Event Companies During Pandemic: Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle & Design

It’s so very interesting to learn about the experiences of the event pros in our industry as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

We caught up with Eddie Zaratsian of Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle & Design to learn about how his business has been since we last spoke in the spring during the Connecting Our Community Webinar.

How has your business been over the last few months? 

Business during the beginning part of summer was slow, especially when compared to prior years as spring and summer are typically when most of our weddings take place because the industry and its clients remained sensitive to the pandemic. However by late summer, things started to pick up because I feel, we, as industry professionals, figured out a way to still help our clients have their celebrations without compromising the health and safety of both them and their guests.

We found outdoor locations large enough to support their guest counts, we suggested temperature checks upon arrival which most of our clients were in support of, we suggested guest counts are reduced in order to further reduce the risk and we spaced seating further apart than we would typically have done otherwise. As a result, we saw greater events taking place towards the latter part of the summer while still being focused on overall safety.

What have you noticed from your clients overall as we continue to navigate the pandemic this summer? 

My clients are truly amazing people. Throughout this entire process, they have remained sensitive to their guests’ health and safety and have taken countless measures oftentimes costing them thousands of additional dollars in order to ensure they were doing what was the safest for their guests and the overall community. While most have postponed their events into the new year, the ones who decided to move forward with their events altered it and provided additional accommodations in order to reduce the risk.

How do you see the fall shaping up for the industry?

I think we are going to be feeling the impact of the pandemic and related financial impact for some time to come. People are still cautious in the way they are spending their hard-earned money especially now with such a huge financial impact on many as well as remaining sensitive to the safety of people’s health. However, I am seeing people focused on hosting their loved ones for Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays. I feel like an overall sense of appreciation for those we love has exponentially grown over the last several months, maybe it’s being away from them, maybe it’s the thought that we don’t know what tomorrow holds, who knows, but I have noticed an increased amount of desire to gather around a table with the ones we love.

I have been engaged to design multiple tabletops for upcoming dinner and family gatherings for my clients and I think that is a beautiful thing and a sense of what’s to come.

What positives have you possibly noticed this summer in business / the industry? 

Our industry is a beautiful place to be – we come together, help one another, and lift each other’s spirits during hard times. We are a strong and resilient industry and we work hard to find creative ways to keep it alive even during the hardest of times.

I have a lot that’s on the way — I have been focused on educating through my masterclass as well as offering mentorship programs for those who want one-on-one insight from me. I’ve been engaged to design and brand numerous products. I’m also in the process of finalizing a couple of other products that I look forward to sharing with you very soon!