Nobody wants to see the infection rate, and the death rate, going up but the governmentās latest proposal to contain Covid-19 transmission is another huge hurdle for the industry. Does the āsix monthsā theory include beaching live events for that time period? Give us some clarity.
Without the promised track, trace and test routine itās down to businesses and individuals to shut this coronavirus out. In turn though there has to be a new plan to help venues, suppliers and their teams tick over. And quickly.
Better focus across the summer could have, should have, delivered a robust testing machine capable of keeping infected people away from pubs, clubs and live events ā securing jobs not to mention big revenue streams. So, closing down the furlough scheme for people/places with no other means of income isnāt the motivation it was intended to be.
The event industry canāt be made to suffer more because government fell so short on its promises.
The best solution then and now would be for Secretary of State for DCMS, Oliver Dowden, to engage with a panel representing promoters, organisers, venues and suppliers to get hard facts rather than woolly Westminster theories.
On the plus side, we hear business events for up to 30 can go ahead, for the time being, Dowden is at least meeting āmajor spectator sportsā according to one of his recent Tweets and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is giving Ā£450,000 to support 141 London venues, ātailored to their unique needs, such as rent disputes, local council discussions, or direct financial aidā.
Over to you Rishi Sunakā¦