Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Cancellations in the Corona winter again?
Organizers fear “fatal blow”
“Limit contacts”, “cancel parties”: The discussions in the fourth wave of Corona are similar to those from last winter – and bring back bad memories among organizers. According to the industry association, the reserves have now been used up, and many fear for their existence again.
Concerts, conferences, Christmas markets: from the industry’s point of view, further restrictions on events could mean the end for many of the companies involved. The Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry warns of a “death knell” for the industry. Recommendations from the Robert Koch Institute and from federal states to close events are in no way understandable. “If necessary, we would also be prepared to require our visitors to submit a current negative rapid test, ie to use” 2G plus “,” said association president Jens Michow.
Showmen and trade fair organizers are also alarmed by the increasing number of corona cases. The Federal Conference on Event Management spoke of gloomy and uncertain prospects, which today wants to inform in an online press conference about the consequences of the expired Corona economic aid.
“We are extremely alarmed, we are afraid of our existence,” said Showman President Albert Ritter. For them, the Christmas markets are now the most important source of income before the fair season starts again after the winter months. “If the couple of Christmas markets are closed for symbolic politics, bridging aid is needed.” The family businesses are financially at the end, writes Ritter in a letter to the SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach. “The old-age provisions have been used up, life insurances have been canceled, the accounts empty or overdrawn.”
The Association of the German Exhibition Industry (Auma) warned against actionism. “The recipes from last winter no longer taste good,” said the head of the association, Jörn Holtmeier. Recommendations such as that of the Robert Koch Institute to cancel all events in general is hardly understandable in view of the vaccination rates among adults. According to Auma, over two thirds of the 380 planned trade fairs have been removed from the program in the current year. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the industry has suffered damage of over 43.5 billion euros, Holtmeier told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“The fourth wave of corona is here, events and orders are being canceled, jobs are being lost and income is falling again or is completely disappearing,” said the Federal Conference on Event Management. Aid programs, however, expired on December 31st. They urgently need to be extended.