What the experts are saying about how venues recover from the Covid crisis

"Venues need to start saying yes to customers. Even if the ask isn't something you'd have offered before. These aren't normal times. Just saying no doesn't help you win business, or see the opportunities to adapt your service."

"Sustainable events have really resonated and are here to stay. Whether they be multiple local locations connected through a platform, or an event with a mixture of in-person and remote attendees and sessions, the broader reach, cost savings and environmental benefits are really powerful."

"Putting on virtual and hybrid events isn't free. In fact it can be pretty expensive to organise and assemble everything that's required for it to run smoothly. Getting the commercial models right for organisers and attendees is critical."

"Virtual weddings aren't new, and we're likely to see the happy couple continue to see the benefit of having elderly relatives attend the parts of the day that are important from a remote location. It's really about using the right terminology to describe the in-person and remote elements of each event. What resonates for a wedding is not the same as for a business conference."

"We've had business people come in between lockdowns with their laptops to meet colleagues. They have some breakfast, stay the day, order lunch and a few coffees and it is the equivalent value of selling a business meeting. It just took place in the restaurant rather than the conference room. There are opportunities to adapt."

"Re-scheduling cancellations is as much about reasonableness as it is about T&Cs. We haven't seen the impact of the pandemic on supplier costs for example. Whilst venues will do their best to honour the terms of cancelled bookings, they can't afford to do so in a way that isn't viable."