My Big Day Events Blog: Weddings, Events, Deals, Ideas, Planning, Colorado in the Know!

An Open Letter to NON Business Owners

3/20/2020

As a small business owner, professional event planner, and woman who takes fun seriously, I wanted to address the handful of concerned emails we have received from those who don't own small businesses, or work in the event industry.

This is me. I'm a mom of 3 small children under 4. I have a mortgage, a minivan payment, and 8 people who rely on me paying them through my small business.

I have COUNTLESS vendors I work with and other small business owners who count on our events and our clients to pay them for their services.

In just the past WEEK I have had to:

Cancel an event for over 2,000 people who were looking forward to that event, cancel 30+ vendors who were relying on the business traffic, cancel services from 10+ service providers, EMS, police, rental companies, etc who were going to make money off of the event....
Postpone a large fundraiser for 300+ guests, cancel the marketing money we were going to spend in print and radio, cancel all of the social media posts we had scheduled for the event, contact all the vendors we had contracted for the event, hold countless meetings about messaging, and offer support to the non-profit who is missing out on at least $50,000 by not holding this fundraiser.
Cancel a fundraiser for another non-profit who was counting on a minimum of $30k that they raise during their annual event. Held countless meetings on messaging, options and ways to keep their organization a float.
Assist all of our Marketing clients with messaging regarding the Coronavirus and help them make hard decisions that affect HUNDREDS of lives and family incomes.
Make difficult decisions around our own signature event, the NoCo Easter Keg Hunt. See below.

For those asking about The Easter Keg Hunt....

We already purchased all of the supplies for this event.
We worked with 13 businesses as stops for this event and created the clues.
Then....We altered the event to have more outdoor clues and spent hours doing so.
We sent out a survey to get feedback. Team captains voted to keep the event on as planned with adjustments. The government forced us to change that.
We created clues and new stops to make the event more 'small team' friendly. The government changed that too.
The majority of team captains voted to MOVE the event. So we did.
We were forced to move it out to a date that will work for our starting and ending point venues/partners. We had to get confirmation from them first.
At this point, June 13th is only a 'holding spot' as we don't know if we will still be under strict quarantine rules.

We cannot predict what the future will hold. Just like all other small businesses who work in events, we have PLANNED the event, we have DONE the work, and now the day is on hold. We offered a refund option to team captains who were uncertain about moving forward. The timing on this has passed. We do not offer refunds - same as every other ticketed event we plan and other businesses plan.

This is not the world we lived in a month ago... Understand that we are all doing the best we can to keep our heads above water and focus on the positive. We are trying to keep this event on because we all need some FUN in our lives.

The weight of the world is on my shoulders because I am fully aware that what I do impacts others. My small business is responsible for affecting thousands of peoples lives. I take that very seriously.

What YOU do impacts others too.
Let's not lose focus on what is truly important.

Let kindness rule your heart. If you cannot have empathy for my small business and the other businesses and people we serve, then we kindly ask that you not participate in the fun we offer.

-Christine Forster, President
My Big Day Events

Colorado Continues to Take Action in Response to COVID-19

3/19/2020

On 3/18/2020, Governor Polis announced new executive actions to protect the health and safety of Coloradoans:

The Governor signed an executive order suspending in-person learning in public and private schools across the state from March 23 to April 17.
The Governor also announced that he would be extending the suspension of downhill ski area operations through April 6.
In accordance with CDC guidelines, the Colorado Department of Public Health also issued a public health order prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people.

My Big Day is strictly following this executive order and all others. We are supporting our clients who are all greatly affected by these changes to events.

-The My Big Day Team

NoCo Easter Keg Hunt: Postponed until June 13th

3/17/2020

The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt is moving to Saturday June 13th. Stay tuned!

The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt 2020 - Staying Safe

3/13/2020

One of our absolute FAVORITE annual events in the NoCo Easter Keg Hunt. This event takes place in 3 weeks and of course, we have to decide how to move forward when the world is in a panic and we want to do everything we can to slow down the spread of Coronavirus.

My Big Day sent out a poll to all of our event participants to ask them if they wanted to move forward.
They do.

If this were a typical, large, crowded event - we wouldn't even be considering it. However, the Easter Keg Hunt is comprised of small teams. It takes place mostly outdoors. It involves running. It is attended by young people.

Even so, we are taking precautions. Here is the message we sent to our teams moments ago:

We heard you! 90% of our participants said they are IN for the NoCo Easter Keg Hunt! We know that the country is in a panic right now and this is a time like we have never experienced before. My Big Day has always had a 'no refund' rule because 95% of our work and expenses take place prior to an event.

All event industry businesses, including our, have an 'Acts of God' clause in their terms and conditions to protect a business from something like this, but we are going to forgo that this time and allow those who are nervous a full refund. We are all in this together.

Here is the decision we have made:

Since you said YES, we will move forward! The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt will still take place on Saturday 4/4. Since this event is small in size, we feel comfortable moving forward with some changes.
We will be making modifications for your safety. We will have more clues to outdoor locations, so there is less foot traffic indoors. Every team bag will include a hand sanitizer. Every player will need to sign a waiver saying that they are completely healthy and not a risk to others and have not traveled to any of the areas the government is warning against. We will have an electronic thermometer so that we can take temps prior to kick-off. (a fever is an indicator of the flu or coronavirus, so you are contagious either way)
We will close team entry so that the event remains even smaller this year.
We will notify participating businesses of all safety precautions we are taking.

If you decide to cancel, please notify us by Monday 3/16 for a full refund.
If you have a team member who decided to back out, alert us by Monday and we will refund them.

After Monday 3/16 we will not allow refunds as we are in the thick of planning and have already invested quite a bit in the Easter Keg Hunt.
Should the event be forced to cancel, this will be out of our control and we will not issue refunds.

We are giving you all of this information for full transparency. The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt is 12 years old and one of our FAVORITE events! Our team is so excited to put it on again, and we LOVE that YOU love it too!

Please email us with your decision.
Be safe out there. Be kind to one another.

-The My Big Day Team

Coronavirus and Large Events - What Should I Do?

3/11/2020

My Big Day is no stranger to managing event emergencies, but this is a first!
COVID-19 is wiping out events large and small across the nation - and beyond.

As event planners, we feel that it is our responsibility to be on top of all potential event roadblocks, including Plan A, Plan B and Plan C for unbelievable things such as the Coronavirus.

For those responsible for putting on events that bring crowds of people together, the World Health Organization has published some key planning recommendations ....

Specific features of the event that should be considered include:

crowd density;
the nature of contact between participants (for example, a concert or religious event, indoors or outdoors, the layout of the venue);
whether the event will be attended by registered and non-registered participants;
the profession of the participants and their possible previous exposure;
the number of participants coming from countries or areas affected by the COVID-19 outbreak within 14 days prior to the event;
the age of participants; because elderly people who have co-morbid conditions appear to be more seriously affected, mass gatherings composed principally of this cohort may be associated with increased transmission;
the type or purpose of event (for example, sporting, festival, religious, political, cultural);
the duration and mode of travel of participants; if the duration of the mass gathering is longer than the incubation period for COVID-19 infection (14 days), then most event-associated cases would be expected to occur while the event is under way. In contrast, if the duration is shorter, most cases would likely occur after the event as people travel and return to their home communities.

Coming up with an action plan for any event is absolutely necessary.
Clear messaging is also a must.

As an event participant, what can you do?

Wash your hands frequently. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

Maintain social distancing. Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene.

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider. Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

Be Smart
Be Careful
Be Considerate of Others
Put Your Health First.

An Open Letter to NON Business Owners

Colorado Continues to Take Action in Response to COVID-19

NoCo Easter Keg Hunt: Postponed until June 13th

The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt 2020 - Staying Safe

Coronavirus and Large Events - What Should I Do?

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