The Pandemic's Over. Are People Ready to Attend Public Events and Activities Again? Yes and No.

There’s no doubt the pandemic has impacted the way we look at public events. In 2020 alone, the live events industry lost nearly $30 billion due to Covid-19.

This interactive map from Our World in Data really shows how much the public events space was affected by strict government restrictions that were put in place to stem the rise of new Covid-19 infections.

In 2023, many Covid restrictions will be lifted, and this will have a definite impact on public events and gatherings. But does this mean that people are ready to attend their favorite concert, trade show, or even their neighbor’s backyard BBQ party?

It depends on who you ask. According to the Pew Research Center, who conducted a survey asking people what rose and fell in importance for them during the pandemic, many have mixed feelings about going out again. Whereas protecting personal health is still very important, many people place personal value on social gatherings, both large and small. For this group, nearly 26% of respondents, going out and being social is more important now that it was pre-pandemic. 

At the same time, a large group of respondents, nearly 35%, say that social gatherings were less important to them now than before the pandemic.

With such a mixed response to social events and activities post-pandemic, what can one do? The answer is not simple. For those who organize events and activities, what can they do to engage audiences so that they’ll be comfortable socializing publicly again?

According to Fast Company, one way to approach this problem is to meet your customer where they are. Many people are still worried about going to public events. As an event organizer, to understand the people who are likely to attend events in a post-pandemic world requires special insight. Invite customers to share ideas, concerns, and perspectives. And thus learn what kinds of social activities they’re willing to go to.

Not an easy task. 

Boonoob has the tools that allow event organizers to connect with their audiences. With audience engagement tools like chat and social built right in, organizers can hear directly from the people who are interested in attending their events, and thus plan accordingly. And that’s just the beginning of what Boonoob has to offer.

About Boonoob

Boonoob is an app that helps people build communities around real-world activities. Download it at the App Store and Google Play.