Tickets for this year’s holiday events will be in high demand. Thanks in large part to months of social distancing and limited entertainment opportunities, folks are excited to get out and celebrate the holidays however they can. That said, while the safety of all remains a top concern around the world, it’s important for event organizers to pay special attention to government regulations and common sense practices to protect employees and attendees all season long.
Our team has worked alongside countless organizations who have implemented new and innovative safety protocols to welcome visitors during an ongoing pandemic, using our virtually limitless event toolkit to help achieve this. Read on for our breakdown of five key areas you should take into consideration when planning your 2020 holiday events!
Implement Timed Admissions
Managing admission into your experience is the first thing you need to tackle when it comes to maintaining social distancing measures. By implementing a timed entry strategy where you can sell tickets to individual time slots, you’ll ensure your attendees are entering your exhibit safely and without the need to wait in long lines. With our system’s customizable timed entry options, you’ll have the ability to limit capacity by the hour, half hour, or whatever interval you choose, keeping crowds at a safe and manageable level and enabling you to maximize ticket sales by spreading out attendees to the times of day that are typically less popular. Plus, with the additional step of scanning guests out when they leave, you’ll have a down-to-the-minute record of how many attendees are within your event, and who each of them are.
Collect Customer Information
Before attendees set foot into your holiday wonderland, it’s important to know exactly who will be attending and when. In preparation for the potential need to identify and reach out to attendees who may have come into contact with someone who is sick, you should explore putting an effective contact tracing system in place. The first step you’ll want to take is adding required fields within your ticket checkout process such as the name, email, and other contact information of all adults who will enter your event (not just the individual who is purchasing the tickets). Also, consider adding custom questions and waivers within your ticket checkout to reiterate your safety precautions and receive any additional customer information you may want, like what city they’re from and how they plan to travel to your event. These pieces of information, coupled with your timed entry policies, can prove to be an incredibly helpful tool in identifying and contacting every potentially affected customer.
Provide a Contactless On-site Experience
Eliminate the need for hand-to-hand contact at your experience by requiring all ticket sales be done online prior to arrival. Not only will this will help enforce your timed entry policies, it’ll further your efforts to keep your staff and attendees safe by simplifying the admissions process to a quick scan of their phone screen or printed ticket. Plus, if your experience offers on-site concessions and merchandise, consider using our system also to list these items as add-ons within the ticket checkout so attendees can pre-purchase their branded merchandise and hot cocoa before they arrive!
Consider Your Event Layout
Considerations like entry and exit locations, restroom access, and crowd flow have always been a major key to an optimal event layout, but with social distancing top of mind, your floor plan has never been more important. You’ll want to spend extra time this year ensuring that safe distances can be kept at every point of your experience. This could include marking the floor with social distancing stickers in your admissions area, installing face-height plexiglass barriers between visitors and ticket scanners, taking extra care to keep main thoroughfares clear of concession stands or displays where guests might congregate, and, of course, making sure hand sanitizing stations and extra masks are available throughout the venue.
Clearly Explain Your Efforts
Making sure your attendees are fully aware of the steps you’ve taken to ensure safety within your holiday experience can be just as important as the safety measures themselves. Make it clear to guests before they arrive, and throughout the event, the protocols, cleaning regimens, venue requirements, and government regulations your team is adhering to. Post your safety efforts and guidelines for guests on your social media accounts and on your website so they are prepared when they arrive.
For your employees, ensuring they feel safe will affect how your guests feel. Be sure to properly communicate your venue’s guidelines to each employee and volunteer, provide proper equipment such as masks and gloves, and hold them accountable for their actions. Take additional steps like installing plexiglass inside break rooms for employees and staggering shifts so the same people work together to cut down on possible exposure. Above all else, employee and customer safety takes absolute precedence, so it’s important that all parties are aware of what’s needed to ensure a clean, welcoming environment!