Event planning and Covid rules: a European overview

Event planning in Italy

In Italy, the state of emergency has been extended until March 31st, 2022, and the country’s regions are still divided into white (lower risk), yellow (moderate risk) and red (high risk). At the moment, people who are immunised against the virus enjoy more freedoms than those who are not. When a region changes from one “colour” to another, the possibilities and rules for event planners also change considerably. In yellow regions, for instance, it is compulsory to wear a mask at all times, even outdoors, and in the case of shows or large events, whether outdoors or indoors, FFP2 masks are required. In addition, in white regions, sporting events are only accessible to those who are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid and the capacity of the venue cannot exceed 50 percent outdoors and 35 percent indoors. In addition, in both white and yellow regions, performances open to the public must have pre-assigned seating and ensure a minimum distance of one metre between attendees. In white zones, a 100% indoor capacity is allowed, as long as access is restricted to vaccinated and recovered people. In yellow regions, the maximum capacity is 50% and the maximum number of spectators cannot exceed 2,500 for outdoor events and 1,000 for indoor events.

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Event planning in Europe

It would be impossible, within the context of this post, to provide a detailed overview of each individual European country, so we will concentrate on offering general guidelines as an indication of the variety of measures that are currently in place. Many countries, such as Italy, have rules that are not uniform throughout the territory. In Austria and Germany, which are federal states, for instance, the requirements may vary depending on what local governments decide, but some provisions apply nationwide. In Germany, it is possible to organise large events such as trade shows, as long as access is restricted to those who are either vaccinated or cured (in Germany, this is known as the 2G rule). However, there are a limited number of states in the federation where it is also possible to access events by providing a negative test result (3G-rule). Event planners should also contact the local authorities to find out the maximum capacity and number of attendees allowed. Generally, different rules apply to events that are considered private (such as wedding receptions) and to public events, which in some regions can accommodate up to 2000 participants outdoors. In Austria, similar rules apply, with very harsh limitations for the unvaccinated, who are not allowed to attend any public event. In any case, it is compulsory to wear a mask both outdoors and indoors. In addition, if the event does not have pre-assigned seating, no more than 25 people can gather in any venue. If, however, everyone seating is pre-assigned and social distancing is ensured, the number of attendees can be as high as 500, as long as the 2G rule is followed, up to 1,000 with the so-called 2G+ rule, (i.e., reserving entry to vaccinated and recovered people but also requiring them to show a negative PCR test), and up to 2,000 if access is restricted to those who have received all available vaccine doses, including the booster, and provide a negative PCR test. A valid EU Covid pass is also compulsory for access to outdoor and indoor events in France and Spain. In addition, almost everywhere, it is essential to collect all attendees’ contact details and notify the authorities if Covid cases are discovered.

What can event planners do?

Planning an event, especially for an international audience, in such a context can be very complicated. This is the time to turn to hybrid solutions if you hope to engage an international audience without being hampered by health restrictions and quarantine periods. If your target audience is vast and diverse, on a European level, a hybrid event is undoubtedly the best way to reach it. This could mean choosing the country with the most appropriate regulations as the primary location for your physical event (which is unlikely to be allowed more than a couple of thousand attendees in any case) and then extending its reach through hybrid formats that allow larger international audiences to join remotely to attend panels, conferences, and presentations interactively and organise meetings.

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