Corporate Events Plus

How do we turn this around??  Can we turn this issue around??

Our Industry is on the ropes !

We are suffering, the industry of live events is on it’s knees.

One of the first industry’s to stop working when the Covid 19 virus arrived and all reports are that the live events industry is likely to be one of the last to return to the new normal.

The government has given the go ahead for larger indoor meetings to be held from the 1^st of October 2020.

There are restrictions and there are guidelines for returning to business meetings but it is not as simple as flicking a switch to return to how events used to be.

In the last few weeks we have seen some big audiovisual supplier names in the industry have to fold, companies that in normal years of trading turn over millions of pounds, employ hundreds of staff and freelance crew and add revenue to the UK economy.

Now Production agencies are shedding staff in advance of the Furlough scheme being reduced, they have been carrying their staff on their personal money and this is now running out.

 

What are my concerns regarding this situation?

 

1)

We in England have been industry leaders for producing conferences, exhibitions and live events, engaging audiences to cascade information – we have been the envy of other countries with our creative ideas and the execution of the events we produce. Many industry professionals are having to seek income from other career’s, will they return? I am not sure they will. I know of some industry professionals who are going to retire early from the industry. This is a loss of knowledge and of standards.

2)

Our valued ‘go to’ suppliers are dwindling – companies that we rely on to invest millions of pounds to enable us to use the latest audiovisual equipment. Large projection  and LED screens and video walls, extensive PA systems, Lighting rigs and staging backdrops.

3)

There is no investment going into our industry in terms of new product purchases, no training of existing staff and no employment of the next tranche of budding audiovisual technicians and specialists.

4)

Our audiences who normally travel across Europe and sometimes from further afield are not travelling and this gives us a problem with gathering multinational events.

We are unfortunately in a negative spiral.

 

No commitment from customers to hold events.

No forward order book,

No investment in the industry,

No training to improve skills,

A loss of industry professionals

A loss of quality audiovisual equipment suppliers

No assistance from the government for our industry

 

If you were writing a business plan for live events there would be other areas to invest your money into to ensure a return on investment.

How do we turn this around??  Can we turn this issue around??

This is the question we are all asking.

I believe there is a hunger for face to face meetings

I know that audiences are starting to switch off from staring at the computer screen for an event

I do think that events will return in a new shape but the events will not be how they used to be.

 

We need the opportunity to show our creativity but we need our customers to commit to projects – exhibitions and gatherings – we need our customers to be bold – brave.

We need the Government to help our industry to survive the gap before we return to work

We need to stay positive and look for opportunities to earn money in the meantime.

 

At Corporate Events Plus we have reserves to carry us until there is a return to business but we are also forward thinking enough to accept that we are in a new world and we need to move with the changes to survive ourselves.

 

This could be exciting – this is worrying without doubt but due to the nature of our industry we are problem solvers, creators and deliverers – the difference is we need to work now for ourselves to find a way through this mire we are all in.