Last week we spoke to Naomi Aly, business development manager for Aluna and Siamais, Pan Asian and Thai restaurants in the heart of Birmingham and Bristol, famous for their events and incredible food and drink. We spoke in depth about how COVID has impacted the events industry and what we can expect moving forward out of lock down. 

How has Covid changed events?

‘The events and hospitality industry took a big hit when COVID happened. Many events were cancelled and postponed; our Birmingham and Bristol-based venues had over £15K of private hire events unable to continue. On top of that, there was a detrimental loss in day to day business as we were closed for leisure trade. 

Events are all about bringing people together that share some kind of interest, whether that be within a corporate, social or life event setting. At these events, people are able to meet other people and share experiences – this is what creates the vibrant atmosphere that most events base their success on. With COVID, it has meant people are unable to physically meet one another and build those relationships that stem from similarities in those shared interests.’ 

What can we learn about the events industry from COVID?

‘The events industry is a strong and forcefully adaptable one. During COVID event organisers have tapped into the technologically we have available to create online events and find new ways to bring like-minded communities together. Businesses that use interactive experiences are looking at ways to bring their product/service into their customer’s homes.

I think this new way of working events and interactive services will continue for most businesses. Although, it will never replace the personal impact of what a physical event can achieve. For example, without the opportunity to meet face-to-face and spark a natural conversation, it will be harder for event attendees to learn about other opportunities. An online gig will never be the same without waiting in the queue for a pint and some crisps. Therefore, going forward we will hear a lot more about hybrid events; event organisers will host a physical event as well as streaming that same event online to guests for a cheaper ticket price (most likely). I would suggest that we will see a spike in online tickets for a short while but as I say those streaming online will miss opportunities such as networking, catering, and physical atmosphere.’ 

Find out more about Aluna and Siamais’s  food, experiences and venues by visiting their websites https://www.aluna.uk.com/ and https://siamais.co.uk/. Learn about how Photofoxx can help boost engagement by adding a tech twist to your physical events by clicking here to understand how we work.