Editor’s note: I feel so fortunate that Julia was able to take time from her very busy schedule to write this issue’s The Digestif. Her long road to advocating for the reopening of events in the state of California was fraught with a twist on the adage, “One step forward … five steps back.” But she kept talking, kept writing, kept protesting, and knew her frustration with the system wouldn’t serve her well. Kept her positivity high.
And now—“It was like the floodgates opened this week with clients!” she recently
told me.
If you are attending Catersource in July, you will also have the opportunity to attend her class, “But Do I Still have to Wear a Mask?” This truly informative session will lead you through the basic steps to evaluate the specific challenges you may face in serving larger events moving forward. Hope to see you there!
When COVID-19 shut down our industry, there was first a flurry of cancellations and postponements; then phones went silent and emails dwindled to a trickle.
I have been involved in community advocacy for years. Sitting in a (Zoom) Board of Supervisors meeting, I heard our health office pleading with businesses to analyze their operations and author guidelines for reopening that would mitigate virus spread.
As a certified Food Safety Manager, I knew a HAACP plan for COVID-19 was needed. I analyzed our own operations, identified touch points, and drafted guidelines for mitigation, with the input of colleagues across the country. Another colleague shared the document with a group in southern California. I was invited to join their weekly conference calls, and out of this, the California Association for Private Events (CAPE) was formed.
At the same time, three northern California wedding planners aligned with the Live Events Coalition nationally. This became the California Events Coalition. In October 2020, both groups staged marches at the State Capitol and garnered the attention of the Governor and the Department of Public Health. After a series of stakeholder meetings, we were assured that guidelines were forthcoming.
In November 2020, the national election and the holiday surge in cases halted progress. Staff positions turned over at the State; new, stricter travel and gathering guidelines were issued. In January 2021, both groups resumed stakeholder meetings with new teams, and by March, we were hearing that work had begun to plan for our reopening.
During the year we were closed, I spent the remaining time supporting our regional vendor group. We shared encouragement and passed along information about SBA grant and loan programs, and other financial aid. We helped fill out applications, called banks, attended local government meetings, and continued to put pressure on the State via our legislative representatives. We met weekly via Zoom, sometimes just to prop each other up and keep the vision of reopening alive.
With first round guidelines released, we are shifting to sharing best practices for compliance, finding vendors for testing, legal assistance for contracts and liability waivers, apps for handling vaccination and testing data securely, and all the supplies and PPE we would need for reopening. Our wedding season began almost immediately, and we are working together to ensure everyone’s success. The experience has brought us closer together. Collaboration replaced competition, and new partnerships were formed. In a good way, our industry will never look the same again.
In retrospect, our largest issue with government was visibility and credibility. Comprised of mostly small companies, sole proprietors, and gig workers, the event industry was invisible, even given our aggregated economic impact. Looking ahead; our next round of challenges will involve liability, staffing, and continued work to get our industry recognized and understood. The friendships and partnerships built over years of attending Catersource were the foundation upon which we built this new framework for our industry. While the virus still impacts us, we are looking forward. The new normal is full of fresh opportunities to do what we do so well: make magic happen for our clients and their guests.
