Some health professionals later considered SARS to be a “dry run” for a greater global pandemic. Yet analogous situations to COVID-19 are difficult to find, and knowing what accounts of the impact of SARS to rely on is not necessarily clear. Cirque du Soleil has shut down 44 shows worldwide. As noted in the announcement, venues are specifically designed for queuing and crowd control, and are located in most urban, suburban, and rural communities – often near transit lines or with easy access to parking. Both creative companies and performers themselves have reached out to audiences. No one really knows what the other side of this shutdown will look like. What is the future? Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. These include significant donations from Universal Music Group (UMG), Live Nation Entertainment, as well as streaming giants such as Spotify, Amazon Music, TIDAL, YouTube Music and countless others. When leading through uncertain times, it is critical that managers avoid the urge to throw up their hands and act purely on instinct. They should be able to weather the impact of coronavirus, but others may not be so fortunate. Its program is called NY PopsUp, a month-long series featuring 100 artists that begins Saturday, […] As you set about achieving the ambitious goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in 100 days, we wish to offer the full support and resources of the live event industry. 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Even more worryingly, as … Experts predict that COVID-19 will cut US$12 billion out of the entertainment industry in the United States alone. Oscars Predictions: Best Picture – Is ‘Nomadland’ Still the Academy Frontrunner or Is Netflix Closing In? COVID-19’s impacts on society are unprecedented and nobody can say precisely when we will return to normal public life. Congratulations to you and Vice President Harris on an inauguration signifying the unity and hope necessary to move America forward. We share your vision of expedient, equitable, and widespread vaccine distribution. Lessons from crisis response and management suggest that using techniques like scenario planning or “table topping,” where stakeholders can imagine or project potential future outcomes, are important. “We all stand united now, ready to assist in the safe, rapid delivery of the vaccine from a people moving perspective.”, “We are here to help. Medical scholars suggest media coverage about the impact of SARS was “excessive, sometimes inaccurate and sensationalist.”. US$12 billion out of the entertainment industry, Cirque du Soleil shut down 44 shows worldwide, losing the important summer concert season, excessive, sometimes inaccurate and sensationalist, Centre for Puppetry Arts, based in Atlanta, stakeholders can imagine or project potential future outcomes. Event venues make ideal community vaccination sites.”. For artists, industry professionals and anxious music fans, the concert business, like live sports, was among the first to be affected by COVID-19 and will be among the last to recover. AFP via Getty Images The global entertainment industry will take a $160 billion hit over the next five years as it slowly recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, according to … NEW YORK - Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, concert trade publication Pollstar puts the total lost revenue for the live events industry in 2020 at more than $30 billion.. Pollstar on Friday released its year-end report, explaining that the live events industry should have hit a record-setting $12.2 billion this year, but instead it incurred $9.7 billion in losses. While it may seem like an effective short-term response, failing to account for systemic implications could also exacerbate the negative impacts. Two people walk by the Cirque du Soleil Big Top in Montréal’s Old Port on March 21, 2020. Those who care about an organization’s mandate and vision can explore prospects for slow or fast recovery, weak or strong demand, local or global re-openings. Two local giants, Live Nation and AEG, dominate the touring industry. During times of uncertainty, managers often juggle an infinite number of issues, multiple stakeholder needs and an unpredictable range of outcomes. “The entire live event industry has stood still since March, 2020.” says Bandit Lites Chair Michael T. Strickland. How COVID-19 has caused Serious Problems for the Entertainment Industry. Shedding too many employees, or the wrong employees, may impede the ability to resume operations when the crisis ends. Read Next: Country Radio Seminar Study Sees DSPs Encroaching on Beloved FM Format During Quarantine, on Tuesday, major live-entertainment organizations —, We represent businesses, workers and entertainers that make up the majority of the live event industry. As noted by the announcement, the live event industry is in a unique position to help: the pandemic has fully shuttered operations, leaving venues empty and the furloughed crowd-management oriented staff who operate them eager to help out and get back to work. In addition, a common response to crisis is to maintain customer engagements so that they return when the conditions allow. It is our duty, as businesses rooted in communities across the nation, to do our part to set America on a positive path during this time of crisis. Our interiors are clear span with bright work lights and empty standard refrigeration systems. Concerts May Never Be The Same, But Virtual Entertainment Is Thriving Artists and industry insiders share how the coronavirus pandemic has forced the live entertainment industry to get creative to sustain fans and venues. We stand ready to work with Federal and State governments to save lives and get America back to work and school. “Live events is one of the best prepared, best equipped, most experienced industries in America to manage and control large crowds in a rapid, organized fashion. Please let us now go to work to protect public health. Chris Gibbs does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Los Angeles-based Theatre Unleashed started performing cast readings through Zoom, while the Centre for Puppetry Arts, based in Atlanta, has taken steps to ramp up its online programming. 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In fact, many venues are already working on the State and Local level to implement vaccine programs. An estimated 95% of live events industry businesses and workers have lost nearly 100% of their revenue, and are ready and willing to get to work immediately. But this year, the concert industry … This is even more critical now knowing that companies are likely to relaunch all at the same time and engage in a costly battle for audiences’ limited attention. But with COVID-19, sports and entertainment are on the sidelines with us. In fact, many venues are already working on the State and Local level to implement vaccine programs.” said Wayne Forte, NITO executive committee member and president of Entourage Talent Associates. The … “These vaccines are our best chance at putting COVID-19 behind us, and our experiences organizing events and managing crowds now put us in the unique position of being the best prepared and most qualified industry to support the vaccination effort and get this country on the road to recovery.”, In fact, this plan was hinted at on Jan. 16 in a Tweet from Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, in which he wrote, “If the live event industry was tasked with vaccination distribution we would have it done in a weekend, sold t-shirts and beer and a meet and greet with Fauci.”, In an official statement Tuesday, he said, “It’s human nature to come together in good times and bad, and our industry is committed to doing everything in our power to bring people together again – not just for events, but for every aspect of community that we have been missing. The year-end federal relief. Moving people in, out, and around a public gathering space swiftly and safely is the foundation of our industry. As such, more cancellations, wage cuts, consolidations and massive layoffs from live events and entertainment companies are to be expected in the coming weeks. Live Nation has venues across the country that are capable of managing critical onsite elements of the vaccine rollout and we are eager to pitch in and be part of the solution.”. In a letter to President Biden on Tuesday, major live-entertainment … Ryerson University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation CA. “Since the pandemic shuttered our industry almost a year ago, our buildings and our co-workers have been paused, unutilized, and struggling” said Dayna Frank, owner & CEO, First Avenue Productions and Board President of NIVA. “We are here to help. Due to the nature of our business, our buildings and workforce are accustomed to patron queuing and crowd management. © Copyright 2021 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. There are several thousand companies in the live event industry which own the equipment and infrastructure required to build vaccination sites. Global entertainment giant Cirque du Soleil shut down 44 shows worldwide and will not reopen until January 2021. As a result, they are now left coping with the immediate impact of not having “bums in seats” to pay for their operations’ fixed and sunk costs. bill promises enough money to keep America's live-music business from going under, venue owners say. While we have been effectively shuttered by the pandemic, we have vast resources that, if fully utilized, could provide invaluable mechanisms in our country’s vaccine distribution. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers must abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers. Our industry has thousands of venues throughout America that are under mandated closures and sitting empty.