If this article caught your attention, you probably have a small company that was heavily challenged by the economic crisis due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Event staffing was indeed involved too!
First of all, congratulations! Because you are still fighting, you didn’t give up, and you are willing to do anything to make your company survive so that your employees and clients can keep counting on you.
Second of all, you should know that in this article you won’t find magic formulas nor tips that can apply to everyone. Every business is unique, and our suggestions may not apply to your situation.
If you keep reading, we hope to give you some exciting ideas, to help you survive the crisis and why not, grow your business too.
One last disclaimer: individuals and single companies can’t solve the global crisis. It must be dealt with by governments, political and economic unions and to a worldwide level. We know that, while you are reading conflicting news about public resources and support, the worst feeling is that powerlessness against obstacles. That’s why we will give you some suggestions on what you can do to increase your chances of recovery, no matter what economical support or tax relief is available in your country.
Rox Event Staff is the only event staffing agency in the UK that helps you take the headache out of staffing and event marketing in one place.
We operate nationwide across the UK with over 2,000 dynamic COVID-19 trained event staff on our growing roster. We have dedicated account management, event marketers, staff’s right-to-work checks, training and skills tests on all workers, taking care of payroll too.
We are leaving you free to focus on your business!
1. Learn to think like a startup to survive the crisis
This crisis won’t finish soon, so “hanging in there until things will get back to normal” may not be the best strategy to survive the crisis. Even if you have some savings that allow you to survive, there is still the risk that your business won’t be supportable for a long time.
To maximise the chance of survival and success, you are required to make a mental effort far higher than any accomplished entrepreneur during regular times. Think about your company as a brand new project, or even starting from scratch, in the current market.
Ask yourself what you would do if you would start a whole new company right now and what kind of structure it may have. Then, try to come closer to this kind of “ideal” imaginary startup from your current real business, as much as you can. Be open-minded; don’t limit yourself. Every idea is important and deserves your attention.
Contact us to learn how to be back at events safe from Covid-19 associated risks.
2. Focus on your team and learn to listen
Talking about ideas to listen: don’t focus only on yours, listen to those of your employees, on any level in your company. Listen to who works for, and with you, it will help you not only to hunt for great ideas but also help you understand the necessity of your employees and be open to their needs in your business.
Allow your colleagues to satisfy their needs to manage the stress these times are causing, as much as you can, with flexible hours and working from home. Build a conversation based on trust, and most of all, always guarantee safety at work.
If your employees receive genuine support, you can count on a tenacious team that will go the extra mile and will never step back to overcome the crisis. Surviving alone is impossible, but with your colleagues and employees’ help, this can change.
3. Hire only Covid-19 trained event staff
From October events will start again in the UK. What we found out during this pandemic is that the event professionals’ community online is enormous! You are not alone.
At Rox Event Staff, we are trying to play our part. All our 2,000 temporary event staff is now Covid-19 trained so they can all go back to events in October knowing how to keep themselves, our clients and event attendees safe from Covid-19 associated risks.
All event professionals are called to play their part in this. If we want to see our beloved industry back, we all have the responsibility to facilitate this. Our hosts and hostesses, exhibition staff, promotional girls, event staff, brand ambassadors, event managers and other corporate event staff are ready!
Let me tell the story of the hummingbird. This story is about a massive fire that is destroying the forest. All the animals living in the forest are running away from the fire to save their life. They all felt overwhelmed, powerless looking at their home being destroyed; except one of them: the hummingbird. It says, “I’m going to do something about this fire!”
So it flies to the nearest river and takes a drop of water. It puts it on the fire and keeps repeating it back and forth, back and forth as fast as it can. In the meantime, all the other animals, such as big ones like elephants that could carry so much water, stood there, looking hopelessly at the forest.
They all say to the little bird “what do you think you are doing? You are too little. The first is too strong. Few drops of water won’t save our forest.” As they keep discouraging the hummingbird, it turns to them as answers “At least, I am playing my part and doing the best I can”.
This is a little story we like to remind ourselves. I hope you will find it useful too. Even if alone we may seem powerless, it’s crucial now, more than ever, that we all play our part and try our best to bring events to a “new normal”. Many event professionals already proved to be resilient hummingbirds.
Providing Covid-19 trained event staff to our clients is our drop of water. Hopefully, we can all stick together to get our industry back stronger than before and extinguish this fire.
You can read more about our event staff’s Covid-19 training certification here.
Suggestion: Covid-19 Risk Assessment for Events
4. Reorganise your business marketing, removing useless expenses and outdated campaigns
For many companies investing in marketing, maintaining old campaigns to save up on promotion is a strong temptation. However, it is necessary to filter the content you want to spread right now meticulously. Some messages may seem insensitive at this moment, or calling to a past “normality” many of your clients don’t have access. It’s better investing in new marketing campaigns and get rid of the old ones completely.
How can you cut out unnecessary expenses in times of crisis? You could reconsider every single investment, focusing on what gave you best results in the past and giving up those that didn’t give you satisfying conversions. It doesn’t necessarily mean to spend less, but to obtain a higher Return Of Investment.
About Rox Event Staff, Event Staffing Agency in London
Rox Event Staff is the only event staffing agency in London that helps you take the headache out of staffing and event marketing in one place.
We operate nationwide across the UK with over 2,000 dynamic COVID-19 trained events staff on our growing roster. We have dedicated account management, event marketers, staff’s right-to-work checks, training and skills tests on all workers, taking care of payroll too.
Hiring a professional Event Staffing Agency leaves you free to focus on your business!
Events in the UK will retake place from October. If you want to safely maximise engagement on your next trade show speak to a member of the Rox Event Staff team to find out how we’ll make it happen!
How are you getting ready to be back at events, safely from Covid-19 associated risks? Let us know in the comments below! Hopefully, we can all stick together to get our industry back stronger than before.