Features
German Event Associations Feel Ignored
Germany’s latest draft of the so-called infection protection act has the country’s event associations on edge, as it suggests that promoters will be facing the same situation of perpetual uncertainty as they have been over the past two years.
A continual dialogue between Germany’s event professionals and politicians working in the government’s economic department hasn’t been established despite the live sector seeking it since the beginning of the pandemic. The latest government formed nine months ago, but hasn’t entered into a conversation with the event associations united under the Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft – despite repeated requests.
See: ‘Maximum Uncertainty’ In Light Of Germany’s COVID Policy
In an Aug. 15 letter to the state secretary for small and medium-sized businesses, Michael Kellner, the Forum points out several issues with the latest infection protection act draft, including its timing, the lack of specificity when it comes to its actual content.
“The implementation of infection control measures must follow clear and binding criteria. These are missing in the draft,” the Forum points out in a press release sent out Aug. 18. The event professionals also point out that a competitive disadvantage would arise if infection control measures were not coordinated in advance throughout Europe.
They write that it was “regrettable,” that neither the June 8 recommendations of the federal government’s own COVID expert council nor the July 6 proposals for event approval submitted by the Forum itself have been taken into account. The present draft would cause considerable uncertainty in all sectors of the economy, once again resulting in event cancellations in the cultural and b2b event sectors. Another financial aid program for the sector was unavoidable.
The associations consider it “irresponsible” for organizers to once again go on sale with tickets without knowing whether their events could actually be held as planned.
While there was no safety net at all for the b2b sector in case of an enforced cancellation of events, the cultural event sector was still at risk of once again alienating large parts of ticket buyers. Say a mask mandate was imposed after fans already purchased their ticket. It would entitle them to a refund.
The Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft concludes, that the event industry finds itself in the same economic situation as in the two previous years.