BEING NAUGHTY IN A COVID WORLD
A time to close, a time to re-open…
When is it the right time to re-open? When is the right time to host another party? Like you, we have weighed these questions—and our answers—since the pandemic began. We weigh them in our private lives as we have weighed them in our hosting life. Some think we have waited too long to reconvene our Naughty Events.
Others think we should wait longer. There is neither a right answer nor a wrong answer, there is neither a right time nor a wrong time. We have chosen, and you have chosen. This article intends to clarify our logic, we write it to make sure it complements your thinking and sets proper expectations.
First, our gathering had to be legal. Your community may or may not have imposed restrictions on gathering (“lockdown”). As a business, we are obligated to comply with city and state directives. We wanted more and we wanted the blessing of local officials—and we waited until we got that blessing.
Secondly, we wanted this year’s gathering to be “right sized”. We wanted it to be large enough to make it an authentic event, but small enough so that we could pro- mote safety—not just the appearance of safety. Without a vaccine or preventive medications, we, and each of you, have to embrace and practice the most basic measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We look forward to a different situation in 2021 and beyond. It will be a while before things are back to normal (whatever “normal” means anymore).
But for the balance of this article, we need to focus on right now.
For months, we have observed other clubs, event planners, resorts and cruises navigate these challenging waters. We saw cruises get cancelled one by one, resorts close and clubs and parties pretty much disappear for the first couple of months. Many in this industry lost their jobs and their businesses. Some decisions have been based on perceptions of safety and risk. Others have unfortunately been political decisions.
Some clubs and resorts opened early, and some of these were too early, before the risks and risk-management strategies had been thought out. We saw a couple of “super spreader” events take place and we personally knew a lot of people that came down with COVID- 19 in the early days when things started to reopen. We feared that we would not see any big events for 6 months, maybe a year, maybe longer.
Event managers learned quickly. We observed clubs and resorts start to put policies into place to assure a higher degree of safety and sanitizing. They closed their bars and created social distancing limits. Some required masks. More and more parties sprung up. Hotel takeovers were happening.
For your safety, and for ours, we continued to watch and wait. Friends came down with COVID-19 and most of them got better. Some got very sick (we know a few that died) and most had little or no symptoms. Now they have recovered, and they want to go out and see old friends and meet new ones. They told me they felt like they were being forced to lockdown, even though they had recovered, and they had the antibodies. They donated their blood to help others and waited until they could go back out to see their friends.
They wanted to take advantage of their immunity, even though it might be short-lived. (Scientists have shown that people can get COVID-19 again within a few months of apparently complete recovery. They have been re-infected with different strains, eliminating the argument that they were never really recovered in the first place).
We decided that our original July 8-12, 2020 dates simply would not work. We pushed the dates back till the end of August, but there was another spike in mid to late August, so we decided to postpone once again. This time, we chose November, hoping that the numbers would go down in the summer.
We considered postponing the event again, this time until July or August 2022.
The numbers did go down over the summer, but now there is another global spike in cases. To be clear, the USA is detecting about 700,000 new cases each week. That means around 1:500 Americans is becoming ill with the virus each week. That risk is disproportionately borne in large gatherings.
You, our clients, did not want to delay further. You told us that you were willing to take precautions but wanted to manage your own risks. Some of you have been infect- ed but now test negative and have at least temporary immunity to the virus. Others cancelled lifestyle cruises and other holidays and are willing to take whatever pre- cautions are necessary to gather with other like-minded lifestylers. Many had already bought flights and took time off of work.
You told us you were going to go somewhere, whether we had our event or not, and were counting on us to make it as safe as possible. So many people are having a rough time and not dealing with the COVID restrictions and business closings well, they desperately need some- thing to look forward to, something to do.
Note that we said as safe as possible. We are not promoting a safe experience—we are promoting a safer experience. Some states are fully open, with people pretending that the pandemic is “totally under control” and not even wearing masks. We are in the middle. We do not think it is safe to go back to the way it was, but we also think there are select people who are willing to behave responsibly. You are among those people.
After a lot of meetings and soul searching, we decided to move forward with the November dates and we knew we would have to put together something that was as safe as possible, while allowing our attendees to reconnect with old friends and still have a great time.
We were told that New Orleans would go into Phase 3.3 at the end of October because the numbers in New Orleans have been trending so well for weeks. Currently, the city has JUST moved from Phase 3.2 to 3.3 (starting on Wednesday, Nov 11th) and we have no choice but to abide by the requirements still in place in New Orleans and we will abide by all city and state guidelines.
We believe in these guidelines and we believe they will allow us to have a safer event and allow all of us (you and your fellow attendees) to enjoy more in life without throwing caution into the wind.
What will Naughty N’awlins look like?
So what are we doing to make our event as safe as possible? Well, we are hoping that this article will give all of our attendees a clear guide of expectations so you can
have the best possible experience, without putting yourself (or others) in harm's way.
We are going to say this, repeat this, expect this, and live this: the basic public health measures of mask wearing, social distancing, strict hand hygiene needs to be followed at all times UNLESS there is a specific EXCEPTION and all parties CONSENT.
We all know that anytime you go outside in vanilla life; grocery shopping, voting, to get gas or dine out, that you are putting yourselves at risk. Our shared goal is to minimize the risk, take lots of precautions and make this lifestyle event as safe as possible while giving you lots of great entertainment, sexy theme nights, pool parties, education and an opportunity to meet other people like yourselves.
Here is a list of requirements that we must enforce as per city and state regulations:
Checking In & Registration
First and foremost, we must abide by all local, city and state laws and restrictions put in place by the City of New Orleans which will help create the safest possible environment. In the past, we had forms to fill out and a lot of crowded spaces at our event. We are going 100% touch free in our check in process and we will have all of our check in lines staggered so that social distancing can be in place at all times.
We require masks when entering the hotel, checking in, and when riding in the elevators. These are the places where people will be in close contact and wearing a mask will not only help protect you and others; it is the law currently in New Orleans. Masks are required in all public spaces.
Exceptions to Mask Wearing
Where do you not have to wear a mask? You don’t have to wear a mask in the pool, while in Colette, while seated at a table and drinking or eating food. Most of these restrictions are in place in most of the US, so this is not something that is new, and it is the current standard set by the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana.
Temperature Checks & Hand Sanitation
We will have temperature checks at check in. Anyone with an elevated temperature will have to be screened and have a negative COVID-19 test before they are allowed to participate.
There will be hand sanitation stations just inside the entrance to the hotel and to the rooftop and in our ball- rooms so that you can sanitize your hands regularly.
We encourage you to wash your hands with soap often (more than normal) when traveling to New Orleans (or anywhere else for that matter). Just do it.
Maid Service
The hotel will have limited access to your room, only cleaning your room once, per 4 night stay. If you want to swap out towels, that isn’t a problem, just let your maid know, or contact the front desk.
If you want to add in additional maid service, there is a fee. This is the new norm for hotels and most hotels are going to a 4 day cycle with increased cleaning and sanitizing in between guests.
Wristbands
Some of our attendees have already had COVID-19. They may be the safest people you could hang out with and they will be given Purple wristbands if they can demonstrate either a positive test for neutralizing antibodies or a note from a physician verifying that immune status.
We are encouraging couples to get tested right before they come to the event. A lot of our attendees have health insurance and can get a test for free. If you can’t get a test before you leave, we have a list of places you can go, once you are in New Orleans and get a rapid test.
Testing is available at many healthcare facilities, hospitals, and clinics in New Orleans. Each facility has its own criteria for who is eligible for a test, so we suggest you call first. It can be expensive to go to an urgent care clinic for a test, if you are out of your insurance network.
There are free tests, provided as part of the City of New Orleans mobile testing program, but you need to drive (you can get an Uber/Lyft/Taxi) to the testing site, but please make sure you get there early, as lines can get long and they can run out of test kits.
A recent negative COVID-19 test does not mean that the person is safe or that they could not contract COVID-19 after the test results came in, but we believe that the more tests, the better. It will go a long way towards creating a safer environment. We will issue aqua (light blue) wristbands to everyone that can show us a very recent negative COVID-19 test. There is even a place on the wristband to put the date of the test.
Bear in mind that a negative test means just that, a negative test performed at a particular time. All tests have a false negative rate, and that rate is not the same for every test type. All persons who test (true) negative on a particular day can be subsequently infected the moment they leave the testing center. Those blue wrist- bands should increase your confidence, but they can- not guarantee that the wearer is virus-free.
Again, none of these wristbands mean that anyone is 100% safe, but if we all make an effort to get tested, it will certainly help us create a safer space and we will all be more informed.
Occupancy Limits
One of the biggest restrictions we face will be with occupancy levels at our events. Our goal is to make sure we maintain proper occupancy limits at each party to ensure we are in compliance with all City and state mandates and we believe this will make our event safer for you and all attendees.
If you head up to the pool, there is a possibility that the pool might be at capacity (we can have 70 people at a time), and we cannot allow any more people until someone leaves. You can wait until some people leave or head to one of the other venues.
Currently, we will have daytime parties on Bourbon St, at the pool on the rooftop of NOPSI, as well as different classes. At night, we will have our big ballroom open, as well as nighttime pool parties, Colette, the lobby, outdoor courtyard, and in our dungeon. Because we have so many venues, we really do not see an issue, especially because we are cutting off tickets, so we don’t overcrowd any one space (we currently have 300 people – 150 couples signed up). If the city relaxes some of the current restrictions, we will sell more tickets, but we will always operate within the boundaries of local and state limitation requirements. In our classes, we will have two chairs placed together and then we will have a space so you can enjoy the class while being socially distant. After all, the main reason to be in the class is to learn anyway.
We will have a Naughty Store with corsets from the Dark Garden, an amazing custom corset shop in New Orleans (and San Francisco) as well as Masta-Don Leather with various floggers and BDSM gear.
There will be one entrance and one exit to create a safer flow without crossing traffic. We will limit the amount of people in this room at one time to ensure the safety of the vendors and the attendees.
Consent
Consent is the new buzzword in the lifestyle. For years, the swinging community had not spent a lot of time talking about consent. There is a real need to educate people that go to clubs and events about the importance. of consent in swinging, polyamory and other non monogamous cultures. For years, other communities like BDSM and the kink community have spent a lot of time talking about consent.
If you are going to be tying someone up and using a flogger or other instruments of pain and pleasure, it is important to discuss things in advance. These communities even negotiate play “contracts” with clearly set boundaries and safe words that someone can say in order to signal that it’s time to cut off the play, no questions asked. We, in the swinger community, can learn a lot from these communities. We need to be better at talking about consent, educating people that attend clubs, conventions, cruises and events.
In a COVID-19 world, consent is even more important than ever. Today, it’s more than even touching someone, people are more sensitive than ever about personal space. We urge you to be aware and be considerate.
A Reflection
We wish it wasn’t this way. We wish we could go back to the way it was, but we have been dealt these cards and we are going to play them the best that we can.
Instead of getting upset, you can accept these city and statewide regulations and focus on looking sexy, meeting people and using this as a buffer between being on lockdown and when it is safe to go back to the way it was.
There is an upside to this: people often complain that our parties are too big, too crowded, too loud and it’s hard to get to know people. Well, this year, you will truly get to spread out and actually talk to people and get to know them. We predict that our attendees will make life-long friendships, and they will connect with friends like never before.
There is a silver lining to this year’s Naughty and that is that the connections will be better, more personal and more meaningful than ever before.
A Naughty Diary: Why keeping it matter
We are going to provide each couple with a “Naughty Diary” we like to call our little black book. Carry it with you and it is a great way to write down people’s phone numbers, room numbers, emails and website profiles.
We want you to keep track of who you met during the event so you can keep in touch with them afterwards.
If you do come down with COVID-19 during or after the event, it is a good way to look back to see who you were hanging out with so you can contact them to let them know that they might have come in contact with them while you might have had the virus. Being able to trace contacts—especially those who are nearby and unmasked for more than a moment is part of our collective responsibility.
Other Regulations
Currently, in New Orleans, you cannot go up to a bar and hang out. You must be seated, and someone will either serve you at your table or you can go to one of the satellite bars (or the main hotel bar) to order while keeping space between you and others.
You must wear masks when standing in line and not drinking or smoking. This is not our rule, it is the state law. However, you can remove your mask while drinking, eating or smoking. So, grab a drink or head to the outdoor courtyard (or rooftop pool) if you want to smoke.
Naughty Tip: Being outside is safer than being in a closed, indoor space. The weather is looking very promising during our event, so enjoy as much outdoor spaces as possible.
Many places in New Orleans requires contact tracing and you will have to sign into some restaurants and bars in case there is a report of an outbreak. Contact tracing has proven to be a very effective tool to slow the spread of COVID-19 in New Orleans and other areas.
Playrooms
We have decided, after talking to the hotel, that we can- not host our playrooms, one of our most popular areas at our events, but Colette stepped up and will be giving all of our attendees free (yes free) access to their club throughout the event (Wednesday through Saturday nights).
We understand that playing with others is a personal choice and for many of our attendees that have already had and recovered from COVID-19, this is a reasonable choice with manageable risk.
The lifestyle has always carried risk. STD’s are also a risk for people that play with others and the use of condoms is another example of a reasonable protection to ensure you are safer than not using them. This is exactly how we feel about masks and about playing in general. You are all adults and you must each decide on what you are comfortable with, depending on your age, your health issues and your risk factors.
Please respect everyone’s personal space and choices when it comes to their own personal protection. Many couples that come to Naughty choose not to play with others, but they enjoy the erotic environment and sexy vibe enhancing their own relationship. They enjoy the classes, dressing up, seeing other sexy people and being watched themselves.
Only you can decide what your limits should be, but we encourage you to talk to your partner, prior to attending, so you can decide on what you are comfortable with and what you aren’t. Talk about your fantasies, your intentions, and your boundaries.
We always talk about consent at our events and COVID-19 gives us another opportunity to talk to other couples and find out what they are and are not comfort- able with. With COVID, consent takes on new dimensions. One thing in the lifestyle does not change, how- ever: “No means no.”
The current state of New Orleans
Early on, New Orleans was one of the hardest hit cities in America. In fact, back in March, New Orleans had the highest positive test rate in the country. Most theorize that this was due to Mardi Gras and the large crowds as well as this city being a tourist city with so many travelers from so many different states and countries.
Today, New Orleans is one of the safest cities in America, thanks to the regulations and guidelines put in place by the city and state.
At the writing of this article, during the past week (7 days) there have been a total of 22 new cases and 5 deaths in Orleans Parish (the area surrounding New Orleans. Compare that to other cities and you will see that we are doing very well these days and we want to keep it like this.
Louisiana is currently the 9th best state when it comes to cases, per 100K people with a rate of 14.2 cases per 100,000 people. New Orleans is even much better than most cities and you can see the current data and stay informed by going to the COVID-19 New Orleans Dashboard to see how we are doing.
We were very pleased when we heard that the Mayor just announced (Monday Nov 9th) that they are moving to Phase 3.3, which is the best possible situation for our event. Phase 4 won’t happen until a vaccine is discovered and distributed, but this helps us be able to have an additional 50 people in our ballroom and allows bars to be fully open.
To attend or not to attend…
You’re booked. The tickets are staring back at you. You have your sexy outfits out and the suitcases next to them. You are excited. But you also acknowledge that there are risks. Do we show, or is the trip a “no go”?
That really is the question and only you know the answer. If you have a compromised immune system, diabetes, a heart condition, asthma, are over 65 or have other conditions that make COVID-19 a higher risk, you probably should not attend.
For more information on risk factors, here is a link to the CDC with information on people with increased risk for severe illness with COVID-19.
Perhaps you have already recovered, are younger, have a strong immune system. We look forward to welcoming you—but only if you and your partner agree to abide by the restrictions of the event.
We wish we had a magic eraser to make this all go away, but we live in a COVID-19 world and we have to figure out how to proceed. We believe we are doing everything possible to ensure the highest standards possible. We are doing more than most clubs or events will require, but we believe this will help provide a safer space for those that want to attend.
Your level of enjoyment is up to you
Naughty Events has always been about creating safe spaces for open-minded people. Not everyone that comes plays with others, some do, some prefer to just watch, or be watched. Some never go to the playrooms at all. We fully expect more people passing on playing during these times, but they still want to meet others, dress sexy for the theme balls, go to the classes, and enjoy the food, music, and culture that New Orleans has to offer.
There will be plenty of people playing during the event. If we did not host this event, there would still be plenty of people playing (at home, at clubs, at other parties).
Playing is not the focus of our events, but we do under- stand that intimate contact is a part of the reason that many couples attend. We hope you will be able to make informed decisions on whether or not you decide to play with others, and we will do our best to help create as safe an environment as possible.
Summing Up
In the end, you must decide on your own level of com- fort. We do not think it is time for us to go back to pre- COVID-19 times, but we also do not want to wait another year to go out in public. We are choosing a middle ground based on current regulations and science and allowing you to make your own decisions.
Most of our fans will not return until 2021 or even longer, we support their choice and we look forward to seeing them down the road. We hope everyone stays safe and is smart in their decisions while taking into account each of their own individual needs and risks. In so doing, you are helping us to protect future events and attendees.
Open-minded people are adventuresome and social and are also very intelligent and can decide for themselves what is right for them. Come with a good attitude and you will see an event that is still sexy, while trying to be as socially responsible as possible.
We may never get a vaccine, but we sure hope we do. In the meantime, we are trying to be the best at what we do and hosting the best people to join us.
We look forward to a wonderful event, with many friends and “framily.”
- Bob & Tess