We’re Keeping Our Champagne On Ice The signs continue to be positive. Buoyed by the continuing success of the UK’s vaccination programme and with an estimated £160bn of savings burning a hole in our pockets, economists are predicting a swift

We’re Keeping Our Champagne On Ice The signs continue to be positive. Buoyed by the continuing success of the UK’s vaccination programme and with an estimated £160bn of savings burning a hole in our pockets, economists are predicting a swift economic recovery. The OECD’s upwardly-revised forecast for the UK indicates growth of 7.2% in 2021 and a further 5.5% in 2022. The pound is up. Business lending is down. The fourth and final step of the government’s lockdown roadmap is almost upon us. For the live events and experiences industry, surely it’s time to crack open the fizz? At TFI Lodestar, as hopeful as we are about what lies around the corner, we’ve decided to keep the champagne in the fridge for now. That’s not to say we aren’t busy. On the contrary, we’ve been helping many of our clients prepare for this moment for months – thanks to the ready availability of effective hybrid events solutions, they are well-placed to benefit from the coming financial upturn. In recent weeks things have become even busier – right now we’re working round the clock planning a number of live events for delivery as soon as the end of this month. We’re watching developments closely, tweaking our plans almost daily, and are already learning a lot about visitor perceptions towards live events. These learnings are set to increase once we get onsite and will be of great value to us, our clients, our audiences, and to the way we plan live events for the foreseeable future. And, of course, we’re delighted and excited to have so much going on.

But there is still nervousness out there, and it’s understandable to see so many clients taking the wait-and-see approach. Having a clearer view of likely outcomes is no bad thing when you’re trying to strategise your way out of a series of wholl

But there is still nervousness out there, and it’s understandable to see so many clients taking the wait-and-see approach. Having a clearer view of likely outcomes is no bad thing when you’re trying to strategise your way out of a series of wholly unprecedented circumstances. For those organisations with limited resources, or with plans overly reliant on contingency, it is wiser to play a more tentative game, to let others take the step first and see how things play out. That’s why, for now, we’re keeping a lid on our excitement. There are still many unanswered questions about what the new normal is going to look like. The Delta variant continues to trouble scientists, and talk of further lockdowns persists. How far will social-distancing and mask-wearing rules need to remain in place? Do we really have this virus under control, or are there more setbacks ahead? For as long as questions like these remain, the widely heralded live events explosion and ‘roaring 20s’ will be, at best, very unevenly distributed.

The overwhelmingly positive news, however, is that whatever lies ahead we at least know that there are no longer any insurmountable barriers to reaching and engaging audiences. The shift towards hybrid has opened up new possibilities and better

The overwhelmingly positive news, however, is that whatever lies ahead we at least know that there are no longer any insurmountable barriers to reaching and engaging audiences. The shift towards hybrid has opened up new possibilities and better ways of hardwiring flexibility into business communications strategies. Our message to clients and prospects is simple: it’s safe to go ahead, secure in the knowledge that the show will go on and core objectives will be met. We’re working hard to get this message across, and to rebuild confidence in the way clients perceive our industry and our services. The champagne can wait. 14.06.21 < Back to news