Event planners want roadmap to resumption of public events

Hard hit by the shutdown of events over the last 19 months triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, a group representing event planners has called on Government to lay out a roadmap for the resumption of public events in light of the proposed introduction of safe zones.

The Barbados Association of Event Professionals (BAEP) described itself as distinct from the entertainment industry and includes weddings and social event organisers; meeting and corporate event planners; festival and public event promoters; educators and technical and event suppliers. The organisation on Thursday made a case to be included in the discussions and the development of protocols that will govern the events industry.

In a statement, BAEP said: “The event industry is not in a position to survive any further inactivity. We are therefore hopeful that a level of urgency be placed on updating the existing protocols to provide a level playing field for business owners across sectors, allowing businesses in the events sector the opportunity to resume commercial activity.”

The association revealed that under the current protocols, its members have severely suffered, with several operations forced to closed their doors and scores of employees sent home.

BAEP said: “Due to the current protocols, many wedding and corporate event planners have witnessed potential clients shifting their business to other countries. Our industry competes as a chosen destination with the world, but since with no clear framework or timeline for event operations within a COVID environment, these scales have been tipped severely.

“Within the technical and event support services sector, retrenchments are estimated at approximately 70 per cent of operational and administrative staff. This is further compounded by the loss of seasonal and part-time work programs. Over the last 19 months has seen several well-established event and technical support companies closing their doors permanently, or pivoting away from the industry substantially.”

The association declared its support for Government’s decision not to mandate vaccines saying it did not “believe that any individual should feel penalized for a personal medical decision”. But it also noted there has been a “shift in global standards” for mass gatherings and events that require a combination of testing and vaccination. It said the events industry expects to comply with the benchmark to be viable.

It added that there are best practices that could be applied to Barbados and it was therefore in the process of making proposals that would allow event organisers to provide their services while incorporating risk management protocols.

“BAEP is in the process of preparing a Safe Return proposal for the event sector, which will be circulated on completion,” it said. “Similar to the tourism industry, the events industry must be allowed to resume operations, to provide stimulation of the local economy, and to bolster the complementary sectors, such as retail and entertainment, which rely heavily on the staging of events locally.”

The association said it was “cautiously encouraged” by Government’s strategy to kickstart activity, saying it looks forward to the clarity of the timeline and mechanisms required to allow for the events and entertainment sector to be able to resume business. (SD/PR)