​RED ALERT!
The UK events comes together in solidarity under the
#WeMakeEvents Campaign to ask the government
​ to ‘throw us a line’ ​

The UK events comes together in solidarity under the #WeMakeEvents Campaign to ask the government to ‘throw us a line’ 
Over 715 buildings across the UK lit up in red yesterday to symbolise the imminent danger over one million people in the live events industry face unless the government provides financial support

“The live events sector employs over 600,000 highly skilled people in the UK - event production, audio, lighting, video, logistics, planning, transportation and technology - over 70% of which are freelancers. All of whom have had no work for the past four months, with little likelihood of restarting until Spring 2021 at the earliest.” - Peter Gabriel 

​Twenty of the UK’s biggest cities hosted events to raise awareness of the struggling supply chain that facilitate events across the country. From Minnack Theatre Cornwall to The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Principality Stadium Cardiff, and the Millennium Forum Northern Ireland. In Manchester, two hundred technicians pushed redundant flight cases through the city centre as they observed COVID-19 protocols.
The capital’s finale began on a boat at 20:30, as it made its way down the Thames - passing Royal Festival Hall, the London Eye, the National Theatre and the Tate all illuminated red. As the boat reached key locations, such as Westminster Bridge and Jubilee Bridge - hundreds of volunteers dressed in red and 4000 socially distanced supporters lined up on the banks of the Thames in the capital to ask the government to ‘throw us a line’

Performances from legendary Level 42 frontman Mark King and Folk singer Frank Turner were also on display on the boat as it made its way to a lit Tate Modern displaying “Throw us a line” 
The call to action focused on raising awareness for over a million professionals at risk of losing their jobs - 600,000 of whom deliver outdoor events, and around 70 per cent of the workforce are freelance. The government’s £1.57 billion investment to the cultural and arts institutions will not reach the freelancers or self-employed from the industry, and the imminent closure of the self-employed income support scheme at the end of the month threatens their livelihood

Without major, immediate support from government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse." - The Cure

Unlike other industries, events, festivals, and performances have been unable to safely reopen due to social distancing guidance, and may not reopen until early 2021 – and opening times keep being pushed back. With no government support on the horizon for the event supply chain, redundancies have already begun. Research indicates that 25 per cent of companies will have served redundancy notices by the end of August, rising to 70 per cent by the end of December.
To facilitate this event, over nineteen trade associations from the live events sector collaborated for the first time to help save their industry. The initial #WeMakeEvents campaign by PLASA issued a ‘Red Alert’ last week, to symbolise the imminent danger the industry is in.
International support from celebrities such as Nile Rodgers, Peter Gabriel, New Order, Frank Skinner, Leona Lewis, The Cure, Frank Turner, Paloma Faith, Imogen Heap, Doc Brown, and Trevor Horn all helped to raise awareness, in the hope the UK’s world-renowned live events industry can stay afloat.

​Peter Gabriel, singer, songwriter and activist, comments: “The live events sector employs over 600,000 highly skilled people in the UK - event production, audio, lighting, video, logistics, planning, transportation and technology - over 70% of which are freelancers. All of whom have had no work for the past four months, with little likelihood of restarting until Spring 2021 at the earliest.”
Peter continues: “A lot of high arts have now been given some support, but people working on the festival side of things and in live events have been forgotten about, and I hope they are not forgotten about any longer. Around the UK they’ve created something which I think is the best in the world.
“Many of these people are freelancers, so don’t fall under furlough schemes. So right now, they are feeling the pinch very badly and if we want live events and festivals to stay an important British business then it needs to be supported. “

Award winning rock band, The Cure, comments: “The events sector urgently needs government support to survive the COVID-19 crisis. Without major, immediate support from government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse.
“The aim is to have financial support extended for the people and companies in this sector, until they can return to work. “

​Peter Heath, MD of PLASA, comments: “The live events industry supply chain, essential to every single event in the UK, is set to completely collapse without financial support from the government, due to social distancing prohibiting mass events. Large scale events are not expected to reopen until Spring 2021 at the earliest, and the reality is that the sector can’t wait that long. While the Government’s commitment to provide £1.57bn to our crown jewels is welcomed, this does not not help the companies and freelancers who work in the live events supply chain.  We’ve issued a ‘Red Alert’ after using #WeMakeEvents because the sector is on its last legs, and now the whole industry is coming together to ask the government to ‘throw us a line.’”

Andy Dockerty, Managing Director of Adlib, comments: “The events sector has been absolutely devastated by the COVID-19 crisis, and there are few signs of any significant restart in the near future. Without immediate support, the entire live events supply chain is at risk of collapse, and some 1 million highly skilled professionals face many more months of financial uncertainty. We need the government to understand the urgency of the situation, and so we call on industry members to make their voices heard and join us on the evening of 11 August.”

​
​Who we are

• PLASA - the Professional Lighting and Sound Association - 45 years
• Membership association - internationally recognized mainly the UK.
• Members approx. 430
• Members are generally connected with event technology - Manufacturers- rental & production- distribution professional services  
• Supply chain huge diverse serves – Live Music, Theatre, Festivals, Corporate, exhibitions, opening ceremonies, e.g. Olympics, Cultural events etc. 

 
The UK events industry delivers on many fronts

• Economically - over £100B
• Culturally - we are world leaders in design, planning and delivery of events
• Innovation for technologies making the whole productions a much better experience for the artiste and visitor
• Well-being/educational - People like to have fun - this industry helps people to achieve that and provide learning too.

 
Our issue 

• If you listen to the media since Covid-19 arrived the representation has mostly been the theatre, although we support this BUT no understanding of the hidden industry -  the supply chain to all events - that is not mentioned or understood.  
• No one mentioning and Government not recognising the manufacturers, production and rental companies, thousands of technicians that work behind the scenes.
• Launched a campaign and video #WeMakeEvents industry folk explain the reason for financial help needed

 
Challenges

• We were 1st in. And will be last out of the economic situation. Many companies 3 months liquidity (from June 2020)
• Loss of Specialist skills to other industries
• Retaining our position as a world leader in planning, delivery of live events and theatre
• Maintaining global position on R&D and product innovation

 
What we need

• We need capitol grants for our industry. Not loans
• We need the furlough scheme to be extended well into 2021 as our industry wont restart until then
• Self-employed income support scheme - if not, we lose skills that cannot be replaced overnight.  72% of workforce are self-employed.

 
If we don’t get it

• Loss of £100B into UK economy
• Loss of innovation and progression of technology
• Loss of specialised skills
• Loss of an industry as we know it 
• Another 1 million on the dole....
• Impact on NHS
• Loss of cultural position and icons.

 
 
Stats…..
An Approach to the Valuation of the UK Live Entertainment Industries
 
Summary 
Key Results: 
• Live entertainment and Theatre generate £11.25 billion in Gross Value added each year 
• The sector supports over 600,000 jobs, ranging from on stage talent to temporary bar staff 
• Theatre contributes £4.8 billion GVA, supporting 290,000 jobs 
• Music contributes £4.5 billion GVA; £2.74 billion from concerts, £1.76 from festivals 
• Music supports 210,000 FTE roles, 85,000 through festivals, 125,000 through concerts 
• Other entertainment contributes £1.95 billion GVA, another 100,000 roles 
• The entertainment sector contributed £1 billion in VAT in 2019
Media Insight Consulting
               Valuing Live Entertainment, June 20

• The sectors live events, Events, Entertainment technology, Leisure, Performing Arts and TV & Film sectors are worth more than £100bn to the annual economy as evidenced in DCMS figures and was the fastest growing sector in the UK. 1
• The British Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) report2 states overall events support half of the UK’s visitor economy with a total £70bn direct spend. 
• UK entertainment technology industry that supplies events and entertainment and includes; manufacturers, distributors, rental & production, professional services, events companies like ours, is valued at £1.36bn in 2018/2019, according to PLASA Industry Research 20193. 
• The Live Music sector made a contribution of £1.1 billion (GVA) in 2018, according to UK Music’s latest Music by Numbers report4.  
• Overall, according to a study by Bournemouth University5 last year, the outdoor event industry alone contributed £30.4bn (GVA), employing just under 600,000 people. 
• A recent survey outlined by SOLT and UK Theatre6 states the total loss of income is estimated at £630 million to the theatre sector from a 12-week closure. Details of sources are included at the end of this letter. 
• A current report into prospects for the events supply chain, carried out for the Events Industry Forum and Business Visits and Events Partnership, shows that 60% of companies in the sector have 3  months or less liquidity and that companies would survive for a further one or two months if they were to receive business rates discounts afforded to the rest of the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
• A PLASA Member survey in June 2020 states that over half of our members surveyed expect to lose 70-100% of their business for 2020, and 7 out of 10 businesses only have 2 months of cash revenue left7  

 
Reference Sources

• UK Government
• Source: UK Government – DCMS https://www.gov.uk/government/news/britains-creative-industries-break-the-100-billion-barrier

• Events
• Source: British Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) https://www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com/component/phocadownload/category/10-other?download=368:bvep-events-manifesto-nov-2019

• Entertainment Technology
• Source: PLASA industry research 07.11.2019 www.plasa.org 
   Source: PLASA Member Covid-19 impact report 06.04.20 www.plasa.org

• Live Music
• UK Music’s latest Music By Numbers report. https://www.ukmusic.org/research/music-by-numbers/

• Events
• Source: Bournemouth University study  https://www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk/images/documents/EIF_summary_report_final.pdf

• Theatre
• SOLT UK Theatre Research https://solt.co.uk/

• Entertainment Technology

Source: PLASA Member Covid-19 impact report 18.06.2020www.plasa.org
www.plasa.org main website info on the #wemakeeventsinitiative