Event professionals from all across the UK are being urged to join in a mass email send on Tuesday 17 November.
In an attempt to put more pressure on the Government to allow events to run safely under its own Covid-secure guidance once the national lockdown comes to an end, the entire UK events industry is being urged to send the below template to several news programmes between 7.30-9am GMT, 17 November.
The UK Government recently announced the extension of the furlough and SEISS schemes, as well as issuing guidance to Local Authorities to come up with their own grant schemes, with specific mention to support events businesses, but industry campaigners say this may not be enough to keep the sector alive, given that events require months of advance planning, and the current landscape makes this an almost impossible task.
A template has been provided below, but everyone participating should also include a short note about their own personal story about how they have been impacted by Covid-19 since the events industry ground to a halt in March.
Having the media on the industry’s side is vital in pressuring the Government into letting us get back to work. Whether you work in the provision or supply of conferences, exhibitions, music, culture, sport or weddings, you are all part of the £84bn (US$110bn) events industry.
To join in the campaign, you can send the following template, with your own story included in place of the bold text, to the following programmes between 6am and 7am, 17 November.
Sky, Kay Burley: kay.burley@sky.uk
BBC Radio 2: radio2enquiries@bbc.co.uk
Good Morning Britain: GMB@ITV.com
BBC Breakfast: bbcbreakfast@bbc.co.uk
Today, BBC Radio 4: today@bbc.co.uk
TEMPLATE
Dear producer,
I am writing to share with you my worries and frustrations with the Government’s continued disregard for the events industry.
We want the Government to allow us to run events again, safely, under the rules of their own Covid-secure guidance, after the lockdown concludes.
The mental effects of limiting human face-to-face interaction has never been more evident. The events world is an industry full of skilled and creative people who create and deliver real conversations and experiences.
The Government recently announced the extension of the furlough and SEISS schemes, as well as issuing guidance to Local Authorities to come up with their own grant schemes, with specific mention to support events businesses. While welcome, this will not be enough to keep the industry alive. Events require months of advance planning, and the current landscape makes this an almost impossible task.
Without the events industry, we risk becoming a soulless society of online calls and webinars.
While pubs, restaurants, cinemas and bingo halls can reopen, the events industry may not, despite organised events being easier environments to manage safely. The combined value of conferences, exhibitions, and outdoor events such as festivals, cultural events and weddings is worth £84bn to the UK economy each year and, at the start of 2020, employed 1,563,020 people across a broad range of businesses.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has already approved the All Secure Standard Covid-19 guidance and was even satisfied with the pilot events that took place in September. Yet we are still not allowed to operate and continue to earn zero income.
Event organisers, those working in venues, supplying hire equipment such as audio-visual, caterers, technology companies, specialist event agencies, and of course freelancers, are at the moment deeply concerned about their jobs and businesses. Many have already had to close.
Health and safety must come first, but thousands of us risk losing our jobs, and we must have the media help raise awareness.
[ADD YOUR PERSONAL STORY HERE, 150 WORDS MAX]
We are experts in risk mitigation and people management, but right now we are handing our event business to our international rivals. The UK is the only major European country which has failed to at least partially reopen its events industry.
We urgently need a restart date, like other European countries. As every week passes, more jobs and businesses are lost.
I feel the media are duty-bound to address this major issue.
I look forward to your reply,
