This morning I commuted into my office at the Harvard Club, and it felt like a pre-pandemic day filled with traffic, some slight road rage and of course an iced coffee.

I have an in-person event this evening and have had to completely pivot (I know, I know) once again as everything is opening up much sooner than I had anticipated or planned for. 

Your most important ally is buy-in, so begin by making sure you get it from all your stakeholders — your internal clients, your external partners and your attendees.  Survey those stakeholders to get a bead on how they are feeling about getting together in person. Ask them if they feel safe now. If not now, when do they think they might feel safe, and what specific steps could you as a planner do to help? Be sure to ask them what type of outing they would prefer in this late-pandemic era.  

Once you’ve established buy-in, you should carefully consider and create your Duty of Care philosophy. This philosophy should be put into writing, as this is the template by which you will keep all your stakeholders safe. A Duty of Care statement will communicate your company’s obligation to protect employees, travelers, and other participants from risks.