Events Industry Ireland is today hosting the first live indoor event since lockdown, with the aim of showcasing how events can be hosted indoors safely and successfully.

IMPACT! is a hybrid. A small live audience is attending the event, with live speakers and music, and it is also streaming live from the venue to hundreds of event colleagues, corporate clients, and organisations involved in hosting events and festivals.

This how events may look in the future says the newly-formed EII, which represents the thousands of businesses in Ireland’s vents sector.

Board member Antoinette Redmond said: “Our sector is unique in how it has been impacted, and ultimately bulldozed by this pandemic. Many of our members have not worked since March, and while other industries are starting to open up and get back to business it could be the middle of next year before we see the return of corporate and cultural events, trade exhibitions and conferences.

“As an industry with thousands of staff, we can’t wait that long and we have to start rebuilding confidence right now.  IMPACT! is our opportunity to do just that.  All those attending or watching this event will see how it can be done safely and professionally, while retaining the elements of buzz and excitement that go hand-in-hand with live events and that are difficult to replicate virtually.”

In Association with

Alan Shortt is MC-ing the interactive session covering essential topics in HR, finance, creativity, mindfulness and with a performance by the Dublin Gospel Choir.

Events specialist Michael Cerbelli will address the conference via live link from the US to discuss how firms in the US industry are collaborating and supporting each other to get business reopened.

Redmond added: “The events industry is a critical cog in the tourism and hospitality wheel. We want to get back to the business of events and are confident that the events of the future will be similar to those pre-Covid, with an enhanced emphasis on health and safety, protecting the 35,000 jobs we support.’’

The first indoor event since lockdown runs for two hours from 11.30am this morning until 1.30pm, and you can watch it live here.