It has been almost a year since the first lockdown. A year since live events have not been allowed to take place. A year that people working in the live event supply chain have had no way to earn their living – and faced an uncertain future. But the Government can’t see us, and all too often, they have been excluded from any financial support schemes – leaving them without the help they have needed to survive since the industry closed down and without a pathway to reopening.

We can see them – but the Government can’t.

A survey conducted found that 93% of individuals and businesses in the live event supply chain have seen their income fall dramatically as a result of the pandemic – 65% have seen a fall of over 50%, and 30% a fall of over 90%. As a result, 50% of individuals have had to take work outside of live events to supplement their income. A third have been forced to leave – or are considering leaving the sector. On top of that, 43% of live event supply chain businesses say they don’t have the resources to last until the summer.

This makes us one of the most heavily impacted sectors from the pandemic but despite this we have received no targeted Government support. Put simply, the Government clearly can’t see the desperate human and economic impact the pandemic has had on the live event supply chain.

#WEMAKEEVENTS ARE CALLING FOR

VISIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT The individuals and companies in the live event supply chain are frequently overlooked, therefore we need to be formally recognised by Government as a sector and included in the data they use to target support.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO SURVIVE Currently, many in our sector have been unjustly excluded from financial support. This must change or we will lose our cultural expression and reputation for delivering world class events.

PATHWAY TO REOPENING Despite knowing it takes many months of preproduction work to make a live event happen, we have been given no clear pathway to reopening.

Imaginators support the #WeMakeEvents campaign. Imaginators support our friends and colleagues throughout the creative event and music industry.