Inflation impacts all industries, and the event industry is no exception. An economic downturn means higher venue prices, even as the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency causes a greater demand for face-to-face events. And event professionals and teams are caught in the crossfire, forced to find ways to cut costs while still delivering ROI for event attendees. These pressures, in turn, can lead to burnout and turnover. 

Fortunately, there is a solution for thriving in the face of adversity: resilience, a kind of professional flexibility. It is the ability to snap back from difficulties. Here are four ways to encourage and build resilience in an event team.

1.     Facilitate reflection 

Reflection is a method of learning from the past in order to make better decisions in the future. Teams can be given space and encouraged to think about adversity and how they adapted to it and to ask questions about what worked and what did not. An understanding of past patterns can lead to better future outcomes. 

2.     Celebrate accomplishment 

Recognizing and celebrating resilience during events is an essential aspect of building a resilient workforce. By acknowledging and honoring accomplishments, teams can foster a sense of morale and inspire greater resilience. Here are some ways to celebrate resilience during an event.

• Recognize individual or team wins during the event.
• Celebrate accomplishments through formal or informal ceremonies.
• Use awards or tokens of appreciation, such as crystal awards, to honor resilient team members.
• Highlight examples of resilience as inspiration for others.
• Foster a culture of appreciation and recognition within the team.
• Share success stories and lessons learned from past resilient behaviors.
• Organize team-building activities or outings to celebrate resilience.
• Provide public recognition, such as mentioning resilient individuals or teams in company-wide communications or newsletters.
• Encourage peer-to-peer recognition and appreciation for resilience.
• Create a supportive and positive environment where resilience is valued and acknowledged.

3.     Encourage connection

Resilience owes a lot to human relationships. Teams can build resilience by encouraging team members to connect with others, whether with friends, family, community or even teammates. Teams can also embark on team-building activities like retreats, volunteering or workshops to build greater interdependence and thus, greater resilience. 

4.     Champion wellness 

Even though resilience thrives in relationships, the individual matters as well. Resilient people take care of themselves. They get enough sleep, eat well and prioritize exercise and physical activity. They practice self-compassion and insist on getting enough rest. Teams can encourage wellness by competing in races, embarking on health or weight-loss challenges, or pushing each other to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

Adversity happens. Economies fluctuate, profits rise and fall, and team members burn out, become less productive or even quit. But resilience can allow event teams to bounce back from adversity, learn from it and plan to address it more effectively next time. Apply these tips and watch your team begin to thrive despite adversity.

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