In the wake of what most of us couldn’t believe was a global pandemic due to COVID 19, a wave of cancellations initially came through because we were all suddenly told that there could be no more than 10 people in a room. Coachella was postponed and with-it Festival season. The entirety of the Strip closed down for the first time since John F Kennedy’s Funeral in 1963. Though synonymous with tragedy, it’s the first time the strip closed to Prevent one.  Mass gatherings, the heart, and soul of Meetings and Events were banned, and our industry, The Event Industry, didn’t just take an insignificant hit. Someone had hit the stop button altogether, and while life continued, the Event Industry went into a deep coma induced fever dream of Zoom meetings with your boss and everyday casual Fridays.

Almost 3 months after lockdown due to COVID 19 and we’re not on the other side, but we’re definitely preparing. We’re getting ready to go outside again and reclaim our jobs, and our way of life. With this, however, we are also tasked with protecting our guests, our community, and each other. This is a responsibility we all have to uphold so that life can move forward and not just go back to the way things were but be so much better because of what’s happened. This is no small feat, and while we want to emphasize the strength in community and each other, we can only progress if we take precautions.  So, here are the precautions and guidelines, all backed up by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Federal Coronavirus Taskforce’s Guidelines, that our team, at LV Photo, are taking to ensure the health of our guests and the prevention of furthering the spread of COVID19.

Sick? Stay Home:

This is the most important step we’re taking and enforcing. the event industry is often known for creating the perfect environment for workers to get sick. Often this 24/7 business pushes many to their health limits, but now more than ever it’s not something we can disregard. If any of our team members are sick, they’re staying home. 

Protective Gear:

All of our Event staff will wear sleek, attractive, neutral-colored, certified N95 masks and gloves. Masks can often be bulky and unattractive, so, we’re making sure our team looks just as good in their protective gear.

Disinfecting Supplies: 

Paper towels, trash baskets, cleaners, and disinfectants will all be available for our Team Members to use in order to carry out preventative cleaning measures.

Hand Sanitation:

We will provide Hand Sanitizing stations, using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, as suggested by the CDC, before and after interacting with our emailing stations. 

Routine Cleaning: 

We will be wiping down any and all surfaces between event guests to ensure clean safe operation. 

Diminish Contact when possible: 

We are working hard to update our email station operations to create a contactless emailing experience. Stay tuned.

Maintaining Distance:

We are going to create line spacing indicating proper distance measures, as well as isolating our event staff whenever possible. 

Promote these Protocols:

We are committed to respectfully promoting and requesting that guests follow these practices we’ve implemented so that everyone can stay safe. 

As Event Photographers, we have extremely close relations to many event planners who are taking the same precautions to ensure everyone’s safety. Here are some other suggestions to take into consideration when planning your next event.

The Venue:

According to recent CDC testing, Outdoor venues are favorable and typically safer since the conditions diminish the possibility of coronavirus (COVID 19) infection.

The Dining Options:

Consider safer dining options when possible. Avoid using buffet-style or self-service dining options since they can lead to an environment where infection risk could be higher. Consider well-spaced sit-down eating options. Remember that, whenever possible, there should always be 6 ft. in between each guest.

Attendees:

Consider the number of attendees and the density within the venue. You’ll have less to worry about in an outdoor venue when it comes to this. You must also consider whether the group of guests may be at higher risk with the virus. For example, if your guests are primarily elderly or more likely to be compromised.

Safety Practices:

Encourage your guests to follow safety practices. Encourage them to wear safety gear, keep their distance, and constantly wash their hands, and avoid touching their face.

We must follow these guidelines so that the closing of the strip and those 70 days in quarantine were not done in vain. We must follow these guidelines out of respect for our essential and frontline workers. We must promote these guidelines so that a year from now when a vaccine gives us the freedom we might’ve once taken for granted, we can look back and be happy we made it through together. 

Historically, it is proven that COVID 19 too shall pass. For example, when people think of the Roaring ’20s a slew of images come to mind. Think Great Gatsby parties, flappers, people dancing, drinking, having a time, and ultimately enjoying life to its fullest potential, maybe too much. However, not many think about why. No one thinks about the fact that they too, earlier in the decade, got out of a Pandemic (the Spanish Flu). They went through prohibition and the Great Depression. Despite all of this, the ’20s roared with excitement, and if we take care of each other, There’s sure to be a roaring party on the other side – a celebration of life.