David Klassen of the Steinbach Arts Council says there are real things we can do right now to make performances possible, new and exciting.

I spoke with Jeff Bray of the Cultivate Festival in Port Hope, Ontario. While he says the global pandemic hit their event hard, there are still good things that can come from such a seismic shift.

I spoke with Garry Koop, the pastor of one of the larger churches here in Steinbach. If we’re saying that the events industry has been drastically affected by Covid, then we can’t understate how churches have been impacted by the pandemic. Not only have their weekly, in-person services been thrown into a tailspin, but so have all the other events that their facilities host nearly every day of the week.

Garry says that we in the events industry have to adapt. There is no circling back to the way things “used to be.”

This year, events as we knew it ceased to exist and it’s easy to feel like nothing is certain anymore. My guest today reminds us that people still need event professionals, even now. Ryan Budds has successfully transitioned his trivia and bingo nights online and explains how he’s able to help folks with their event needs, even if nothing looks quite the same anymore.

While some companies are pulling back, waiting to see what comes next, Brenton Thompson is making a point of staying present, staying relevant and staying in the forefront of people’s minds. That way as the industry re-grows into its new form, he’ll be there, growing with it, rather than playing catch-up.