. I feel every person who has to attend should get themselves tested two days prior to the event. This in turn helps the government as well. As it will be easy to detect patients who don't usually have any symptoms but they can affect others.

The following guidelines must be added:

- Maintain 6 ft social distancing 
- Chairs to be kept 3 ft away from each other 
- If cluster seating is of four tables, then only four people allowed to sit 
- Buffet system not to be encouraged
- Compulsory screening at the entry with oxymeter and temperature check 
- Ticketing encouraged through digital transactions only 
- No physical networking

EEMA is set to release its guidelines next week. 

Have a suggestion for the event industry's unlock? Mail: mugdha@eventfaqs.com