Gatherings in the era of physical distancing: What can we learn?

Gatherings are, in many ways, the lifeblood of the social impact world. 

According to Eventbrite’s 2020 Event Trends Report, 83 percent of Canadian event planners host non-profit, community, or educational events, and 52 percent of Canadian event planners said that facility rental is a top event cost. Before the pandemic, organizations used physical gatherings to deliver services, raise funds, conduct research, host AGMs, discuss advocacy, explore public policy, welcome newcomers and new citizens, train and upskill professionals, consult citizens, and much more. 

Even with many parts of the country slowly re-opening, in-person gatherings could be out of the question until at least 2021. Thousands of in-person gatherings across Canada have been postponed to 2021, cancelled altogether, or moved online. Some gatherings may never come back to being in-person. Non-essent