Bobby Quillard(NEW YORK) — With the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus and the implementation of social distancing rules, the world has seen events both big and small either postponed or scrapped completely.
Celebrity event designer Edward Perotti gives ABC Audio an update on how the event industry is faring, as well as advice for how to deal with changing plans in these strange times.
If you’re a bride or groom to be, Perotti’s advice is firm yet realistic: move the date. “Just rip the Band-Aid off and realize that between April and May, if your wedding was planned, it’s not going to happen,” he says. “Horrible thing to say, but it’s not going to. June is even pushing it.”
“Part of your vow will say ‘for better or worse,'” he adds. “OK, you’re navigating the worst. It could only get better!”
If you’re looking for ways to connect with family for occasions or holidays, Perotti says try doing it virtually.
“Why not do a virtual dinner party?” he suggests. “Why can’t you take your monitor, put it on your dining table, set the table, share recipes so everybody can actually make the same meal and sit around on-camera as if you were sitting around the dining table?”
But most importantly, he wants everyone to not automatically think, “cancel” when it comes to their events. “I would rather them think, ‘postpone,’” he says.
Perotti — who’s created events for Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas and more — envisions the industry bouncing back when this is all over, because he believes there are just some things that can’t be replaced with a monitor.
“I’m hoping that people appreciate any gathering that they go to because as we’re learning quickly, it could be taken away,” he says.
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