We talk about the subject of community a lot here at Aisle Planner. As the world is grappling with the unknowns and human impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), our hearts go out to all those affected.
Having built Aisle Planner from the ground up following our founder’s fifteen-year career in the trenches of the wedding and event planning industry, community lies at the core of our business. With every new product release cycle, we're reminded of it as we pour through your feedback. With every story we publish, we're reminded of your incredible talent and tenacity, delivering inspiring and unforgettable events for your clients. And, at every industry event, we're reminded of how closely we're bonded in building your businesses with you, together. So at this time, with the world watching a global pandemic unfold, it seems only fitting that we call out our love, care, and commitment to you, our community, as we stand side by side to face the uncertainty of the impact of this virus on our collective futures.
We're Here for You
Without a clear understanding of what's happening today, it becomes infinitely harder to predict what will happen tomorrow. There's no doubt, however, that there will be impacts of varying degrees, and at every level, unfolding around the world for some time. That's why we want to remind you that our Customer Success and Support teams are here for you, every day, to help you put Aisle Planner to use to manage your business through this time.
Immediate Actions We're Taking
With respect to the increasing concerns from our community and team of host partners in Boston, and in full consideration of recommendations from both the city of Boston and state of Massachusetts, we made the difficult decision earlier this week to postpone The Aisle Planner Experience Boston, planned for April 6th and 7th. While we did not arrive at this decision easily, the health, comfort, and safety of everyone participating is of utmost importance to the AP team, our sponsors, and our partners on the ground in the Northeast.
While we look at rescheduling opportunities for Boston in early 2021, we press forward in our planning for equally amazing events in Minneapolis June 22nd and 23rd and Atlanta in August (dates pending). All of our Boston ticket holders were offered the opportunity to join us at either of these other events, or to hold their place for new dates in 2021.
What You Can Do
As important as it is to stand together in these times, it's equally important to hold each other accountable to do the things within our power to protect ourselves and those around us. From the simple to serious, we encourage everyone to be mindful and considerate of themselves and their interactions with others at all times.
- Practice good hygiene. It's recommended that you wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth if you have to cough or sneeze. When using hand sanitizer, be sure it has at least 60% alcohol content. And, if you feel sick, stay home.
- Be vigilant and proactive. If your symptoms are severe or you suspect you may have contracted the coronavirus, contact your doctor or other medical professionals immediately to determine the best course of action for transportation and diagnosis to limit exposure to others.
- Stay informed. The Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization are your best resources for the most updated and accurate information concerning the status of this pandemic, and guidelines and resources for how to respond to it within your immediate locale.
At times like these, it's the smallest actions that can have the greatest impacts to those we hold closest to us and to our communities at large. We thank you for doing your part to help keep yourself and those around you safe, and for holding each other up in this moment together. We have you, our community of Aisle Planners, in our hearts and on our minds, always.
Preparing Your Clients
There's no doubt the next few months will be filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion as we learn more about what to expect, and the expert-recommended adjustments we'll be forced to make to mitigate the impacts we'll all inevitably feel. As an event professional, your greatest asset in this time is your trusted relationships with your teams, partners, and clients. We encourage you to openly communicate with them, be empathetic to their concerns, and work together to explore solutions based on sound judgement, logic, and facts.
As we enter into this new era of engagement and planning, there are many solutions to help make the transition to the new reality a bit easier.
- Collaboration. You might have to move your meetings from in-person to in-app, using everything from your smartphone to any number of the web meeting hosting platforms like ZOOM or Google Hangouts. You can track these conversations and turn them into details and actions in Aisle Planner by building teams and assigning tasks while keeping the dialog open to collaborate on every aspect of your events and projects.
- Communication. Keeping everyone on track while we learn to work remotely can be quite a task. Setting up regular check-ins with your teams and your clients can help to eliminate doubt and uncertainty. Send regular email summaries of status and send confirmations about the status of actionable items to keep everyone informed. As business changes, it'll be more important than ever to respond quickly to new opportunities and keep the wheels of business turning. Using tools within AP like lead inquiry auto responses will let potential clients know you're serious and give them the confidence to choose you for their event needs. Quickly communicating the most detailed elements of their event needs, from tracking meal selections and documents. Staying informed of any changes, new comments, or actions taken from anywhere at any time will become more and more important as we transition into the future.
- Accessibility. Being accessible regardless of where you're working from is going to become increasingly important. Regardless if it's your new corporate client who's now working remote or your destination bride who’s in a panic half way around the world, Aisle Planner provides you with the ability to give them, your team, and your partners the details they need, when they need them, no matter where they are, and the piece of mind to move forward.
The Future
Aisle Planner’s mission of technology innovation, industry advocacy, and community support remains unwavering. We're inspired every day by your creativity, drive, and resilience, and thank you for your continued loyalty. It's our privilege to do what we do, with you and for you, our customer, every day.
Regardless of the overall outcome of this pandemic, the future of event planning has been changed forever. As we venture into the future, there are many unknowns, but we're prepared to take on whatever the future holds and will be there for the industry, for our community, and most importantly, for you. It's our intention and commitment to continue to evolve and improve Aisle Planner to best serve you regardless of what challenges are thrown at us. As event producers, adapting and overcoming are engrained in our DNA, and we will get through this, together.
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