It has been two years since the global pandemic changed life and business indefinitely. There are several landmark dates over the past two years, but Monday, March 2, 2020, stands out as most memorable to planit inc. It was the day we first caught wind of the pandemic. We had just celebrated our 21st year of business – our best year yet – and the world came to an abrupt halt.

Clients turned to planit inc. for certainty during the uncertain times of the pandemic’s early days. planit inc. sits on a solid foundation of event planning experience and trusted relationships with clients, vendors and team members. We stayed true to our mission and forged a path during this time, leaning into our extensive expertise and resources to chart the unknown and make decisions nimbly to keep everyone safe. In addition, this foundation has allowed us to keep communication fluid and consistent over the years and has supported our team in having difficult conversations as the effects of the pandemic continue.

The past two years have brought many lessons for entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners alike. In March 2020, we viewed the pandemic as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hit the reset button. We kept our doors open and quickly seized the opportunity to evaluate planit inc.’s processes, expenses and the overall foundation upon which we had built our business over two decades. Then, we began to craft a set of fluid standards and practices for events moving forward—our living, ever-evolving and widely acclaimed meet well. meet safe. initiative.

We adapted quickly and found a new familiarity to continue our life’s work, as not adapting during this time was a far riskier alternative. Many fundamental tenets of planit inc. remain the same, including our business pillars: budget, culture, and goals. What has changed, however, is the reinforced foundation that has made us a more vital organization.

In the face of challenges, the ability to immediately adapt to overcome the given circumstances makes a big difference. For example, our meet well. meet safe. initiative has evolved and enhanced event communication strategy, embedding current safety standards and the highest legal protections to meet today’s event planning needs.

planit inc. has expanded its digital services far beyond streaming—we manage event website development, digital registrations, fully integrated virtual events and more. In addition, we assist clients in fostering meaningful connections with attendees for any event format, virtual, hybrid or in-person, through our customized, engaging event and meeting boxes.

If we could offer a few pieces of advice for budding entrepreneurs amid this ongoing pandemic, the main element would be that building and maintaining strong relationships is essential to creating a successful business. Our people-first leadership philosophy is our compass, and we always place our team, clients and partners first. Fluidity and adaptation to change are at our core and have helped us steer through the years.

If you have ever run a marathon, you may question if you will get to the end. However, each day you bring a positive mindset, a concerted effort and confidence in decision-making, you are one step closer. We don’t always have all the answers, but we do what is right at the time with the information we have backed by the successful plans and strategies we’ve created and the decades of event planning experience under our belt.