First, there was FOMO. Which then led to JOMO. And now thanks to a global pandemic, FOGO, or the Fear of Going Out, has taken on a whole new meaning.

At the beginning of isolation, I felt an incredible reprieve from my hectic event-architect-chief-everything-officer-mom-of-four life. There was a momentary joyful liberation during lockdown (said the big introvert). I was free of expectations and obligations to be out and meeting and planning. Finally, I could take a breath.

But then, it didn’t end in two weeks, or a month, or even four! The events industry was decimated.  “We’re gonna have to cancel.” Pivot to virtual? “No thanks, I think we’re gonna wait this out until things get back to normal.” My business ground to a halt.

Things haven’t gotten back to normal. And as we see Canadian case numbers increasing again, especially in younger age groups who probably don’t suffer from FOGO, things likely never will. People getting out and not being concerned about the “three C’s” (crowded, contained, close), will prevent normal for all of us, especially in the events industry, for some time to come.

The recovery period for the events industry has been pushed back several times. If a resurgence of the first wave occurs before the cold and flu season this fall, anything that was postponed until late summer or September is unlikely to happen face to face.  Which means by the time a second wave hits, in-person events won’t happen until spring of 2021 at best.

We don’t know what the next 12 months will look like, but meetings and events and connection can still happen. They have to happen. The value of getting together is immeasurable both professionally and personally, whether face to face or virtually. Don’t give it up!

And maybe a little FOGO is good. It may go a long way to get us all back on that path to normal.

Check the article out here on LinkedIN!