How to Thrive in the Changing Event Industry
QC Event School tutor and award-winning industry expert, Mwai Yeboah, hosted a LIVE webinar on how your event and wedding planning career can continue to grow and find success during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Particularly, she discussed:
- How the event planning industry is expected to change in 2021
- The benefits of outdoor events, virtual events, and hybrid events
- How to successfully plan weddings and events during the pandemic
- Why now is the right time to start your training as an event planner
- And more!
If you missed the live stream, you can re-watch it here!
COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the game for many of us all over the world. Thanks to social distancing limitations, event and wedding planners everywhere have been searching for new, effective ways to continuing working with clients and growing their businesses – without putting anyone at risk.
Luckily, there are plenty of options at your disposal! With the right strategies, you can absolutely still plan events during COVID-19. Furthermore, there will be a LARGE demand for event and wedding planning services once the world returns to normal.
Who is Mwai Yeboah?
Born and raised in Zambia, Mwai Yeboah is the proud founder of the luxury and destination wedding planning boutique, Love, From Mwai. With over 15 years in the industry and a published book under her belt, Mwai is renowned for her ability to plan and produce high-end destination celebrations that are rich in both experience and aesthetic. Mwai is also a tutor for QC Event School.
Want to learn more about Mwai? Check out her full Industry Spotlight on our blog, Pointers for Planners!

What to Expect in 2021
This year, we’re expected to see approx. 70% vaccination rates, as well as a development of herd immunity. Should things unfold according to plan, we’ll be able to forge ahead with the anticipated demand for weddings and other events.
So, What Will Events Look Like This Year?
These are the event and wedding trends we can expect to see in 2021:
1. There will be a major shift to outdoor events.
- In order to safeguard everyone, governments have put policies and restrictions in place for in-person gatherings.
- The gathering limit will gradually increase as vaccines become available to the general public.
- In order to make sure there’s proper ventilation, as well as reduce the risk of virus transmission, 2021 will see a shift to outdoor venues.
2. Many weddings will be going virtual.
- Virtual weddings (and other events) have quickly become the new norm – and it certainly has its perks!
- Guests from all over the world can attend without worrying about travel restrictions or safety concerns.
- Virtual weddings provide the unique opportunity for a cost-effective, pressure-free celebration for all those involved.
- Remember: a virtual wedding can still heavily benefit from the help of a certified wedding planner! Enroll in QC’s Virtual Events Training Course to become a master of virtual services today!
3. We’ll start seeing a lot more “hybrid” events.
- A hybrid event has a handful of in-person guests, but is also livestreamed so additional guests can attend virtually.
- Hybrid events and weddings are quickly becoming a fun, creative way to deal with the limits on social gatherings.
4. Destination weddings will increase dramatically.
- As things gradually open up, destination weddings will likely be a lot more affordable than they once were.
- This is because local governments will want to recover their tourism industries and inject money back into the local economy.
- Resorts, venues, and even airlines all over the world are already starting to offer incredible deals and packages.
- Ultimately, this will make the prospect of destination weddings much more attainable for couples who might not have had the budget for it in the past.
Learn how to take advantage of this trend by enrolling in QC’s Destination Wedding Planning Course!
How to Plan Weddings & Events During COVID-19
With strict testing requirements and restrictions on gatherings, there are a lot of moving parts when planning weddings and events. Ultimately, this proves that the role of a trained planner is much more than necessary. After all, no one can handle complicated logistics better than wedding and event professionals!
Here are a few tips to help you plan a successful wedding and/or event during the pandemic:
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Comply with local government regulations
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Safety is the most important factor when planning small and/or hybrid events
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Perform a SWOT analysis to ensure your clients are completely informed and confident in their decisions

Click Here to Learn More about Learning & Working during COVID-19!
Mwai’s Business Tips to Help You in 2021
As a wedding and event planner, you’ll often want to focus on the more creative and “fun” aspects of your job. But now is certainly not the time to neglect the business side of things! As a business owner navigating through these unprecedented times, you absolutely need to take smart steps to protect yourself.

Staying prepared starts with protecting yourself!
When it comes to protecting yourself and your business, the first place to start is with your contract. Do you have rescheduling and cancellation clauses? What about clauses that cover you in case of a venue change? Mwai recommends investing some time and resources into working with a legal professional. This will help ensure that you’re completely covered in any situation. If there’s one thing last year taught us, it’s to expect the unexpected!
Now is a great time to invest in your education!
There will be a MAJOR boom in the demand for events and weddings as lockdowns lift and the industry reopens once more. People have been waiting for a year or longer to celebrate their love and milestones. They’ll want to do so in a big way, as soon as they’re able to. Getting professionally certified now means you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when this time inevitably comes.
Because of this, Mwai highly recommends maximizing this time by getting trained through QC Event School’s self-paced, online courses. That way, when the world does reopen fully for weddings and events, you’ll be well prepared to handle the uptick in demand. Your career and business will quickly soar and be met with all kinds of success!

Start your dream career today!
It’s never too early or too late to start a career you’ll love.
Make 2021 the year you become a certified event and wedding planner!