Event planner offers “virtual gala” as new option for organizations to consider

When group gatherings of 10 or more people were banned in Saskatchewan because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Katelyn Cochlan and her partner Barbi Peterson saw nearly every wedding, corporate event, conference, and gala cancelled or postponed.

Katelyn Cochlan. (The Black Door Events/Submitted photo)

It was an extremely stressful and confusing time, she says, not knowing any timeline or when – if ever in the forseeable future –  they would be able to re-book their events.

“Since then, all of the vendors have been just so amazing with working on changing to a new day,” said Cochlan. “And then it’s our job to be able to figure out with our clients what that means for their events.”

One wedding will still go ahead this summer, but with physical distancing measures put in place.

One gala so far, will also take place. The event is the major fundraiser for a large non-profit organization in Saskatoon, with about 250 attendees each year. Postponing or cancelling the event, would severely impact its bottom line.

So, Cochlan and her business partner are now brainstorming ideas, and have come up with several for a “virtual gala.”

“What we’re kind of thinking it would look like is to still sell tickets like you would for the gala, and then have dinner delivered to them (guests). Then, we’ll do something live on Zoom. So, doing a concert; usually they have some sort of musical component and a keynote speaker, but the guests can enjoy that at home.”

An online auction or prize draw will also likely be part of the event. Cochlan says their client is completely on board.

“They want to have it happen. People are also wanting to support them, but wondering how they can do that distantly?”

The gala is expected to take place sometime in September and Cochlan is hoping they’ll get more requests as the idea of a virtual gala starts to take off.

“You just have to figure it out, and that’s what we’re trying to do, is figure out how we can salvage some events. We’re still just learning how to handle this and what that looks like, and to make sure everyone’s safe.”