AN events organiser has staged a business lunch in the Ashmolean Museum’s rooftop restaurant in an initiative making use of space which has not yet reopened to the general public.
The Beaumont Street attraction is an accredited Covid-secure venue, with appropriate safety measures in place and it piloted a ‘proof of concept’ tour and meeting event on Tuesday, proving it is possible to plan and implement safe and enjoyable events in person or online.
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Every detail was carefully considered with client and staff safety in mind, with all participants supplied with Ashmolean face coverings and individual hand sanitiser before an online show of spaces and a behind the scenes look at current conservation work by Daniel Bone, Head of Conservation.
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The event went ahead on Tuesday as planned but the team was ready to move to a backup plan – taking the entire event online - should a local lockdown have been imposed.
The event was attended by Oxford event professionals who meet weekly on Zoom.
This weekly meeting is chaired by Amy Hewick, of Hewick Events, who also supported the delivery of the hybrid event.
Ms Hewick described the event as “one of the safest events” she has delivered.
She said: “The venue is excellent to work with and no stone had been left unturned. I am pleased to put my 100 per cent trust in the Ashmolean Museum to deliver Covid-secure events going forward.”
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Wendy Ball, Head of Events at the museum, said: “Teamwork and collaboration enabled us to deliver this pilot event.
“Business clients are eager to again meet one another in person and we are now ready and confident to help them achieve this, safely.”
The museum reopened to the public on August 10 after receiving the ‘Good to Go’ Visit England accreditation.
Behind the scenes, the event and operations teams have been working collaboratively with professional partners to make sure future events are Covid-secure without limiting the experience and enjoyment of clients and guests.
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Keeping up to date with government guidelines has been crucial.
The Ashmolean had mitigated risk from Covid-19 by ensuring a risk assessment was compiled and shared; there was effective and clear communication in advance of the event; hand sanitiser points were available; an enhanced cleaning schedule was in place; and those attending wore a face covering while moving around inside.
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