March 2020 – All of this commotion about the Coronavirus is starting to freak me out. ?
I recently attended the U SPORTS Final 8 Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships and it was a popular topic of conversation. I ran into so many of my sport colleagues at this event and everyone was speculating on which events would be a go and which ones would be ultimately cancelled.
This is rocking my world for 2 reasons:
- A big part of the work we do at iSPARK is event production. Up to this point in my career, I have never had to deal with the cancellation of an event on short notice. I can’t even wrap my head around what that would entail.
- I never get sick. I can’t even remember the last time I had a cold or flu. I literally never get sick. I chalk it up to two things – I take zinc on a daily basis to boost my immune system. Plus, I work from home and am not interacting with co-workers in an office environment where germs are prevalent.
These days I am spending a lot of time thinking about ‘what if’ scenarios. I am also reflecting back on my blog on how to survive an event crisis. I wrote it in March of 2017. One of the lines in that blog is:
How ironic that I referenced a contagious disease as a cheeky way to poke fun at all the reasons why there is no need to hit the panic button when something goes sideways at an event.
My new reality is this –
I have spent the last week ordering cases of hand sanitizer for an upcoming event of 400+ people, researching alternative ways to greet people other than a hug or handshake, and reading the fine print in event cancellation insurance policies. My lighthearted attempt to laugh off event crises three years ago now feels rather inappropriate.
Stay healthy everyone – and wash your damn hands! ?
