VMA says Australia getting vaccinated is the key to live entertainment industry’s road to recovery

In response to the National Cabinet’s four phase plan to reopen Australia the Venue Management Association (Asia and Pacific) Ltd [VMA] is encouraging all their members, member venues and suppliers to the industry to take proactive measures in two key areas.

Firstly, the VMA urges those with management responsibility for staff safety to educate them about the ongoing impacts on the events and venues industry, the pathway forward and the benefits of vaccination.

Secondly, to support and communicate with their patrons and customers that the quicker the majority of Australians are vaccinated, the quicker shows, games, events and performances can return at full capacity to VMA member venues.

The statement advises “for over 15 months our industry has borne the brunt of COVID-19 related restrictions, as one of a hand full of industries that were the first to shut down and will be one of the last to fully reopen.

“The decimation of the live entertainment, performing arts and business event sectors has seen untold damage for venues, promoters, on field and on stage performers, production companies, professional conference organisers, ticketing organisations, international sport, exhibition owners, speaker bureaus and other supply chain organisations.”

The 2020 Ernst and Young Report on the economic contribution of Australia’s live entertainment industry highlighted the significant impact COVID-19 has had on our industry, with economic output falling by 65% (from $36.5 billion in 2019 to $12.8 billion in 2020) and the loss of nearly 80,000 FTE jobs from the industry (122,647 FTE in 2019 to 43,129 in 2020).

It adds “with our industry facing an evolving landscape across caps on patron numbers and state and international border restrictions the financial viability of many venues, their clients and suppliers continue to be stressed.

“While financial support from governments, including JobKeeper, have delivered a lifeline to many in the industry, the VMA believes the only road that leads to recovery for our industry is a vaccinated Australian population.”

VMA Chair, Leighton Wood noted “the venue management and live entertainment industry needs to support any and all government campaigns to get Australia vaccinated. This is the only pathway left for us to start to rebuild and save our venues, our employees and our industry.”

Image courtesy of Century Venues.