Italy destination wedding villa

After many months of quarantining and social distancing, we’re finally starting to look forward to the time when in-person events are able to resume. And, even though at this stage it isn’t possible to guarantee a COVID-free event, there are many measures that can be put in place to reduce the possibility of any infection. The well-being of our clients and their guests, as well as of our staff, is vitally important to me. That’s why I’ve been working hard over the last few months to research the latest innovations and put them in place so that you can throw the most COVID-friendly party possible! Here are just some of the safety measures you can expect to see as options during planning our events in future.

Effective On-Site Testing

The ideal for any COVID-friendly party is to have fast testing available, which it now is in the US. Although the price point is a little higher, it’s certainly worth it for peace of mind! The process is simple and less intrusive. It is applied to the tongue, with results in just fifteen minutes. We would recommend having nurses on standby to test guests in the car before their arrival. Another good idea is to provide entertainment while they wait.

Another service available takes guests’ temperatures during the event. This can be done discreetly from a distance, so as to minimize disruption to attendees with an infrared thermal camera from Peeble Event Solution.

Sanitization Stations

Hand sanitization will inevitably be part of events going forward. But it can be done in a way that is pretty as well as practical! For example, guests can be gifted bottles of hand sanitizer, customized with the client’s logo. This can be added to a welcome basket or placed at a special station, perhaps along with some beautiful personalized masks. Chic hydraulic hand wash dispensers can also be placed around the event space – I especially love the gorgeous pink, gold, and silver ones by Paolo Castelli, Milan. Personalized dispensers are another option.

covid-friendly-party-hydraulic-dispensers

covid-friendly-party-hydraulic-dispensers

UV Lamps, Fans & Steam Guns

There have been some incredible innovations in sterilization equipment that I’m already starting to use at events. The first is UVC sterilization lamps, which are also used in hospitals. They harness ultraviolet light to ionize oxygen and produce ozone, which in turn kills pathogens. These lamps are particularly useful for deep cleaning before an event, and to station in bathrooms and production offices. Smaller versions of the same technology, portable UV light sanitizer wands, are also readily available and are conveniently battery-operated.

Our light and sound supplier, BS Technology used in recent Bastille Day celebrations an exciting new product from Luxibel that proposed some disinfectant lamps. One of them can function throughout the event and can safely be used while guests are in the event space while the other one cannot be used in the direct contact of the people.

We often rent Brumiz fans for summer events in the South of France to keep guests cool. These fans have now been cleverly adapted to include a natural water-based disinfectant that can be sprayed around food and people without any risk. These can now be a regular feature at our events. Handheld steam guns are another option, allowing guests to be sterilized before entering the party.

Food & Drink Service

The way that food and drinks are served is likely to be quite different post-Coronavirus. We are working with our catering partners to come up with creative solutions, many of which will require fewer staff members. One option I recently discovered is a ‘virtual bartender’ that allows guests to order delicious cocktails without interacting with a barman. It includes a menu of over 2000 drinks, as well as the option to mix their own. It’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Making seating plan is complicated and even more with all the social distancing regulation. We usually use Top Table Planner to organise our event seating.

Gifting

Usually, we propose refreshing scented towel from Oshibori before a meal or while dancing. Yet now, Oshibori  has quickly adapted and created an antiseptic scented towel impregnated with a hydroalcoholic solution for the disinfection of hands and surfaces. We personalize the Oshibori towels to put in the plate settings for the guests.

Of course, we have updated our welcome basket service for the COVID-friendly party era too! As well as the custom hand sanitizers I mentioned earlier, guests can enjoy practical treasures like no-touch door openers or airplane seat covers. And, of course, stylish masks are a must. You can even customize them or tie them into your theme or destination. For example, these summer season print masks from La Boutique De Mode Capri are perfect for an Italian or Amalfi Coast celebration.

Welcome Basket Covid

Of course, we’ll continue to bring you the latest COVID-friendly party developments and ideas, so that you and your guests can focus on enjoying every minute of being together again…without feeling like Covid effected your event!

Thursday September 24th, 2020

How to Host a Fabulous COVID-Friendly Party or Event

begin your
alejandra poupel events experience