"We have to Innovate."
David Klassen of the Steinbach Arts Council says there are real things we can do right now to make performances possible, new and exciting.
BEYOND 2020, EPISODE 5
David Klassen took over programming at the Steinbach Arts Council less than a year before Covid hit. By the beginning of March, he had his very first season lined up for the coming year and was eager to announce it. Then… duh duh duuuuuh! Everything gets thrown into the air.
Since then, David and the SAC staff have been on their toes, working hard to continue to have a place for the arts to be celebrated in a safe and accesible manner.
What I appreciated the most about my conversation with him was that they’re now at a place where there is real, tangible fruit from their efforts. This isn’t something that they can implement “eventually”. They’re doing it right now. And that gives me hope.
You can learn more about what the Steinbach Arts Council is up to at https://Steinbacharts.ca
"2020 Was… Useful"
I spoke with Jeff Bray of the Cultivate Festival in Port Hope, Ontario. While he says the global pandemic hit their event hard, there are still good things that can come from such a seismic shift.
BEYOND 2020, EPISODE 4
Covid took the world by surprise. We didn’t see it coming and we were completely flat-footed when it arrived.
The timing was especially difficult for so many spring/summer festivals that use the months of March and April to finalize many of their event anchors. Being put “on stand by” during such a crucial stage resulted in an array of chaotic responses.
Now as we round the 12 month mark of the pandemic, festival organizers are looking at a world still deeply impacted by Covid on a daily basis. How do they begin to plan their festivals now, when we seem no closer to answers than we were a year ago.
Jeff Bray is the Festival Director of Cultivate Festival in Port Hope, Ontario. He says that, while Covid impacted them just like every other large scale public event, there were still positives that could be taken away from it, that they look forward to banking on in the years to come.
You can learn more about their event at https://cultivatefestival.ca/
"We Have to Adapt"
I spoke with Garry Koop, the pastor of one of the larger churches here in Steinbach. If we’re saying that the events industry has been drastically affected by Covid, then we can’t understate how churches have been impacted by the pandemic. Not only have their weekly, in-person services been thrown into a tailspin, but so have all the other events that their facilities host nearly every day of the week.
Garry says that we in the events industry have to adapt. There is no circling back to the way things “used to be.”
BEYOND 2020, EPISODE 3
Happy New Year, everyone!
We made it. We officially survived 2020. And yet, the struggles and hurdles of last year remain.
As last year was winding down, I spoke with my friend Garry Koop. He’s the pastor of one of the larger churches here in Steinbach. If we’re saying that the events industry has been drastically affected by Covid, then we can’t understate how churches have been impacted by the pandemic. Not only have their weekly, in-person services been thrown into a tailspin, but so have all the other events that their facilities host nearly every day of the week.
Garry says that we in the events industry have to adapt. There is no circling back to the way things “used to be.”
(Sorry for the slight technical difficulty with this episode. We lost the first couple minutes of it, but were able to save the rest.)
"They Need You"
This year, events as we knew it ceased to exist and it’s easy to feel like nothing is certain anymore. My guest today reminds us that people still need event professionals, even now. Ryan Budds has successfully transitioned his trivia and bingo nights online and explains how he’s able to help folks with their event needs, even if nothing looks quite the same anymore.
BEYOND 2020, EPISODE 2
This year, events as we knew it ceased to exist. The rug was pulled out from under the entire industry, and it’s easy to feel like nothing is certain anymore. I think a lot of us feel like we’re in a bit of a waiting game to see if things will “go back to how they used to be” or not. My guest today reminds us that people still need event professionals, even now.
Ryan Budds works out of California and has moved almost all of his trivia and bingo events away from physical establishments and onto the internet. He says that as people move away from tried-and-true venues, they still need event professionals to help fill in the void created when a venue manager are not longer a part of an event. People are still meeting, and they need the experience of knowledgeable event managers now, more than ever.
You can learn more about how Ryan has adapted his events at www.TriviaWithBudds.com
"Keep Moving"
While some companies are pulling back, waiting to see what comes next, Brenton Thompson is making a point of staying present, staying relevant and staying in the forefront of people’s minds. That way as the industry re-grows into its new form, he’ll be there, growing with it, rather than playing catch-up.
BEYOND 2020, EPISODE 1
Clearly the events industry is one of the hardest hit by the Covid pandemic. Events everywhere ground to a halt as we all wait, wanting to learn when we can again be safe is large gatherings. And that waiting is tough. It’s easy to feel alone while isolating. (Duh.) But there is hope, and I want to help share some of those glimmers by talking to other professionals who have been hardest hit by the shut-down of events and find out what they’re doing to pursue their passions.
For this pilot episode, I caught up with one of my local favourite entrepreneurs and event managers; Brenton Thompson.
Brenton’s company, Summer Bounce Entertainment, is one of the most reputable interactive entertainment companies in the province. Prior to Covid, they were averaging over 400 events a year and were just expanding into tent rentals when the industry ground to a halt.
I think one of the most important pieces of advice he had was to “keep moving”. He emphasized that, while some companies are pulling back, waiting to see what comes next, he’s making a point of staying present, staying relevant and staying in the forefront of people’s minds. That way as the industry re-grows into its new form, he’ll be there, growing with it, rather than playing catch-up.