Business Travel During the Pandemic
The Pandemic Halts Corporate Events
It’s February 2020 and I wrapped a corporate event in Oklahoma City. My next event is scheduled in Toronto, which is exciting for me, because I was going to attend a Toronto Raptors game with a friend while I was there. Then it happened. In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a pandemic.
Just as suddenly, the vendors, those who fund our event program, cancel in droves. With no funding, the pandemic halts our corporate events. Business travel and all of the perks, are put on hold. I spend the next year and a half working remotely, trying to balance my career, home schooling my children and dealing with the new normal of the COVID-19 lockdown in my state of New York.
Business Travel Resuming
Unlike so many Americans, I was fortunate enough to still have a job through the pandemic. I wake up everyday wondering when my company will downsize and I’d be in the ranks of the unemployed. Much to my surprise, I not only kept my job, but over a year later, I find myself about to catch a flight to Ft. Lauderdale for my first business travel since the pandemic. I’m a bundle of emotion, fear and anxiety owning the lion’s share of emotion. At the same time, I’ve got a job to do, so I have to get re-acquainted with traveling while we’re in the midst of a pandemic. Ladies and gentlemen, business travel is back.
Getting Back to the Travel Routine
After a year and a half of no corporate events, getting back to a travel routine meant making couple of mistakes. The biggest one is almost missing my flight! I spent all night packing. Cleaning. Drinking white wine to help ease my anxiety.
So the plan is to start getting ready at 4 a.m. for my 5:30 car pick up.
It’s now two o’clock in the morning, I’m tipsy as hell, and I stupidly gave myself a mere two hours to close my eyes. Instead of setting my phone alarm though – I verbally set the Alexa Echo Show. Only thing is, when I asked Alexa to set the alarm for four – I neglected to specify a.m. or p.m. Then, you guessed it, the Echo took it as FOUR P.M! The damn alarm never rang.
If it wasn’t for my driver feverishly calling me – I would have completely overslept. At the end, I get to my gate just half an hour before I board. Major lesson learned: Beans, plan better, get a full night’s sleep before your flight and always set your iPhone’s alarm – not the Alexa!
I love Delta. I got an upgrade to first class on my flight. What a way to welcome a blissfully single girl back to business travel. A class upgrade is a perk of my business travel that I never feel worthy of – but am so very grateful for.
I get to Ft. Lauderdale and much to my dismay, the hotel is an hour away from Fort Lauderdale’s Airport. Even more upsetting is the Uber driver who thinks talking for an hour is what a customer who just landed from a flight wants. I am not ashamed to say, I did NOT tip the driver. Another lesson that I need to learn as I navigate business travel during a pandemic – politely curbing conversation from chatty drivers.
I get to the hotel. Gorgeous exterior – inside needs an update. I get to my room and breathe deeply. I’m trying to go over all of my event notes, hoping that I won’t make a mistake that will ruin my whole expo.
Event Day is Here
Event day is here. Again, I’m nervous, so I make my way to the ballroom area at 6:00 a.m. I opt to wear slacks and a body suit as hotels are notorious for cranking out that AC. My whole outfit, body suit, slacks are shoes are from Lulu’s. I’ve been shopping their looks a lot lately. Lulu’s actually has a great sale going on – get 40% off sale items with the code SALETIME40 !
When I get to the ballroom to start my long day, almost instantly, it all comes back.
My anxiety easily melts away as I put signage out and am introduced to my banquet captain. I manage the event staff and my sales team with ease. The lovely woman that runs my registration table – I catch up with her. I have to say, and curiously enough though, when it comes to the pandemic and hosting an event, Florida is pretty much open. There were very few people who wore masks. Also, people were so eager for face-to-face interaction that social distancing wasn’t given priority. While I had my doubts about in-person events coming back with the pandemic, my first business trip gives me hope that corporate events are on their way back.
The Atlanta Side Trip
Atlanta is a side trip I usually take when I’m on business travel. Pandemic or not, I’m going to find my way to Atlanta. My side trip took me to laughs with friends and good eats like Copeland’s. I’m going to write this into existence: I can’t WAIT to finally move to Atlanta. In fact, no more side trips to Atlanta, next time I’m there, I’ll be a new resident.
Surviving Pandemic Business Travel
Yes, it’s a different world now with the advent of an infectious disease like COVID-19. What I’m eternally grateful for is the in-person event space being able to withstand a pandemic. Yes, I survived my first business trip during the pandemic. This is my career. This is what I do, so there’s a lot more travel ahead of me. I’m just happy to be back in the business travel game, doing what I love.
Take a look at an overview of my trip in my YouTube video below.
Blissfully Single, Traveling and Yours,
