Insight: Issue 15 (7th October)

The events industry is *still without govt support*

But if today’s insight proves anything, it’s this…We. Will. Not. Give. Up.

Here’s the latest: event profs stand as one for the #WeMakeEvents Global Action Day; sign the petition to ban UK MPs from places of entertainment and events (yep, all of ‘em); read the Event Industry Association’s open letter to the PM and Chancellor; find out how event bubbles and on-site testing will work (you know, when events are actually allowed); some tips for choosing the right virtual event platform; and some professional development opportunities…diaries at the ready!

Event profs stand as one

As part of the #WeMakeEvents Global Action Day last week, hundreds of event profs from all corners of the live events sector took a stand in Parliament Square—drawing attention to the damage the government’s COVID-19 restrictions are doing to the UK’s night-time economy, and highlighting their total lack of support for the companies and individuals who create events. All participants wore face coverings and stood 2m apart, of course, serving to emphasise our industry’s commitment and capacity to deliver events safely—if we could only be given the opportunity.

#WeMakeEvents is calling on the UK government to extend significant financial support for the events sector, until all event profs can get back to work. The fact is, the chancellor’s £1.57 billion bailout for arts, culture, and heritage industries won’t reach a significant proportion of the people in the events industry—an industry which, we won’t let Rishi Sunak forget, is worth £42.3 billion to the economy.

PETITION: ban UK MPs from places of entertainment & events

Yep, you read that right. This, right here, is a petition to ban UK MP’s from places of entertainment and events.

In light of recent comments from certain MPs declaring that the entertainment and events sector is ‘non-viable’, the petition calls for all members of the UK’s Houses of Parliament to be banned from places of entertainment—effective immediately. This ban would extend to all forms of live and streamed media, events and venues, and would apply for the duration of their tenure as parliamentarians *OR* until the industry is given the recognition and support we need to survive the COVID-19 shutdown.

If you think that’s extreme, consider the fact that these comments effectively write off a £70 billion chunk of the economy, whilst destroying millions of skilled livelihoods…So, let’s all sign it and see if they find *that* viable…

EIA delivers open letter to PM & Chancellor

And while we’re on the topic of the government’s *total and complete lack of support for the events sector*—the Events Industry Alliance has delivered an open letter to PM Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak about exactly that subject.

The letter is supported by 334 event companies within the EIA’s membership, and it proposes an Event Industry Hibernation Scheme. The scheme would support the survival of event businesses and their employees throughout the closure of the industry—with wage subsidies, an enhanced grant and loan scheme, and a regular review process to ensure needs are being met.

You can read the letter in full here.

Event bubbles & on-site testing: are they viable?

The NBA and the NHL have been able to resume their seasons by instituting strict bubbles for participants, which got Event Manager Blog thinking—could this be a viable model for business events, and how much protection would it provide? (Side note: apparently ‘viable’ is the word of the day…ugh.)

As it stands, there is no one single measure that promises to be an anti-COVID silver bullet (if only…). So event planners will have to introduce a multi-faceted approach to risk mitigation, which will most likely include both event bubbles and on-the-door testing. To achieve this, they’ll first need to find out about these 3 things:

1. The testing options that are available now;
2. The argument for making speed a higher priority than accuracy (a solution doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful, after all);
3. And the logistical considerations that come with executing an on-site testing system; everything from building the clinic, to calculating the costs.

Luckily, EMB has done all the research for you, and you can read all about it here.

Does the perfect virtual event platform exist?

It’s a good question—and when Velvet Chainsaw looked into it, the answer was a resounding ‘no’. And that’s because, while there are plenty of excellent solutions out there, none of them can do it all. These are 3 key takeaways from the article, which should help you figure out which platform ticks the most boxes:

1. Make a list of 5 providers, research them in detail, then request demos. This will give you a chance to figure out your priorities and pinpoint the platform that can deliver.
2. Word to the wise: don’t be distracted by extraneous features. Think about your event goals, and stick to your priorities.
3. If you’re new to the virtual event game, it’s a good idea to work with a trusted partner on the production side of things, just to be 100% sure everything will go to plan.*

*Two words: Cameron Live. Just sayin’.

And some dates for your diary. . .

The first half of today’s insight made for pretty grim reading, so we thought we’d end on a positive note—and who doesn’t like professional development? MeetingsNet has recommended 9 virtual events for meeting planners, taking place between now and mid-January 2021:

1. October 12-16: Planet IMEX—planetimex.com.
2. October 13-15: Event Planner Expo—theeventplannerexpo.com.
3. November 2-6: Event Tech Live—eventtechlive.com.
4. November 3-6: Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress—wec.mpiweb.org/events/wec-grapevine.
5. November 18: Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum—lippmanconnects.com/events/ecef.
6. December 1-2: Incentive Research Foundation UNvitational—invitational.theirf.org/unvitational-an-irf-virtual-experience.
7. December 1-3: Experiential Designers and Producers Association’s ACCESS 2020—edpa.com/program-2020.
8. December 8-10: IBTM World Virtual—ibtmworld.com.
9. January 12-15: Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders—conveningleaders.org.

Now get out there and learn some stuff!