The Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Event Spaces: Crisis Management and Client Retention

Alessandra
Belcastro

Belcastro, Alessandra

About me

Alessandra is a new graduate effective June 2021 earning an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree at Ryerson University. She majored in Professional Communication and minored in Public Relations. Her work has been recognized on Ryerson’s FCAD Student ShowcaseCJRU Podcast, and her passion for business and hospitality has allowed her to assist in the creation of the Business of Events and Entertainment course as part of Ryerson’s Hospitality and Tourism Management department.

Alessandra has a background in corporate, wedding, and private event planning with an interest in opportunities around business development, crisis management, and event design and production.

Research

Research

The aim of this research involves an investigation into the event planning and hospitality industries amidst the current global pandemic. As an industry reliant upon large social gatherings, the impact on businesses within these sectors have been significant, both at a micro and macro level.

The research conducted explores the intersection of the pandemic and event planning industry through an observation of the micro level interactions between event-based businesses and their clientele. As recent events have indicated, these two audiences have encountered new challenges related to the uncertainty surrounding deposits, rebooking event spaces, and communications. A variety of incidents suggest that small businesses in particular have struggled to remain financially operable, making it challenging (and sometimes impossible) to return client deposits, especially as those who booked events (now cancelled due to COVID-19) expect refunds. The study’s findings illuminate a number of related issues, such as the changing nature of event sustainability, policy practices, and client communication, all of which are new areas of exploration within this field of research.

Lightning Talk

Project Tags

economic; impacts; events; wedding; COVID-19; event planner; venues; management

Economic Impacts of COVID-19 On Event Spaces

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