The joy of live events

by Elaine Dellar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer

On this Monday a year ago the Dellar Davies event team were busy setting up and rehearsing for what was to become our last live event for 12 months…and counting!

Little did we know then that we would soon be vacating our office to work from the safety of home, or embarking on a new journey as our business was catapulted into the virtual world. We have delivered some unforgettable online events in the past year and we are proud of our achievements, but this little montage of images is a timely reminder for us all of the joy of live events.

Organising live events isn’t for the faint-hearted. For one thing, there are never enough hours in the day even if everything’s running smoothly. But this time last year, everything was running smoothly – the tables were set, the Awards were polished, the celebrity host was prepped and the production rehearsed.

Our event ‘swans’ were looking serene on top of the water whilst paddling furiously underneath, and 400 travel marketing professionals were preparing to make the most of their big night out. What could possibly go wrong? Well…

The event sector hasn’t run a live event since the first coronavirus lockdown was announced just two Mondays later. The sector hasn’t received any special treatment, but we have met the many challenges we’ve faced since with fortitude and forbearance.

To the all-female Dellar Davies event team on International Women’s Day, a personal thank you for your enthusiasm, adaptability, hard work and patience during the most challenging time ever for our business, and for the many memories you’ve created for our clients and their customers in the past. One day soon we will feel joy again!