Singapore Events Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic

It has been quite a few months since the coronavirus crisis has taken the world by storm and the situation just doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

Ever since the World Health Organisation declared this COVID-19 situation a global pandemic, the Singapore government has also stepped in to provide some guidelines for events and gatherings. “Social distancing”, sitting further apart, going online or even limiting the number of participants to below 250 are some key ideas at the top of mind now.

“Should we postpone our wedding banquet during this coronavirus period?”

“Should our events be cancelled or shall we try to keep it within 250 participants?”

“If my event were to go on, will people actually attend?”

These are probably some of the questions going on in the minds of stakeholders who have upcoming functions, events, banquets etc.

On the other side of the coin, much of the workforce in the events or even MICE industry are freelancers. Have you ever watched the movie Titanic and remember the scene whereby the ship is sinking but the music band hangs in there and continue playing to keep up the good cheer? It is probably a good analogy of how these freelance workers are handling the situation right now.

With many events being cancelled, jobs are scarce and their income is greatly affected. Yet till date, no form of assistance has been announced for the events/MICE industry.

While this article isn’t trying to provide a solution to the present situation, what can be fairly said is that if you are organizing an event and have to cancel it due to COVID-19, do try and give your vendors (i.e. emcees, entertainers, photographers etc) the next opportunity by re-engaging them when you are having your event again. Granted schedule might not match perfectly for everyone, but let them know that their service is something you still greatly desire.

United by the love for organizing, entertaining, and having people come together, the events industry will definitely tide through this challenging times together.