‘Forgotten By Politics’: German Events Sector Makes Further Demands

Handing over a catalogue of 33 demands made by Germany's live events sector to the political decision makers:
Alexander Franz – Handing over a catalogue of 33 demands made by Germany’s live events sector to the political decision makers:
Bettina Hagedorn (left), Germany’s federal minister of finance, and Georg Ehrmann, who hosted the conference.

Germany, one of the world’s most important live entertainment markets, still hasn’t come up with a viable reopening strategy. The sector has therefore submitted a list of demands to the country’s decision makers, and has emphasized that honoring these demands was imperative if the German live events industry was to survive.

See: German Events Sector Demands December 1st Freedom Day
Associations representing all parts of the German live events industry have been forming alliances since the lockdowns began in March 2020. Various lobbying efforts culminated in the so-called Bundeskonferenz Veranstaltungswirtschaft, which represents a sector that employs 1.1 million people at some 240,000 companies that generate €81 billion ($93 billion) annually.
The events industry is Germany’s sixth most important economic sector, yet the professionals working in it feel like they’ve been invisible to the politicians throughout the coronavirus crisis. 
In the recent German elections, the events sector wasn’t mentioned once in any of the running parties’ election programs. 
The scientific findings established in controlled test events and showing that live events can take place safely, were ignored. While soccer stadiums have opened at full capacity again, there’s no nationwide strategy to reopen clubs, concert halls and open air venues. No wonder the sector feels unfairly targeted and “forgotten by politics,” as Bundeskonferenz Veranstaltungswirtschaft states in the introduction to a new catalogue of demands it handed to decision makers, Oct. 28.
The most important demands are:
1. The co-called bridging program, financial help to stay afloat while banned from doing business, needs to be extended by at least six months after all coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. There’s no information available on when that might be.
2. Event professionals can also apply for financial help to restart their businesses, which also needs to be extended by at least six months after all coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
Many events need to plan ahead with up to twelve months of lead time, only then will their own revenues start to help stabilize the sector again. At the moment, as the catalogue of demands states, the restart help doesn’t even cover minimum living wages for applicants.
3. The German government’s current plan is to cease its subsidies allowing businesses to employ workers at reduced hours while maintaining most of their salaries by Dec. 31, which would lead to a wide-ranging terminations of work contracts across the sector. It therefore demands that the short-time work program is also extended by six months after all coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
4. On top of extending the existing programs more financial help will be required to facilitate a restart and make up for losses incurred du to event cancellations.
5. The events sector demands a dedicated politician, the creation of a political office concerning itself with the live events sector – just like there’s a dedicated representative for tourism and Germany’s middle class.
The full catalogue of demands (in German) can be viewed here.