CORONA VIRUS CONCERNS

UPDATED JAN 12th, 2023

To our beloved clients… If you had a scheduled event affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are sympathetic that you were faced with the challenges of event planning during such unprecedented times.  As a business which relied on “live, in-person events,” we also suffered as we rescheduled, postponed or canceled over 400 events over the course of two years.  We do take pride, that despite these unimaginable challenges, we acted fairly, swiftly and in accordance with the the best practices shared amongst nation industry leaders.  Now that most of the unknown is behind us, we have chosen to keep this webpage posted and updated for reference purposes as we work through any final lingering postponed events and/or client credits. 

Entering 2023, we are confident our country knows much more about COVID, ways to control transmission and has a better vaccination ratio than any other country.  The majority of our team have elected to get vaccinated understanding the benefits both personally and that perceived by our valued clients.   We take continued measures to ensure safety, sanitary conditions and ensure a back up plan is regularly in place to cover staff if illness or symptoms appear. 

 

Below is a list of our policies and FAQ’s:

Q: Can I POSTPONE my event if an immediate family member tests positive for COVID-19 within days of the scheduled event?

A: Yes. We understand that this is a really tough decision that you have to make and we are dedicated to help you make these tough decisions with sympathy and flexibility. We ask that you postpone your event within 18 months from the original date and that you keep your similar “day of the week.”  To lock down this transfer of event date, we ask that you sign a new agreement as well as possibly an additional deposit towards your event’s total balance. This new deposit is NOT a penalty.  It will act as an additional payment towards your contracted amount lowering your final balance.

Q: How much is the “additional deposit” if I postpone?

A: The deposit will be $1000 or the amount that brings you to 50% of your balance paid (whichever amount is higher). If your event is already paid in excess of 50% of your total balance, you will not be required to make any additional payments.

Ex: Your package is $6000; your first deposit was $1000 making your remaining balance $5000. Your additional deposit required is $2000 making your total amount paid 50% of your total package price.

Q: Why do I have to make an additional deposit?

A: We understand that this pandemic has turned most worlds upside-down. We at Xplosive and A-Sharp are dedicated to weathering this storm and maintaining a high level of customer care throughout the process.  With so few events during heightened scares or shut downs, this second deposit allows us to continue to make operational payments which keeps your planning process seamless. We thank you for your support and understanding.

Q: If I decide to CANCEL my event, can I receive a refund on my payments made?

A: Across the nation, the industry standard is NO.  Deposits and signed contracts are in place to ensure you are guaranteed that we hold a date and talent for you.  Conversely, these deposits ensure us that we have a financial commitment which protects us when we hold a date, talent and equipment for a client’s event.  Deposits are also used to pay sales commission, credit card processing, hourly admin invested in your event, and much more.  Per your signed agreement, deposits are non-refundable. We realize this situation is one that could not have been predicted, therefore we ask for your understanding and compliance to the in-place policy.   Our team is committed to handling these delicate situations with care, while considering the health of the company in the process. We pledge to allow your current payments to be used as “in-house” credit towards a future event for your immediate family for another event (at equal or greater value) within 18 months of the original contracted date. 

Q:  What are my options if I choose to DOWNSIZE or “re-think” my plans, as result of another COVID-19 outbreak?  (example: have a small backyard party or drive-by rather than the lavish event originally contracted).

A:  We understand you may not be interested any longer in proceeding with the original contracted services.  Technically speaking, you have a contract which should be committed to.  However, we understand that today’s event landscape is different and we would rather see you “re-think” an event than cancel outright.   In these cases, your pre-paid deposit value can be applied against the new downsized event, however, an admin fee would be placed against already paid funds to cover commissions, time invested, paperwork, brainstorming/design/consulting time, etc. which were exhausted in the plans of the original concept.  These administration fees are equal to 10% of the original event in its latest state prior to your consideration of cancelation.

Example… $6000 worth of event services including photo booth, DJ, lighting, etc would yield a 10% or $600 admin fee.  If you have made a $1000 deposit, you will now have $400 in credit towards a downsized event.  Your downsized event cannot fall below 50% of the original event value.  

• This admin fee is waived for events which do not downsize and keep a similar contracted value.

• Downsized events are subject to date availability. We reserve the right to decline participation in a downsized event on peak days due to availability of staff and equipment. 

Q: How far in advance can I inquire about postponing my event?

A: Our line of communication is always available to you. Feel free to reach out at any time for guidance and professional consultation. With that said, you are able to make a change to your events date no sooner than 4 months prior to your current event date.  This still gives you ample time to send out invitations and plan accordingly.  If you are interested in postponing an event that is currently more than four months away, please realize that the government has not yet mandated rulings about the ability to hold events and therefore we must uphold the current contracted plans.  Additionally, with the vaccine readily now available, the end of the pandemic is now in sight and “normalcy” should return soon.  As schools, restaurants and event venues continue to operate “normally” our policies regarding canceling and postponing will be revised to re-enforce contract commitments more firmly.    

Q: What if my MC talent is not available for my new date?

A: We pride ourselves on the depth of our talent. We will work with you to ensure you have a quality MC of similar experience. You will have the ability to make a request from the available talent roster for our consideration when reassigning your event’s talent. We will do our absolute best to accommodate these requests.  If the MC of your choice is not available on a rescheduled date, this does not provide you the opportunity to void a contract.  

Q: What if I don’t have a date in mind to postpone to?

A: We will give you the ability to leave an “open ended” date for up to 18 months from your original date. We understand that this is a tough time and uncertainty is one of the main stressors that our clients and families are facing. We hope this option provides some flexibility. Please note, that without a date on our calendar, talent requests become harder to accommodate.

Q:  What if I want to keep my existing date with hopes of being able to celebrate as planned, but I feel more comfortable with you holding a backup date?

A:  We will allow ONE back up date to be “penciled” into the calendar as a courtesy.  This will loosely hold your requested talent for a new date giving you the first right of refusal if another client requests this new date.  

Q: Can I change my package so that I can comply with regulations set by my local government/event space?

A: Of course! We have amazing options for social distance compliance as well as incredible live-streaming platforms. We require that when considering manipulating your package that you keep your original financial threshold and not reduce the committed package value in order to avoid paying a 10% admin fee.  We are invested in producing amazing events within these guidelines. Feel free to inquire about some creative event packages.  We will work with you on thinking “out of the box” and ensuring a spectacular celebration!

info@xeevents.com

732-866-1620

Note: Xplosive Entertainment & A-Sharp Production reserves the right to alter any of the above at our sole discretion as we continue to learn more about the state of this virus outbreak.

Postpone, Don’t Cancel

#SaveEvents