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THE ROAD TO RECOVERY ILMC 33 REPORT THE COVID INSURANCE DILEMMA MAKING TOURING SUSTAINABLE DIVERSITY: THE OTHER PANDEMIC

98 An ILMC Publication APRIL 2021 | £25 | €25

A MONTHLY HALF-DAY WEBINAR UPDATING THE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY ON THE CURRENT STATE OF COVID PANDEMIC AND THE ROADMAP TO RE-OPENING

Key principles from science, health & safety, technology and the business, present the latest advances, updates and information around live music’s recovery.

2021 DATES 6 MAY 10 JUNE 8 JULY 5 AUGUST

The Recovery Sessions will be free to attend for all subscribers

The latest COVID mitigation strategies Market comparisons and updates on vaccines and testing Reports on recent pilots and tests COVID-related technology solutions that assist in protecting concert goers, artists, crew and teams Projected reopening schedules Invited Q&As with scientists, epidemiologists and other experts, and industry heads.

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IQ98 CONTENTS

Cover: Love of Lesbian’s 27 March concert for 5,000 fans at the Palau Sant Jordi was Europe’s biggest test event to date.

Photo © Xavier Mercadé

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© Xavier Mercadé

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NEWS

FEATURES

COMMENT AND COLUMNS

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Index In Brief The main headlines over the last two months Analysis Key stories and news analysis from around the live music world New Signings & Rising Stars A roundup of the latest acts that have found agents during the pandemic

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ILMC 33 Report Looking back at some of the highlights of this year’s virtual International Live Music Conference The Road to Recovery IQ examines some of the various test events and programmes that could help to reopen international touring Under Cover Operations Gordon Masson talks to some of live music’s leading insurance brokers about the state of their business and how that might impact plans for 2021 and beyond

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Making Touring Sustainable Tom Schroeder outlines why everyone must buy into music’s green agenda Therapy on Tour Tiffany Hudson explains the reasons behind Therapy on Tour and the way it has evolved throughout lockdown The Other Pandemic Marta Pallarès highlights the benefits of a gender-balanced festival line up Production Notes: Chris Kansy Production manager Chris Kansy reflects on life in lockdown and learning to live of Thousands without shows professionals read Your Shout IQ every day. Make What was your ILMC highlight thisget year? sure you the

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Helping your return to live.

Virtual Events Digital Tickets Timed Entry Contactless Admission Fan Research Marketing Reach Say hello at business@ticketmaster.co.uk business.ticketmaster.co.uk

In Brief

IMPROVING LIVE MUSIC, FOR ALL

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’ve written about this before, but given the key takeaways from this year’s ILMC, it merits a few more column inches. The issues of diversity and sustainability were front and centre at this year’s conference and it’s refreshing to see the recognition that the industry has in realising it has some serious problems to deal with.

Now to do something about it.

The diversity problem is obvious – there simply aren’t enough professionals in the business that reflect the audiences that are attending the shows that the industry depends on for its income. Quite why the industry became so white, male and middle-aged is beyond me, but recruitment policies and fair pay for all would probably be a decent place to begin any investigations.

I know that a number of companies in the UK are looking at proactive ways in which they can educate teenagers about the potential careers that the live entertainment sector can offer, so that’s a start. But retaining people in the business is also key, and that will require long-term investment. Making that a priority when businesses are on their knees is tricky, but it’s not impossible.

As was stated time and again at ILMC, the business presently finds itself in a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime situation, so the opportunity is here – now – to reset the way things have been done. And that also goes for the sustainability issue. Anyone who attended the Green Events & Innovations Conference, or the ILMC Production Meeting, for that matter, learned about the ways in which the business is trying to reduce its carbon footprint, but as agent Tom Schroeder notes in his comment piece on page 14, much more work is needed, by everyone, to improve the industry’s environmental credentials, and current business models need overhauling so that we can start combating climate change, instead of contributing to it.

Talking of starting over, our main feature in this issue looks at the Road to Recovery (page 30) and the various test events, internationally, that are paving the way for the business to restart. Our cover photo is from one such event – Love of Lesbian’s 27 March show for 5,000 fans at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, and while an entire audience wearing face masks might look strange, I don’t think there are many of us who wouldn’t have wanted to be there.

On page 19 we have our usual post-conference round up of what went on at ILMC, while I talk to a handful of live music insurance brokers (page 42) about the state of that industry and the very real impact that the lack of Covid insurance might have on events in the coming months.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention the loss of two industry titans during the past month. The thoughts of everyone at IQ and ILMC are with the families, friends and colleagues of Márton Brády of Showtime Budapest, and Frontier Touring’s Michael Gudinski, who, as befitting his legendary status, was honoured with a state memorial. Both were pioneers in their countries and brought joy to millions. They will be sorely missed.

ISSUE 98 LIVE MUSIC INTELLIGENCE IQ Magazine Unit 31 Tileyard Road London, N7 9AH info@iq-mag.net www.iq-mag.net Tel: +44 (0)20 3743 0300 Twitter: @iq_mag Publisher ILMC and Suspicious Marketing Editor Gordon Masson News Editor Jon Chapple Staff Writer Lisa Henderson Advertising Manager Steve Woollett Design Philip Millard Sub Editor Michael Muldoon Head of Digital Ben Delger Contributors Tiffany Hudson, Chris Kansy, Marta Pallarès, Tom Schroeder Editorial Contact Gordon Masson gordon@iq-mag.net Tel: +44 (0)20 3743 0303 Advertising Contact Steve Woollett steve@iq-mag.net Tel: +44 (0)20 3743 0304 ISSN 2633-0636

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IN BRIEF INDEX The concert business digest

FEBRUARY Russian regions, Kemerovo and Novosibirsk, are the first to remove restrictions and allow venues to host concerts at 100% occupancy.

Health experts in Germany create a set of guidelines to enable the gradual return of audiences to cultural and sporting events.

UK festivals including Reading and Leeds, Slam Dunk, Black Deer and Wide Awake plot comebacks as optimism grows.

Matt Bates, director of Primary Talent International, is named head of international and head of Europe for ICM Partners.

Roqu Group CEO details Health Passport Worldwide, a secure platform that combines mobile technologies with official Covid-19 tests and vaccinations.

Dutch DJ Luuk van Dijk is announced as the first-ever DJ to play a live set in Hotel Hideaway, the virtual hangout from the makers of Habbo.

Canadian venues, festivals and other live music organisations adopt the Safe Travels stamp, a mark that their events meet certain safety and hygiene standards.

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Michael Rapino predicts a huge 2022 as shares in Live Nation Entertainment reach an all-time high of $91.18 (€71.45).

Australian singer-songwriter Tash Sultana promotes their newly released album Terra Firma with a new Fortnite map based on its cover art.

Reading Festival, Creamfields and Boomtown in the UK sell out their 2021 editions.

2021 event, cancelling its planned 20th-anniversary celebration for a second year in a row.

The premier of Victoria, the home state of Michael Gudinski, announces they will hold a state funeral for the late promoter.

UTA acquires Obi Asika’s Londonbased Echo Location Talent Agency.

MARCH

Event Management Forum condemns the German government for its phased reopening strategy, which offers ‘no perspective for the event industry.’

Jools Holland, Sir Cliff Richard and Robert Plant are among those that call for a governmentbacked insurance scheme for live entertainment in the UK.

Flemish minister-president Jan Jambon says he will wait as long as possible to make a decision on whether domestic festivals can take place this summer.

Festival Republic confirms the cancellation of Download Festival 2021.

Live Nation Concerts promotes Amanda Moore to lead the residency business for Live Nation Las Vegas.

Michael Gudinski, founder of Frontier Touring, and one of the best-known figures in the Australian concert business, passes aged 68.

The Beat Goes Live, a 48-hour livestreaming event, unites many of the world’s leading electronic music venues in support of the industry.

AEG joins forces with Japan’s Avex Entertainment to launch AEGX, a joint venture that aims to create new opportunities in both the Japanese and global live music markets.

Leading European cashless payment companies Weezevent, based in Dijon, and Playpass, headquartered in Antwerp, merge.

Primavera Sound calls time on its

Spanish indie-pop band Love of Lesbian announce a non-socially

distanced show for 5,000 fans at Barcelona’s Palau St Jordi arena.

Oak View Group appoints three women to senior marketing, sales and partnership roles at Co-op Live, the upcoming arena in Manchester, UK. Thousands of Dutch residents take part in the latest Back to Live test events in Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome (cap. 17,000).

Claire Mas, the former head of digital for Island Records, joins UK-based live-streaming business Driift as chief operating officer.

Dutch rock band Di-rect sells more than 14,000 tickets for their latest concert live stream, held at the Omniversum cinema in The Hague.

Love Supreme Jazz Festival (UK), the largest greenfield jazz, funk and soul festival in Europe, announces its debut Japanese edition for May. Denmark’s ‘restart team’ submits a catalogue of recommendations on the reopening of the cultural and sports sectors to the ministry of culture.

Italy’s music industry is allocated €50million by the government Thousands of following ‘The Lastprofessionals Concert?’ read (L’ultimo Concerto?)

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Analysis

MAJOR EUROPEAN FESTIVALS CANCEL FOR A SECOND YEAR

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ome of Germany’s biggest music festivals, including Eventim Presents/ DreamHaus’s Rock am Ring (95,000cap) and Rock im Park (75,000-cap); FKP Scorpio’s Hurricane (78,000-cap) and Southside (65,000-cap); and ESK Events’ Deichbrand Festival (60,000cap), have been called off for a second year running.

The festivals’ promoters, all part of the Eventim Live network, “were compelled to call off the events due to the ongoing uncertainty about infection rates and mutations,” according to a

NZ & AUSTRALIA SET SIGHTS ON NEW POSTCOVID MILESTONES

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ew Zealand band Six60 are set to play the world’s largest concert since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic to 50,000 people next month.

The band will be the first act to play New Zealand’s largest stadium, Eden Park (50,000-capacity) in Auckland, on 24 April as part of their Six60 Saturdays tour.

In February this year, it was announced that the famous sporting stadium could host up to six concerts a year, following a five-day hearing in November in which residents’ concerns about potential noise and disruption were addressed.

Six60 were an active voice in the campaign to bring concerts to Eden Park, and frontman Matiu Walters said in a statement: “It’s no secret that

statement from CTS Eventim.

Days after the announcement, German promoter Goodlive cancelled the 2021 editions of Melt! (4-6 June, Ferropolis), Splash! (8 July and 15 July, Ferropolis), Full Force (25-27 June, Ferropolis) and Heroes (18-19 June, Geiselwind, and 23 July, Freiburg).

“After months and months of hard work, so many different ideas and concepts, and hundreds of calls with other festivals, politicians and experts, we have to admit to ourselves that the decision is ultimately out of our hands,” reads a statement on Melt!’s website.

In Switzerland, OpenAir St.Gallen (1-4 July),

Six60 thrilled the crowds at Sky Stadium Wellington in February

Six60 have wanted to play Eden Park for some time now. We always felt that it was important a kiwi band should play the first show at our national stadium.”

The Eden Park concert will be the seventh date of Six60 Saturdays, which is the only stadium tour in the world to go ahead during the pandemic so far.

In January, the band delivered the biggest headline show in New Zealand since the pandemic began to an estimated 20,000 people at Waitangi Sports Grounds in Paihia.

Neighbouring country Australia is inching closer to New Zealand’s post-Covid reality, after the announcement of ‘the largest standing festival since the beginning of Covid-19.’ Inverted Festival is slated to take place on 1 May at Met-

Gurtenfestival (14-17 July), Zermatt Unplugged (15-25 July), Caribana Festival (16-20 July), Thunerseespiele (14-28 August), and Paléo Festival Nyon, Greenfield Festival, Rock the Ring and Baloise Session, have also called it quits on their 2021 summer events for a consecutive year.

News of the cancellations came days after the Swiss federal government announced an update to its event cancellation scheme, which seems to have left organisers and live associations more uncertain than ever about the viability of this year’s festival season.

In Spain, two of three major Barcelona festivals, Primavera Sound (2-6 June) and Sónar (17-19 June), have decided to forego their 2021 flagship events and focus on smaller in-person events instead. The third, Cruïlla (8-10 July), is pushing ahead with a plan to utilise Covid-19 rapid testing.

Elsewhere, Rock Werchter (1-4 July), one of Belgium’s biggest and most important music festivals, has also been called off for the second year in a row.

ricon Stadium (cap. 25,000) on the Gold Coast, Queensland (QLD) and is expected to welcome up to 10,000 people.

The all-day event will combine live performances from some of Australia’s best punk rock bands, including Skegss, Spiderbait, The Chats, Trophy Eyes, WAAX, Stand Atlantic and Fangz, with BMX, skate and FMX competitions.

After extensive consultation between QLD health department and Metricon Stadium, the event organisers confirmed the festival would not be subject to zoned areas, meaning that festival-goers can move freely between stages.

QLD became the first Australian state to lift restrictions for events, allowing 100% capacity in stadiums and venues from November 2020.

Meanwhile, Andrew McManus’s One World Entertainment has announced Australia’s first concert series featuring international artists since the lockdown of March 2020. Under the Southern Stars comprises 11 shows across Australia in April and May and features US rock bands Cheap Trick, Stone Temple Pilots and Bush, acting as rotating headliners across the tour.

The shows, which have been approved by the national border force commissioner, will take place in partnership with local and state authorities, who have signed off on the strict Covid-19 regulations that will allow the bands into and across Australia.

Thousands of One World Entertainment will also bring professionals read Kiss to Australia in November, with day. the band IQ every Make playing their final-ever Australian shows as part sure you get the of the End of the Road tour.

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NEW SIGNINGS

LISTEN TO ’S ‘NEW MUSIC’ AGENCY PLAYLIST HERE

has partnered with a number of agencies to compile a monthly playlist of new music, much of it released by the new signings to their rosters. Among the tracks on April’s playlist are submissions from 13 Artists, ATC Live, CAA, ICM Partners, ITB, Paradigm, Primary Talent, UTA and WME.

ISSAM ALNAJJAR AGENTS

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Alex Hardee & Mike Malak Paradigm

GOYA GUMBANI AGENT

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B (US)

Darren James-Thomas FMLY

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ven if you don’t understand what he’s saying, it’s hard to ignore this tour de force. Issam Alnajjar is leading the way for a new generation of artists from the Middle East and North Africa. A 17-year-old musician from Amman, Jordan, he had been creating music for a couple of years, studying the songwriting of pop artists like Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran and admiring the creativity of iconic artists like Queen and The Weeknd, when he got some inspiration for his breakout hit, Hadal Ahbek.

After dropping a preview video for the song on Instagram, anticipation from his fans grew and by the time he finally released Hadal Ahbek, the popularity of it exceeded his expectations, as it currently sits atop dozens of music charts on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.

orn to an English-Jamaican mother and a Guyanese-South American father in Brooklyn, New York, Goya Gumbani’s relocation to London in his teens opened a new world of possibilities. Operating within various collectives throughout the city, his development as an artist and producer reached a breakthrough when he released his debut self-produced EP, Morta & More Doves, a dedication to his sister who passed away in 2018.

That release began a prolific period for Gumbani, releasing four further projects in the years to come: three mixtapes and an EP called GG & Bori Steps Across The Pond, produced by Bori from New York. Sinu Metu, a single from the EP, was chosen as one of Pitchfork’s must-hear rap songs of the day.

Despite his transatlantic upbringing, the flavourThousands of Goya’s of work is rooted in NYC hip-hop storytelling.professionals He was recentlyread named in NME’s 100 list of 2021 & ID’s one to IQ watch. every day. Make

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New Signings

ARTIST LISTINGS A Wilhelm Scream (US) abrahamblue (BE) Alina Pash (UA) Angel Haze (US) Anna Phoebe (UK) AntsLive (UK) Aodhan (AU) Benny The Butcher (US) BETWEEN FRIENDS (US) Black Lotus (DE) Bleu Clair (ID) Cloth (UK) Drex Carter (US) Eden Prince (UK) Florence Arman (UK) Genesis Owusu (AU) Goya Gumbani (US) Hamish Hawk (UK) Hemi Moore (UK) Issam Alnajjar (JO) JJ Esko (UK) Joel Culpepper (UK) Juan Wauters (UY) Kay Young (UK) Laufey (US) Lea (DE) Léa Sen (UK) Lisa Subotic (ME) Lo Village (US) Londin (US)

Tom Taaffe, Paradigm Alice Hogg & Marlon Burton, ATC Live Christina Austin, UTA Darren James-Thomas, FMLY Angie Rance, UTA Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Tom Taaffe, Paradigm Darren James-Thomas, FMLY James Masters & Carlos Abreu, UTA Martje Kremers, Primary Talent Paul McQueen, Primary Talent Matt Pickering-Copley, Primary Talent Nick Matthews, Paradigm Laetitia Descouens, Primary Talent Will Marshall, Primary Talent David Exley, ParadIgm Darren James-Thomas, FMLY Caitlin Ballard & Graham Clews, ATC Live Marlon Burton, ATC Live Alex Hardee & Mike Malak, Paradigm Max Lee, Earth Agency Marlon Burton & Sinan Ors, ATC Live Felipe Mina Calvo, ATC Live James Wright & James Osgood, UTA Nick Matthews, Paradigm Alex Hardee, Paradigm David Exley, Paradigm Ryan Penty, Paradigm Kevin Jergenson, ICM Partners Mike Malak, Paradigm

HOTTEST NEW ACTS

PREDICTIONS FOR APRIL 2021

ARTIST MIMI WEBB (UK) ELYOTTO (US) WATTS (US) PEACH PRC (AU) MASKED WOLF (AU) SPOTEMGOTTEM (US) SAM RYDER (UK) NATHAN EVANS (UK) A1 X J1 (UK) CASSANDRA JENKINS (US) SOFAYGO (US) CENTRAL CEE (UK) SOFIA KOURTESIS (DE) KEVO MUNEY (US) GENESIS OWUSU (AU) EST GEE (US), THEE SACRED SOULS (US), FOR THOSE I LOVE (IE), REGGIE (US), SR (UK)

Artists not in the current top 15, but growing quickly

Fastest growing artists in terms of music consumption, aggregated across a number of online sources.

LAST MONTH 1 7 10 18 7 29 33 27

Naomi Palmer, Earth Agency Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Michael Harvey-Bray, Paradigm Michael Harvey-Bray, Paradigm Angie Rance, UTA Heulwen Keyte & Beth Morton, UTA Scott Mantell, ICM Partners Matt Bates, Primary Talent Nick Matthews, Paradigm Kayleigh Lawrence, Earth Agency Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Dave Blackgrove, Paradigm Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Tom Schroeder, Paradigm Tobbe Lorentz, UTA Michael Harvey-Bray, Paradigm Tom Taaffe, Paradigm Clemence Renaut, ATC Live James Wright & James Osgood, UTA Jack Clark & Ishsha Bourguet, UTA Rob McGee, FMLY Agency Craig D’Souza, Primary Talent Kayleigh Lawrence, Earth Agency Kara James, ITB Sarah Joy & Sinan Ors, ATC Live Heulwen Keyte, UTA Colin Keenan, ATC Live Francesco Caccamo, Primary Talent Clemence Renaut, ATC Live

LISTEN TO ’S NEW SIGNINGS AGENCY PLAYLIST HERE

MARCH 2021

THIS MONTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Loshh (UK) M’Way (UK) Mac Wetha (UK) Martha Skye Murphy (UK) Memorial (UK) Mica Paris (UK) Michele Morrone (IT) Molly Burman (UK) Navos (UK) NiNE8 Collective (UK) NSJ Mali (UK) OBSKÜR (IE) Ordeal (UK) Overmono (UK) Pet Needs (UK) pinkpirate (UK) Rat Tally (US) Regressive Left (UK) Robert Glasper (US) Sainté (UK) Simone Marie Butler (UK) SNUBBS (US) Tailor Jae (UK) The OBGMs (CA) The Umlauts (UK) Tolü Makay (IE) Trousdale (US) Waeys (NL) Wu-Lu (UK)

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Comment

New-found wealth in a paused industry In the first of a series of columns by leading production managers, Chris Kansy (Roger Waters, Nine Inch Nails) reflects on life in lockdown and learning to live without shows

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ost of us have been home for over a year now.

The break from touring due to the pandemic has become a transitional period, out of an initial shock with the frailty of human existence on this planet, and into a new normal. Are we the same people we were in 2019?

My 5am lobby call has been swapped out for eight hours of sleep. The after-show pizza and wine have been swapped out for reading a book or falling asleep to Netflix by 10.30pm. I even have a work-out routine and feel stronger now than I have felt in the last 20 years. And then something else happened – I became a much better father to my ten-year-old daughter. Who knew?

Despite the lack of work, I am incredibly lucky to be able to say this period has been enriching. With all this new-found wealth, why is it that some days I feel like I’m stranded in the desert, wandering around lost, looking for the loading dock? The experience is an aggressive tug of war, pulling me back and forth between a healthy home life and the addiction to touring.

This is a strong addiction and I feel the withdrawals every day.

Touring has instilled order in my life. I am regimented to a routine of: get off the bus, load-in, show, load-out, bus, hotel, load-in, etc. Disciplines are learned and muscle memory makes it all effortless. My body clock aligns with the job at hand. Responsibility, progress and accomplishment become my drug. What do I do without this rush? How do I cope in this other world without that needed fuel?

On the road, sleep is the thing I want the most and yet the hardest thing to get. I stand on concrete all day long. I drink probably more than I should. Why do I miss that so much? Is it because we are a people who thrive on accomplishing routine miracles? In our element, we get little hits of dopamine for everything we achieve throughout a 16-hour show day. It becomes part of our body chemistry.

There is a sense of belonging and tribalism we have with one another as well. We share teamwork and friendly competition. I love the banter between

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the stage-left PA fly guy and the stage-right fly guy as they compete to drop their last box. There is no bigger rush than a great load-out. You know, the ones that flow so well it seems like the trucks are loading themselves? So good that even a cable bridge couldn’t screw it up.

The feeling of camaraderie is strongest when on the bus after a great load-out as you embark toward a day-off hotel. The wine tastes great and the food is hardy.

The song being played is the best song you have ever heard. You can see the sense of accomplishment in eachother’s faces. Life rarely gets better than at that exact moment. Man, do I miss it.

I do enjoy being home, though. Perhaps much of this withdrawal stems from financial uncertainty, which makes my feet feel heavy some days. But on a personal level, I have accomplished so much more than I would have if touring had continued. This last year brought genuine life-changing experiences. I’ve had moments to sit back and ponder my and my family’s future. Build things. Create things. Experience things. I think it’s safe to say that I have grown personally.

Sometimes being scared can straighten you out a little bit as well. If I choose to think about money, I could easily fall down the rabbit hole of despair. Remaining optimistic throughout this period has served me well, and the spotlight at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter by the day. The thought of going back to work again won’t be abstract for much longer. I look forward to walking into the venue to the aroma of bacon in the air, watching the trucks unload and feeling the euphoria of the house lights going out to start the show.

The pandemic has devastated our industry. Crew, vendors, venue staff and all the various businesses that support us have all had major setbacks. But as we begin to find our way out of the desert, it is possible that some wonderful things have also transpired. I hope in my heart that after we get back to work and the anxiety has subsided, we can look back at 2020 and 2021 and have something to remember them Thousands of fondly by. professionals read

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ILMC

t r o p Re The 33rd edition of the International Live Music Conference, held virtually 3-5 March, attracted an identical number of delegates to the physical ILMC 32 at the Royal Garden Hotel a year ago, underlining the ambition of more than 1,000 members around the world to get the live music industry back up and running as soon as is humanly possible.

With 1596 registered delegates across ILMC, IPM and GEI, 7884 messages sent, an average time spent per delegate of 18 hours and 3 minutes, and between 250 and 550 delegates watching each session, it was an engaged week for live music.

Sessions remain available to watch until 5 April, via the ILMC vault.

Magazine

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ILMC

TUESDAY TUESDAY 2 MARCH 2 MARCH 2021 2021

Presented by A Greener Festival (AGF) in partnership with ILMC, the 13th edition of the Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI) welcomed industry leaders, professionals, visionaries, government officials and numerous individuals and organisations who are working to bring environmental and social sustainability to the live events, sports and creative sectors.

The event’s key message was that sustainability should not be put to one side as the live entertainment industry scrambles to rebuild.

Rather, efforts should be ramped up so that we can build back better.

As well as keynote addresses by the likes of African festival organiser Dave Ojay, and green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, GEI consisted of four main sessions: The Elephant in the Road session posed questions about whether touring could ever truly become carbon neutral?

Matt Cheshire from The Needs Group commented: “With regards to the ground elements, we need to look at setting up electric charging points at festivals or hotels, looking at ground logistics from airports and accommodation to festival sites, and looking at solar panels and things like that.” However, in terms of reducing travel for touring artists going from festival to festival, Cheshire noted that radius clauses in some contracts might hinder such concepts.

Adam Hatton of Global Motion said, “If we look for technology to replace the technology we have now so we can carry on living the lifestyle we live now, I think we’re dreaming…

The only real way of making this sustainable is by reducing the amount of kit we take. For example, why are we moving stages around the world? It [the stages] should be there already, waiting for us.”

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Post-Pollution Politics, Industry & Culture featured dialogue between the live events sector, green activists, and Niclas Svenningsen of the United Nations’ global climate action team, as to how events can contribute to ensuring targets for emissions reduction and sustainability are met.

Svenningsen spoke of the importance of getting back to business “in a smarter and better way,” while Green Music Initiative’s Jacob Bilabel said change is inevitable. “We are locked in structures that are not good and not right, and they’re not even making us happy any more,” he said. “Do we want to have that transformation happen by disaster or by design?”

Dismissing the concept of a pollution tax as “absurd,” Dave Ojay of Kenya’s Naam Festival asked, “How can I give you a licence to destroy nature simply because you can pay?

Rather than a pollution tax, let’s force the polluter to set up a recycling or regeneration plan to keep [their business] green.”

Panellists on the We Are Not Socially Distanced session had one resounding message: privilege comes with responsibility.

Michael Fritz of Viva Con Agua said, “It’s all about how much access you have, either to education, human rights, money, technologies or resources. Those are privileges, and if you have a privilege you have big responsibility.”

Yaw Owusu, BrukOut Entertainment/PRS Foundation, agreed: “If you’re in a place where putting food on the table or surviving day to

day is not your concern then you’ve got more space to wonder about the causes.”

A Greener Tour Round III gathered key stakeholders from inside and outside of the live music industry to discuss what can be done collectively to create the regenerative tour of the future, post-pandemic.

Paradigm Talent Agency’s Tom Schroeder suggested that the live entertainment business could use its unique power to reach and inspire the masses to further the cause. “Nothing to do with Live Aid was directly producing food in Africa, but what it did is it made the Western world understand third-world poverty – for 20,30,40 years, it had a huge impact,” he said.

Musician Nuno Bettencourt agreed, urging the industry to empower artists to speak about sustainability. “We need the agents and managers and experts to give artists a utility belt and superhero cape by showing them how to do it and make them excited about the cause. Fans want to be inspired, they don’t want to hear you blame the politicians.”

And Anna Golden of AEG Presents emphasised that any progress is a step in the right direction. “It’s not that we have to get this perfect the first time around, and yeah we do need to get some sort of charter and some sort of objectives and achievable roles in place, but actually, if we’re having a slow start because resourcing and finances are tight, all we have to do is be better than yesterday.”

ILMC

THE ILMC PRODUCTION MEETING 2021 The 14th ILMC Production Meeting (IPM) gathered the world’s leading production managers; health, safety and security specialists; crewing companies; production suppliers; transport and travel firms; new technology suppliers; and venue and promoters’ reps to discuss the most pressing issues affecting the live event production industry.

The event examined potential pathways back to business and how the live entertainment supply chain can work together to make shows Covid-safe and persuade authorities to lift restrictions sooner rather than later.

Among the highlights of the event were: Let’s Get On With It: Part II explored how the production sector can help get the events industry back on its feet post-pandemic, on the back of part I, which took place at the Event Production Forum East in Budapest.

Addressing how the production sector can help live entertainment return in some capacity but with restrictions, Chris Woodford of Logical Safety Solutions Ltd stated that, “A mass testing solution, coupled with vaccinations, is probably the only way forward.”

Glen Rainsbury, general manager of Ticketek, believes governments will be more inclined to bring back live entertainment if organisers

consider the wider risk of an event, including concerns such as public transport. “Our responsibility as event organisers, promoters and venues is no longer just the drip line of the venue, it is the full picture, and governments and regulators are absolutely focusing on it because they’re not actually seeing it as being a benefit [but] a risk,” he said. “You’ve got to prove that you can manage their risk as far out as it spreads from your venue because you are the core. Fold that into your risk matrix and your communications plan.”

We Don’t Need No Education: Erm… Yes, you do! saw session chair Dan Craig of Superstruct Entertainment suggest that there could be value in a common ‘passport’ ensuring equal standards across the production industry globally. David Suslik from the Czech Republic’s OnSinch was supportive, saying the production business is “late to the party” and should be collaborating on an international standard.

The UK’s Keith Wood opined that there’s nothing better than hands-on experience, while he also spoke of the benefit of international travel to learn how crews in other countries do things – whether good or bad – allowing both sides to learn from eachother.

“Here in Jakarta, we learn many things from production managers who come through Indonesia,” agreed show director and stage manager Asthie Wendra.

In the first of two Gaffer Q&As, Ed Sheeran production manager Chris Marsh sat down with IQ’s Lisa Henderson to discuss his career

in live music production – a job he likened to a “drug” to which he has been addicted from an early age.

Marsh likened the production challenges of working with a solo acoustic act like Sheeran, particularly at stadium level, to a comedy show, where it’s similarly important every person feels engaged with, and can hear, the live performance, regardless of their position in the venue.

Marsh also spoke about his recent work on making touring more sustainable with the PSA’s Tour Production Group, as well as how and when live entertainment will return post-pandemic.

In the second Gaffer Q&A, IQ‘s Jon Chapple quizzed Jake Berry on his career in live production, working with the likes of AC/DC, U2, Barney, Cher and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

Commenting on the ongoing shutdown of the live music industry, Berry said: “It amazes me that you can fly these days in a ‘cigar tube’ with 150-200 people, no problem, for ten hours, and sports players can go back and forth and be exempt from all the quarantine rules, but we can’t put people in [a] theatre.”

However, in reference to the UK’s recently announced roadmap, Berry said, “It’s probably too soon to announce shows… we don’t want to come back too soon and risk another lockdown.”

Health & Mental Health: Of sound body & mind explored realistic improvements in the health and wellbeing of those working in post-pandemic event production.

Kate Bunyan of MB Medical Solutions/ Doctor Care Anywhere said the digitisation of wellbeing resources due to the pandemic will prove extremely useful when crew members hit the road again. “One of the things that the last 12 months has done is show people what [help] they can access virtually. We’ve seen this explosion of resources available online, which means [when crew go back on tour] you won’t need to find resources in each town, each city, each country you’re going to, and you can start having some continuity of those tools, through the virtual network.

“That is something that we have to be grateful to Covid for. I think the fact that we have been able to elevate resources and put them into a more remote environment to tap into wherever you’re travelling to really does help,” she says.

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WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY 3 MARCH 3 MARCH 2021 2021

THE OPEN FORUM ILMC’s traditional opening panel welcomed returning chair Phil Bowdery along with CAA’s Emma Banks, Oak View Group’s Tim Leiweke and AEG’s Jay Marciano to reflect on the year that wasn’t.

Noting that he usually begins The Open Forum by recapping the biggest grossing tours of the year, Live Nation’s executive president of international touring, Bowdery, instead asked his guests how they’d spent the past year in the absence of selling millions of tickets.

Banks summed up the mood when she said, “we’ve all been busy fools,” rearranging tours and shows with no knowledge of when live music might be able to return. “Anybody that claims they know when we’ll be able to do international tours, they know something the rest of the world does not,” echoed Leiweke. “This thing has its own path of destruction it has to reap, and we’re going to have to be patient.”

When the time is right “we have to open up globally,” stated Marciano. Referring to the number of fans who have kept their tickets for postponed events, Marciano added that he’s been struck by how patient people have been. “I want to open up – I have $5billion [€4.2bn] invested in nine new arenas. But in order to open up we have to have an agreement [as to when], because if one of us opens up too early it’ll affect the rest of us, too,” he warned.

Noting the upsides to 2020’s time out, Banks said, “One thing that has been good is no planes – hopefully, that’s been helping the planet we’ve been wrecking. Travel represents a tiny amount of carbon emissions, but – without taking away the gig – what we’ve learnt with Zoom, Webex, Teams, etc., is that we don’t need all the meetings we have, which we fly all over the world for, often only for a day. We

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need to rethink what we’re doing.”

Both Leiweke and Marciano pointed to advances in new technology such as 5G while touring has been on pause. “Technology didn’t take a year and a half off,” said Leiweke. When shows return, “we’re going to see brand new technology that will enhance the experience but won’t replace it,” he added.

Whenever it is live returns, none of the panellists were in any doubt about fans’ continued passion for live music, referencing the incredible pent-up demand for shows that has been building throughout 2020/21.

“I’ve never seen this kind of demand. [For 2021] we have 180 holds in our new arena in New York already,” added Leiweke. “We’re going to get through this.”

SCHULENBERG PREDICTS LONG HAUL TO RECOVERY

Speaking during his ILMC keynote interview, Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, founder and CEO of CTS Eventim, shared his belief that it will take the industry until late 2023 or 2024 to get back to the same levels of business that it enjoyed pre-Covid.

In conversation with ILMC chief Greg Parmley, Schulenberg was responding to a question about consumer confidence in a post-pandemic world and revealed that his company’s research indicated that 80% of people would buy a ticket three months after the end of the pandemic. But that meant 20% of people would not be willing to buy a concert ticket.

That problem prompted his assertion that artists and agents need to understand that they should be more modest in their demands as the industry starts to recover.

Indeed, he suggested that promoters should try to persuade artists to share in the risk of a show. “The guarantee should go down,” he said, while acknowledging that such conversations did not always find a sympathetic ear.

“Reopening is not recovery,” he said . “We are now looking at reopening, but recovery would mean that fans would come back at levels of 2019 and recovery would mean that people could attend a concert care-free.”

He also forecast that show costs could rise by as much as 15-20% in the short term because of the effect of the pandemic and the fact that local costs will be much higher than they used to be. “Look at the stagehands, look at the security, service companies for light and sound and maybe even the venues will try to make up their losses they incurred in 2020 and probably 2021 as well,” he explained.

Echoing the excitement over technological development that had been flagged up in The Open Forum, Schulenberg said the adoption of 5G was something his company had been working on, as they could radically change the way shows work – citing fan-to-fan communication and fan-to-artist communication within a show as possibilities. “We want to stay as a technological leader, so we have been working on new tech and new features and I am pretty optimistic in this respect,” he commented.

And he also opened the doors to collaborating with rivals Live Nation and others when it comes to improving the industry’s lobbying efforts with politicians and policymakers. “I never take competition personally,” he said.

“We are all in the same boat and I am a fan of good partnerships – that’s how we made our business and we welcome everybody to partner with us. It’s to all of our advantage.”

But he concluded that the industry needs to understand that having a strong voice requires expenditure, although he suggested that many companies are not ready to put their money where their mouths are. “We need professional associations and we have to know that professional associations are expensive – they cost money – and the industry must be willing to invest, but I think that’s a problem,” he observed.

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While the past year has been quiet across the live events industry, the time has not been wasted by those involved in tech, prompting ILMC to launch PULSE – a platform that sits at the intersection of technology and live entertainment. A collaboration between ILMC, agent Mike Malak (Paradigm), and digital entertainment expert Yvan Boudillet (TheLynk), topics covered in the inaugural event were as follows: The Business of Live Tech discussed emerging business models and new deals around tech and music. Unsurprisingly, one of the panel’s most interesting discourses was about the perceived fan-appetite for live-streaming before, during and after the pandemic – a recurring topic throughout ILMC. Steve Hancock from Melody VR claimed that demand for live-streaming was strong before the pandemic and will continue to be a valuable complementary offering to live.

“Live-streaming will never replace live, but I think a hybrid, and marriage, of physical and digital attendance is, in my opinion, the way forward,” he said.

Cheryl Paglierani from United Talent Agency, extolled some of the new revenue streams the technology might offer: “There are going to be ways for us to create virtual balconies or virtual meet-and-greet experiences,” she said, noting that some fans would be willing to pay for experiences through Zoom or similar platforms.

Asking how to keep the fan at the centre of new virtual performance spaces, The New Fan Experience saw Sheri Bryant from virtual events platform Sansar, speak of the importance of connecting fans with performers but not competing with the live experience.

Where the sector goes next, suggested

Brandon Goodman of Best Friends Music, “depends on the artist. […] I don’t think artists should necessarily do what Billie [Eilish] did.

For example, I loved the Dermot Kennedy stream – but I don’t think Dermot Kennedy in an XR world, like Billie, would be very on-brand for an artist like him.”

Trivium frontman Matt Heafy opened The Live-streamers’ Guide to Live Music by talking about videogame-focused site Twitch, where he has more than 200,000 subscribers.

Julie Bogaert from Facebook spoke of the importance for streamers of having a “presence on as many platforms as possible, because they all have different audiences.”

Viewer engagement is key, added Heafy.

“That’s what separates live from video. That viewer-streamer relationship is the big difference [between a live broadcast and] a video that already exists.”

Sweet Streams – Best in Class saw Live Nation GSA’s Lars-Oliver Vogt assemble leaders in the live-streaming space to share best practice and reflect on 2020’s standout events.

James Sutcliffe, LiveNow Global, detailed the success of Dua Lipa’s Studio 2054 broadcast, which garnered more than 500 million views and 300,000 ticket sales.

Mike Schabel, Kiswe, enjoyed similar success with K-pop band BTS and their Map of the Soul On:e pay-per-view live stream, which saw 993,000 people across 193 countries tune in.

Speaking on the role of an agent in live-streaming, Natasha Gregory from Mother

Artists (UK), reported that the decision to use the Idles broadcast as a marketing tool was wise, because six weeks of hard work resulted in 12,000 streams for a band that can sell 2,500 tickets for a London show.

However, Tim Westergreen, Sessions Live suggested that the monetisation of live-streaming for mid-range acts depends on two things: a fan and audience development platform, as well as a monetisation mechanism similar to those tried and tested in gaming. “Gaming has done [this] for two decades now. It’s why, as an industry, it’s been so much more successful than music in the digital era.”

Fabrice Sergent reported the rapid adoption that his company Bandsintown had witnessed through listing 70,000 live streams last year, 75% of which were listed by artists of less than 100,000 followers, while from July to October the number of live streams that were ticketed jumped from 2% to 50%. “For something that started as a free medium, it has only taken ten months for fans to accept they have to pay for tickets to a live stream,” said Sergent. “When music was pirated on Napster, it took ten years for fans to finally accept [buying a] subscription to music streaming.”

PULSE also became the home for ILMC’s traditional New Technology Pitches, hosted by Steve Machin of LiveFrom Events, who oversaw presentations from Moment House, Bramble, Driift, Noq, Notetracks, Lookport, FanSifter, and Eighth Day Sound.

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THURSDAY THURSDAY 4 MARCH 4 MARCH 2021 2021

IRVING AZOFF “HOPEFUL” FOR RETURN TO LIVE IN JULY Legendary artist manager Irving Azoff is hopeful that the US live sector will see a “decent reopening” this July, he said during his keynote interview with Ed Bicknell, which also touched on his early career in management with acts such as REO Speedwagon and Dan Fogelberg, hell-raising with Keith Moon, his long association with Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recent deals with The Beach Boys

and David Crosby.

Azoff believes the US is “much more optimistic” about returning to live music – albeit with caveats – since the number of Covid cases has dropped off quicker than predicted.

However, he warned that the US live sector faces two big issues.

“The first issue is: When are states going to be open at full capacity or near it? The second is, without insurance, do you want to really take the risk, after a year or two of no income, of putting your production together to try to work the rest of this year – or do you just want to wait till 2022?”

Even once the US has found a way to reopen, Azoff predicts “a lot of drama” with test and tracing to get into live events. “A lot of major artists are saying, ‘I’m just going to wait till 2022,’ but 2022 is going to be a train wreck here, just getting avails and everybody trying to run at once.”

The full Breakfast Meeting interview – which also included Azoff giving the inside story of Ticketmaster’s 2010 merger with Live Nation, as well as recounting how he fired Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac – is available to watch back until 5 April 2021 for ILMC 33 ticket holders.

SUSTAINABILITY AND DIVERSITY TOP AGENTS’ AGENDAS The sustainability of the post-Covid return to business, and how the business, in general, can be more open to attracting people from different backgrounds were the main topics discussed during The Agency Business 2021.

Session chairman Tom Schroeder of Paradigm Talent Agency admitted to guests Lucy Dickins (WME), Mike Greek (CAA), Sam Kirby Yoh (UTA) and Obi Asika (UTA previously Echo Location Talent Agency) that prior to the panel he thought his passion, sustainability, would be the main takeaway from the panel, but instead it turned out to be diversity.

Earlier in the session, Schroeder had joked that UTA had been the most aggressive agency during the pandemic,

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so much so that they had a 50% market share of the panel guests, thanks to the 3 March announcement that the company had acquired Asika’s Echo Location operation.

And it was Asika who, in tackling a question about race and diversity, recounted a story from his youth where his mother, a sociology teacher, had urged him to read a book

by Jock Young who wrote about labelling theory, opening Asika’s mind to the dangers of stereotyping. “I was aware from the age of 13 or 14 that I was constantly stereotyped by teachers at my school, by parents of the children, by school friends, and even maybe sometimes myself, because you end up, potentially, becoming that stereotype,” said Asika.

“We all do it, but if you are judging somebody before you’ve given them a chance, think about how dangerous that can be. And on the other side of it, think about how powerful the industry we work in is – someone who felt that way, because of the love of music, is now sitting here and has just started as the head of the UK office of a global agency, having a talk with all you fine people.”

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Also making its ILMC debut was The Experience Economy Meeting (TEEM), which as the world’s only conference dedicated entirely to touring exhibitions and the experience economy, brought a host of leading professionals, including expo producers, promoters, venue bookers and suppliers to ILMC 33.

TEEM consisted of the following sessions: What’s Next in the World for Experience Exhibitions? saw Christoph Scholz of Semmel Concerts and Charles Read of Blooloop focus on ways of enhancing the user experience of exhibitions from design, production and cross-cultural standpoints.

Panellists spoke of the importance of creating multilayered immersive environments that can provide sensory reality. “We see more and more experiences that integrate smell, sound, touch, and really surrounding people so they can have a proper immersive experience,” said Manon Delaury of Teo in France. “Another key trend, which will emerge, is transformative experiences that are truly social. The idea is that once you’ve been through the experience you feel a little bit different. You’ve learned and you’ve grown.”

Teem’s second panel of the day, Taking Exhibitions Further, explored the post-Covid future of the experience economy.

Serge Grimaux of venue Fórum Karlín predicted the exhibition world would experience a post-Covid boom: “We have a lot of people who have been very hungry for entertainment, live entertainment and edutainment,” he said. “The technology that is now available, and becomes more available every month, can provide an environment that will be

incredible for everybody and at the same time, affordable. Because as soon as we get out of this Covid war and the economy starts, affordability will be important and exhibitions will definitely be a very sought after product.”

Paola Cappitelli, 24 ORE Cultura, pointed out that tech should play an important role in making exhibitions appeal to younger people, noting that museums have to meet the challenge of catering to all demographics.

The meeting concluded with The TEEM X ILMC Flea Market, which gave delegates representing touring exhibitions and producers just three minutes to present their shows to

the promoters and venues in the room.

The session featured presentations from Corrado Canonici of World Touring Exhibitions; Amy Bornkamp of IMG Events; Glenn Blackman of Global Touring & Promotion; Teo’s Manon Delaury; Pierre Morand of GAAP Bookings; Zuppar’s Nick Zuppar; Charles Reed of Blooloop; Alex Susanna of Expona; Giorgio Castagnera of Hereleb; Semmel Concerts’ Anna Lenhof; and Jole Martinenghi of Contemporanea Progetti.

Exhibitions and attractions presented included King Tut, Pompeii, Travelling Bricks (Lego), Kid Koala, the Walt Disney 100th anniversary exhibition, and The Monster, an inflatable playground for adults.

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have got less time for murder, but it’s honestly been a pleasure. Thanks you so much to everyone who voted.”

LIGGERS’ FAVOURITE FESTIVAL: ARTHUR OF THE DECADE Glastonbury Festival (Emily Eavis)

UNSUNG HERO Sandra Beckmann & Tom Koperek, Alarmstufe Rot

“It was a great honour to be nominated for the award and it’s absolutely amazing to receive it. We accept this award on behalf of more than three million people in the event industry of Germany that have been affected by this crisis. We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for their support. We will keep on fighting to make sure that everyone gets through this. Thank you very much and stay safe.”

SERVICES ABOVE & BEYOND: ARTHUR OF THE DECADE Beat The Street (Jörg Philipp)

“Arthur of the Decade? Does that mean it comes with £10million? Just the right timing.

Thanks very much, it means a lot.”

PEOPLES’ ASSISTANT: ARTHUR OF THE DECADE

Sarah Donovan, Live Nation UK “It’s a bit different to the last time I won this award – I’m not drunk, for starters, which is not helping at this moment in time. To Phil [Bowdery], I know we joke about how I could

“We really, really appreciate it and it means a lot to win this award, especially this year when there are not any award ceremonies.

Thank you so much, we’ll see you in 2022.”

TOMORROW’S NEW BOSS Alexandra Ampofo, Metropolis Music “Thank you for voting for me. I’m really grateful and would just like to thank everyone who has supported me.”

THE PROMOTER’S PROMOTER: ARTHUR OF THE DECADE Simon Moran, SJM Concerts

“I was amazed to even be on the nominations list, so thank you so much to the people who voted for me. It’s very much a team effort at SJM and everyone is brilliant, but especially Chris, Rob, Matt, Katie, John and Emma. And thanks to all the brilliant artists we work with – it’s down to them that we’re even in business.

I’d like to dedicate the award to the legendary and much missed Michael Gudinski.”

THE SECOND LEAST OFFENSIVE AGENT: ARTHUR OF THE DECADE Steve Strange, X-ray Touring

“I’m shocked and thrilled. I just wanted to thank all my clients who I’ve been working with for many, many years; all the people at Team Strange; and all the people at X-ray Touring

who have all had a difficult year, but we’re getting there. Thank you very much indeed.”

THE GAFFER: ARTHUR OF THE DECADE Chris Marsh (Ed Sheeran)

“I’m amazed. I was very honoured to be on the list alongside such amazing gents, so to win is totally [unexpected]. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who made it possible for me to win something like this, and that is the teams I work with on the tours that I do. They make huge sacrifices, they work so hard and are so dedicated, and without them I definitely wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today. So to all those guys and girls that I work with on tour, thank you.”

THE ULTIMATE VENUE’S VENUE The Royal Albert Hall (Craig Hassall) “I guess that one of the only high points of the pandemic is that The Arthurs can be at The Royal Albert Hall, so that’s good. But for the industry, this last year has been the most crippling for all of us. Normally every night there is some amazing act on this stage, which is hallowed ground for the industry and everyone watching. For audiences and artists, this place is so special, and yet everyone is welcome and I love that about the Royal Albert Hall, as it’s been that way for 150 years. We’re looking forward to welcoming you back live with live artists on the stage and live people in the audience, and that will be soon. So on behalf of all of our staff – and to all the agents, artists and promoters, this is for you. Thank you and we will see you very soon.”

TOUR OF THE DECADE Ed Sheeran (agent Jon Ollier)

“Ed has asked me to accept the award on his behalf. I know that he would like me to thank the Arthurs for nominating him; I know he would want me to thank everyone for voting for him; I know he would like me to thank each and every member of his team and every person involved that make tours like this possible. I also know that everyone would approve if I was to dedicate this to the late Michael Gudinski who really has left the biggest hole in our industry and in our hearts. We will miss you Michael. Thanks everyone.”

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ILMC

THE BOTTLE AWARD André Béchir, Gadget abc Entertainment Group

“Winning the Bottle Award is very special for me – even more special under the actual circumstances. To be nominated by people from the live music industry such as agents, managers, tour managers, friends and colleagues, and to receive the lifetime achievement award from this industry is definitely a peak in my life.

"As you know, I’m still full of passion for what I am doing and for what we are doing, and I’m thankful that I still can do it. A big thank you for your support over more than 50 years in the business, and for your loyalty. I promise you I will do my best also in my new role as senior adviser. You can count on me.

Quality and friendship will remain for the next decade. It’s a shame we cannot celebrate together but I hope to see you soon.

"I am thrilled. It’s a very special prize for me.”

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FRIDAY FRIDAY 5 MARCH 5 MARCH 2021 2021

NEW BOSSES REFLECT ON A YEAR OF TURMOIL While Futures Forum, ILMC’s gathering for young professionals, took a year off in 2021, its traditional opening session survived ILMC’s move online, welcoming five emerging execs to take the temperature of the business from an under-30s' perspective.

“It’s been a year and a half since my last show, and I’m very uncertain about what’s going to happen this summer,” said Sziget’s

Virág Csiszár, reflecting on a difficult year. “It’s been a really tough time – we’ve had to let go of a lot of good colleagues and friends.”

Live-streaming has filled the gap to a certain extent, said Metropolis Music’s Alexandra Ampofo (winner of the 2021 Tomorrow’s New Boss Arthur Award) although it will never replace the real thing. “It’s really great from an accessibility point of view,” she continued.

“It’s a real progressive move for our whole scene, given that there are people who can’t

FESTIVAL LEADERS LOOK TO DOMESTIC ARTISTS FOR 2021 Gathering speakers from Australia, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, Festival Forum: Reboot & Reset delved into the states of those local markets and their various timelines for reopening, and agreed that if open-air events go ahead this summer, they will likely be dominated by domestic acts.

Jessica Ducrou of Secret Sounds revealed that although refunds had been offered to fans after Splendour in the Grass moved dates from July to November, “the retention is high at 90% despite rescheduling three times. So that shows that people are really looking forward to events reopening,” she said.

Tommy Jinho Yoon of International Creative Agency revealed he was not making any festival plans for 2021, but the shows he is booking for Q1 and Q2 of 2022 are in conjunction

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go to [physical] gigs.”

Discussing panellists’ routes into the industry and their obligations to the next generation, CAA’s Bilge Morden argued it’s essential that internships and entry-level jobs should be well paid, to ensure a diversity of voices. “Even when I was doing a paid internship, I was still putting on shows in Liverpool to make ends meet,” he said.

The legacy of Black Out Tuesday and the Black Lives Matter movement makes the conversation about diversity particularly important, said Kedist Bezabih from FKP Scorpio in Norway. “It’s not just race – it’s gender, and even disability,” added Ampofo.

“When you listen to people, you’re able to make the tangible change you need to make.

Companies need to put their money where their mouth is.”

Looking ahead to the immediate return of concerts, Bezabih said she believes we’re going to see enhanced cleaning and sanitisation for years to come, adding that, “2022 is going to be amazing. It’s packed with shows already. I’m very hopeful for 2022.”

with artists who are also confirming Australian dates, hinting that international touring could be on the way back sooner than some people imagine.

While domestic talent will be the key for most events in 2021, Stephan Thanscheidt, CEO of FKP Scorpio, stated that format would not work for some of Scorpio’s festival brands, where restrictions such as social distancing or zero alcohol policies wouldn’t be a good fit either.

But Thanscheidt ended on a positive vibe by repeating a theme that ran throughout ILMC regarding industry unity.

“The teaming up by different companies in solidarity is, for me, a very astonishing and very good outcome,” he declared, citing regular conference calls that the FKP Scorpio team have had with the likes of AEG Presents, Eventim Live, Goodlive, Live Nation and Superstruct as part of Yourope’s Solutions for Festivals Initiative.

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s m a e R t s e Liv

More than 50 acts recorded performances at ILMC this year, thanks to partners UK Sounds, ATC Live, ITB, Paradigm, UTA, Primary Talent, Sound Czech, HOTS and Why Portugal. Over two nights (3-4 March) the gigs, which were available only to ILMC delegates, were watched more than 1,600 times, while a repeat broadcast on 5 March saw hundreds more enjoying some of the hottest emerging talent on the planet.

Details of each act and contacts for their representatives can be found on the relevant partner pages of the 33.ilmc.com website.

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As vaccination programmes ramp up and Covid infection rates fall, event organisers around the world are working on test events to prove to authorities – and themselves – that the live entertainment sector can reopen safely, without contributing to a new wave of coronavirus cases.

IQ’s news team reports.

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H

istorically, the live music business has relied on an army of creative minds to deliver oncein-a-lifetime experiences for fans, but as the industry slowly starts to emerge from an enforced shutdown, professionals are turning to the scientific community to help kick-start live events.

Statisticians and epidemiologists have been key players in government policy to put a lid on the spread of Covid-19, and with international studies proving that various vaccines are even more effective than originally thought, the events industry is hoping scientists can help map out the best way to reintroduce live entertainment to society.

In the UK, such high-profile occasions as the BRIT Awards on 11 May and the FA Cup Final on 15 May are being touted as potential test events to showcase various Covid-safe systems, procedures and products that will help pave the way to arenas and stadia reopening.

Details of the UK’s Event Research Programme test events were imminent at IQ’s press time, but it is expected the city of Liverpool will

be used to trial the full return of audiences in the likes of nightclubs, comedy clubs and conference centres, while the World Snooker Championship (17 April to 3 May) at the Crucible venue in Sheffield, will be used to trial a theatre setting.

Across the North Sea in the Netherlands, a series of test events are being run by Fieldlab Events, a government-backed initiative that has represented the events sector during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fieldlab is a joint initiative from the events sector, united with the EventPlatform, the Alliance of Event Builders, and the government, along with science and health bodies. Its test events have included festivals, concerts, conferences and football matches. Indeed, the Dutch government gave the green light for the national football team’s 27 March FIFA World Cup qualifier against Latvia. The match, at Amsterdam’s 55,500-capacity Johan Cruijff ArenA, was configured to welcome a maximum of 5,000 fans.

Elsewhere, test events have already been held in Spain; programmes are being discussed in the likes of Denmark and Greece (where a collaboration of rap acts are working on a solution); while in Germany, a group of scientists, health experts and doctors have created a set of guidelines to enable the gradual return of audiences to cultural and sporting events. At the same time, numerous test events have been scheduled as the German live events sector also seeks a return for its estimated workforce of three million people.

An Integrated Return

In a paper whose title translates to Gradual return of spectators and guests: An integrated return to culture and sport, specialists in infectious diseases, virolMagazine

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Feature_The Path To Recovery ogy, ventilation, health economics, sports medicine, culture and law present various models for both indoor and outdoor events in Germany as a roadmap for them to reopen safely. Each model is based on a basic concept that can be expanded to gradually increase the number of guests per event.

This basic concept, described as stage one in a three-stage plan, is based on an indoor capacity of 25-30% (up to 40% if outdoors), with mandatory face masks and no food or beverage sales indoors (outside, there should be no F&B sales above 1,000 visitors). There should also be social distancing, achieved by leaving many seats empty. These rules are the same for attendees, regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated against Covid-19.

Beyond the basic model, the paper highlights a number of special individual concepts depending on the venue or event, with varying hygiene, ventilation and occupancy requirements.

At 100% capacity – the so-called ‘maximum model’ – the guidelines require, among other provisions, digital contact tracing for all attendees, along with mandatory coronavirus tests before entry.

The concept has won the support of major German venues, including Mercedes-Benz Arena/Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Olympiapark Munich and Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig, as well as a number of other music and sports organisations, including the governing bodies of German football, basketball, handball and volleyball.

The head of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann, says the authors of the plan have provided “a comprehensive concept, which could enable spectators and guests to participate in cultural and sporting events under strict hygiene and infection-protection measures.”

Zimmerman adds, “With their concept, the scientists, experts and cultural and sports institutions are, for the first time, presenting a cross-industry, data-based approach […] to the discussion about appropriate ways out of lockdown.”

The Event Management Forum (EMF), which was founded last year by live music group BDKV and four other events associations, also welcomed the plan – which is similar to its Manifest Restart scheme – but points out that recent studies on the back of test events in Leipzig and Dortmund show that venues can go up to 100% capacity safely, far beyond the 25-30% on which the basic concept is based.

The forum points to an aerosol study in Dortmund where, “a capacity of 100% was considered harmless, provided that the audience in the hall wear masks.”

As for the ‘maximum model’ proposed in the plan, the EMF also claims venues could safely go to 100% capacity if attendees are tested for the virus before entry, making the other restrictions redundant. “The implementation of suitable

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PROMOTED CONTENT

BUTLR: HELPING VENUES BUILD BACK FASTER Venues looking to get back on their feet quickly as we come out of lockdown could benefit hugely from ordering apps like Butlr to help boost revenue and maximise productivity, even if they’ve had to cut back on staff due to Covid-19.

Data from current partners shows that introducing Butlr to their ordering increased spend per head by 64%, thanks to a combination of speedier ordering, increasing the number of drinks, and a clearly laid-out menu meaning customers chose the premium spirits and mixers more often.

Butlr is a marketplace ordering app that offers both table service and collectat-bar functions, giving venues real flexibility as they reopen. And while it’s an app, for venues worried about imposing downloads on their customers, Butlr has recently introduced App Clips (a tiny version of the app accessible by QR code), which means all the sales uplift and seamless functionality of an app – such as one-click reordering and reminders – with no download required. Perfect when customers are seated for mandatory table service. What’s more, using the free QR code stickers provided will take customers directly to a venue’s own branded page, effectively creating a white-label own-brand offering at zero cost.

Butlr charges no sign-up or monthly fees, just a market-beating 1.9% transaction rate. And the customer service is second-to-none, with each venue having instant access to support 24/7.

The brand has seen significant growth over recent months as more venues are seeing the value, resulting in exciting new partnerships, including with the Association of Independent Promoters. James McKeown, of AIP explains, “We’re pleased to be working with Butlr to offer our members the financial support & technology needed as part of the sector’s recovery to full-capacity. The technology within the app is useful to our members not only in terms of cost and providing user-friendly table service, but also longer term with the potential of Butlr’s collection-point technology being integrated into full capacity operations.”

See how you can build back stronger and faster at www.getbutlr.com or drop us a line at hello@getbutlr.com.

tests can enable the utilisation of 100% [of a venue] without further measures if this ensures that only negative, non-infectious visitors are admitted,” the organisation adds.

Meanwhile, a number of new test events have been confirmed in Germany, although each pilot is subject to the local infection rate and pandemic situation, meaning that some events might be called off. For instance, the Berliner Philharmoniker sold out tickets within minutes for a symphony concert on 20 March, where the audience were tested in advance for the coronavirus.

And Berlin appears to be leading the way, with other test events including: the Berliner Ensemble on 19/20 March; a chamber concert at the Konzerthaus Berlin (25 March); the Berlin Club commission in cooperation with the Holzmarkt (27 March); the Volksbühne Berlin (1 April); the Berlin State Opera (2 April); and Deutsche Opera (4 April). Also, visitBerlin held a 25 March conference for companies in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions)

industry at the Estrel Hotel Berlin.

As with other test events around the world, the implementation of the German pilot shows are designed to check the logistical feasibility of events in conjunction with Covid antigen tests.

The findings of the test runs will be evaluated jointly by all participants at the beginning of April and made available to interested parties, which could help other territories plan their strategies for reopening.

Reigniting Confidence

Biosecurity Systems uses robotic cleaners and other integrated technology and services to diminish the risk of Covid-19 and other epidemic infections in tourism destinations, public buildings (such as airports) and sporting events.

Company CEO, Dr Paul Twomey, reveals that in of Thousands private discussions with insurers he has been in-read professionals formed that communicable disease cover is likely IQ every day. Make to be withdrawn completely. “The sure other you pointget of the interest is that the insurance business thinks that

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Feature_The Path To Recovery venues need to be doing a lot more,” he tells IQ. Twomey says the test events that the industry is relying on to plot its return to action need to deliver results that convince scientists and politicians, but crucially the proof will also be vital to restore confidence among consumers. “One of the bosses of a major arena operation told me that they were not in the business of trying to convince the kids; they are in the business of trying to convince the parents of those kids that it will be safe when their children come back home to see grandma after a show,” he notes.

Indeed, the Biosecurity Systems founder notes that being able to list a series of precautionary measures could also be crucial in persuading artists to return to live work – especially those from North America. “The Americans are a lot more risk conscious and litigious, so acts based in the States are going to be cautious not only for themselves but because they live in a different liability environment, they’re going to want to know that people have taken all the steps that they can to minimise any prospect of negligence claims,” notes Twomey. “Due diligence is going to be important.”

Test Event Programmes

When the coronavirus first started shutting down events last March, most people in the in-

“Put simply, if you’re not willing to make the effort to shift and know your risk, then that’s not going to solve any problems” Dr Paul Twomey | Biosecurity Systems

dustry (if they are honest) thought the ‘pause’ would last a matter of weeks. When it became apparent that was not the case, promoters and venue operators in a number of nations were granted permission to run test events to prove that live entertainment could still continue, despite the virus.

As successful as those initial tests were, the fact that strict social distancing had to be implemented meant that venue capacities were slashed, making shows financially unviable.

However, thanks to the thousands of scientists around the world who have been studying the virus, the test events that are being held in 2021 are benefitting from a whole host of new technology and protocol that is geared toward showing that the live entertainment industry can reopen its doors with minimal risk of Covid transmission.

Individual companies have been formulating their own plans to mitigate Covid transmission, for example ASM Global’s VenueShield is being

As markets around the world roll out test events and gradually begin to reopen, IQ will be hosting a series of free, monthly mini-conferences to help subscribers stay up to date with latest Covid mitigation developments and best practice procedures.

The Recovery Sessions will feature a mix of online discussions with industry professionals, advice and data from scientific experts, and presentations both from suppliers who are delivering products and suppliers that will assist in the roadmap to re-opening.

Looking at every sector of the industry, the Recovery Sessions will be devised with the aim of providing guidance, advice and support to the industry as a whole.

Programming will include: Global updates on vaccination, testing and data driven analysis New tech showcases and presentations Q&As with scientists and industry leading experts Sector spotlight discussions Recovery Sessions will initially run for four editions starting on Thursday 6 May and continuing through August when, hopefully, many countries will be closer to knowing their pathway back to business.

The dates for your diary are: 6 May, 10 June, 8 July and 5 August.

For further information or to get involved, contact: Chris Prosser marketing@ilmc.com or Steve Woollett steve@iq-mag.net

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rolled out across the group’s 325 venues worldwide in an effort to provide “the highest levels of safety, security and consumer confidence, in alignment with approvals from local government officials and health care experts.”

Elsewhere, numerous suppliers and technology developers have been working tirelessly to launch products and services to assist in the battle against the virus, while, at a national level, countries are doing their best to implement roadmaps for their economies to fully reopen, although many governments have yet to implement any schemes to assist the live entertainment sector.

Thankfully, other authorities recognise the value of the live entertainment sector and are working with the industry on test event programmes.

In Israel, where the majority of the population has now had both Covid-19 vaccinations, a new passport or ‘Green Pass’ has been introduced by the ministry of health that has to be shown before fans are admitted to concerts and other gatherings, although such events are still subject to capacity limits. The certificate, which can also be presented virtually on a mobile device, confirms the holder has received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been preferred by the Israeli government.

On 5 March, local star Ivri Lider performed to an audience of 500 fans at the 30,000-capacity Bloomfield Stadium in a concert that was organised by Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, which governs the city. Although those fans were not socially distanced, they were all seated and were required to wear face masks.

Thanks to the success of that pilot, up to 1,000 people are now allowed at indoor events in the country, and 1,500 for open-air shows, provided all attendees have a Green Pass. However, those capacity limits also come with caveats as they only apply to venues that normally can seat more than 10,000 people. For smaller venues, a 500-cap still exists for indoors, while smaller outdoor spaces are limited to 750 fans.

The Green Pass programme has quickly been adopted nationwide, with Israeli restaurants, hotels, cafés, gyms and shops allowed to reopen without social distancing restrictions provided patrons can prove they have had both doses of the vaccine. of Thousands

professionals read

At press time, UK-based operators IQ every day. Make were working on final as the suredetails you get part of preparations for the Events

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SUPPORTING A SAFE FUTURE FOR MUSIC VENUES Music venues were the first to close and will be the last to open. That’s why we’re helping venues and festivals find solutions and products that provide a safe, sustainable future for live music.

Find out more at enkimusic.co.uk

Feature_The Path To Recovery will have to wear face masks, but there will be no social distancing as we want to prove that standing shows can work without reduced capacities.”

Neither will there be any ventiallation measures taken in the arena, as organisers do not want to exclude any other venues from benefitting from the trial.

Meanwhile, a second test event is also scheduled to take place in Marseille on 30 April when local rap superstars IAM will perform to 1,000 seated fans at the 8,500-capacity Dôme de Marseille. The band has already taken part in a Covid trial concert, having performed to 500 fans in Barcelona last December.

No acts have been named for the Paris event, as yet, with Gopee observing it is more of a medical project than a concert, therefore tickets for the test will be free. “We don’t know if we will be able to proceed with the show if new restrictions are announced, but we are working hard to finish the protocol and get it approved so that we’re ready to host the show,” he says.

“There are two goals: first is to get permission to increase capacities for the summer; second is so we can reopen venues as quickly as possible.”

Denmark’s ‘restart team’ has submitted a catalogue of recommendations on the reopening of the cultural and sports sectors to the ministry of culture for government approval.

The ten-person team – which includes Esben Marcher (Dansk Live), Signe Lopdrup (Roskilde Festival Group) and Sara Indrio (Danish Artist Association) from the music sector – has met with more than 80 key stakeholders across the two sectors to determine how the government

should allocate its DKK50million (€7m) fund.

The restart team has made the following recommendations: ▶ Form an advisory expert group composed of members of the culture and sports sectors, which will maintain dialogue between the sector, authorities and the government, and assist in the preparation of a fact-based long-term and differentiated opening plan. ▶ Launch a nationwide campaign, immediately after reopening the entire cultural and sports sectors, to celebrate the restart. The team has recommended that the government arranges a nationwide festival, and sets aside DKK2m (€0.3m), for this purpose. ▶ Back the implementation of SAFE (SARSCoV-2 Antigen testing of fans before events in Denmark), which is a large-scale study of Covid-19 antigen testing of the public prior to matches in the 3F Superliga. The estimated cost is DKK5m (€0.7m). ▶ Create an ‘innovation laboratory,’ bolstered by DKK6m (€0.8m), which will develop new digital formats, technologies and initiatives for parts of each sector that have difficulty reopening – principally crowd management solutions for live music events. ▶ Collect data to understand citizens’ concerns, considerations and motivations in relation to cultural and sports life in the wake of Covid-19 and make the information publicly available so the sectors can make informed choices of how to restart. DKK500,000 (€67,000) has been suggested for this recommendation. ▶ Set aside DKK36.5m (€4.5m) for the development and testing of new formats for culture and sports, which will enable a safe return.

The team has also made a number of recom-

mendations that require a longer-term effort and/or funding that is outside the allocated DKK50m (€6.7m).

As a result, various schemes, such as compensation funding and a government-backed insurance guarantee, have been tabled, as has the suggestion of ongoing compensation for those who have to wait longer to open.

Dansk Live’s Marcher says: “We have gone for broad, embracing proposals that can benefit all actors, which, of course, means that recommendations are not necessarily directly aimed at live organisers. However, I think it is positive that the SAFE project on quick tests is included in recommendations, just as it is positive that there is a focus on pushing for innovation in culture and sports.”

Roskilde’s Lopdrup, who is deputy chairman of the restart team, says: “Our recommendations certainly do not solve all the challenges, but I hope they can help inspire and open up new opportunities for the players and thus pave the way for the reopening of cultural and sports life, so we can meet about the community-creating experiences again.”

Next Steps

Millions of people around the world who rely on the live entertainment business for their livelihoods will be anxiously awaiting the results of those test show schemes to gauge when they might conceivably get back to work.

For its part, and despite zero revenue streams, the industry at large has been investing significant time and money into creating protocols that will allow doors to reopen, to meet the huge demand for entertainment that has been underlined by

LOVE OF LESBIAN CONCERT

BACK TO LIVE (NL)

When: 15, 20, 21, 28 February & 6, 7, 20, 21 March 2021 Where: The Netherlands Who: Fieldlab Evenementen What they said: “We can now show that we can organise events in a very safe way. […] We hope this can lead to a tailormade reopening of venues.”

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When: 27 March 2021 Where: Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona Who: Festivals per la Cultura Segura What they said: “If the results confirm our theories, we will be able to see the return of big events this summer.”

EVENTS RESEARCH PROGRAMME

When: April/May 2021 Where: England Who: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport What they said: “These test events will be crucial in finding ways to get fans and audiences back in safely without social distancing. We will be guided by the science and medical experts but will work flat out to make that happen.”

The Path To Recovery_Feature PROMOTED CONTENT

SUPPORTING A SAFE FUTURE FOR MUSIC VENUES Danny Keir, Enki Music

The impact of the pandemic on the live music business over the past 12 months has exposed the vulnerability of our music spaces and businesses. Music venues were the first to close and will be the last to open. We have cherry picked services and products to provide commercially viable infection management measures to ensure a healthy and sustainable future. As restrictions relax, infection control has moved from a ‘nice to have’ to becoming a critical element of any ethical business.

“Through technologies such as UV-C sterilisation, we are already helping the NHS, major manufacturers and the creative industries to manage safe and secure work places.”

KEITH WYATT, UV CLEAN LIGHT Not only will evidence of infection control make venues more attractive to both customers and artists, but a clear and sustainable framework will be essential to gain the support of the government in allowing gigs and festivals to proceed.

The vaccine roll-out is still happening. A ‘COVID Pass’ is a good start. In the long-term, venues that are unable to show a commitment to infection control may lose ground on more

the frenzy for festival tickets apparent in the UK. And those protocols could be a vital part of the business into 2022 and beyond, according to Twomey of Biosecurity Systems. “The population

DENMARK TRIALS

When: TBC 2021 Where: Denmark Who: Dansk Live, Divisionsforeningen What they said: “This should very much lead to a much-needed festival summer and many great concert experiences across the country in 2021.”

responsible competitors. Infection control is not only a health and safety concern – it is becoming a key differentiator.

Enki Music provides the advisory to understand what your venue needs. This is backed up by a full range of proven technologies from specialist partners. We can enable venues and festivals to stage events, within a broad infection control framework - including UV-C sterilisation, automated thermal measurement and automated social distancing and track and trace.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, technologies such as UV-C sterilisation have become a ‘band wagon.’ There are a variety of products and services available, many of which are not effective (as in the case of most LED UV-C products), and potentially electrically dangerous. Building the confidence of artists, staff members and fans is key. If this is false confidence from ineffective systems, we have a problem.”

KEITH WYATT, UV CLEAN LIGHT

might slowly be beginning to understand that the vaccine does not solve Covid,” he says. “It certainly diminishes it, and the death rates and hospitalisation numbers will ease, but the disease problem is not going to go away and the variety of issues around that are going to continue to exist.

“The real question for the industry, particularly in Europe, is can they get to a position where they can show sufficiently diminished risk to the extent that public health authorities – and agents are artists – are willing to adopt that risk.

If that’s the pertinent question, then I can see a tiered pathway forward.”

Twomey believes venues should be able to show that the risk profile of the people they are inviting into an event is well known and “less than the average risk elsewhere in the environment.” Using Israel’s Green Pass scheme as an example, he comments, “I can see the same thing happening in Europe built around showing similar types of passes or passports that show that the holder has been inoculated or has recently had a PCR test. The mix between those two is going to vary country by country.

“At ILMC, one of the things I was taken with was some of the festival people saying they would not consider vaccine passports because it was against their beliefs. Obviously, I’m not close to their business or the people that attend their

DANNY KEIR ENKI MUSIC DANNY@ENKIMUSIC.CO.UK ENKIMUSIC.CO.UK

events, but my immediate thought is that those events won’t be returning to business as quickly as those who do implement such guidelines. Put simply, if you’re not willing to make the effort to shift and know your risk, then that’s not going to solve any problems.”

Citing such measures as air purification, disinfection of surfaces, obligatory mask usage, and audience testing, screening and contact tracing, Twomey draws parallels with the anti-terrorism precautions introduced by airports in the aftermath of 9/11, where, ultimately, travellers bore the cost.

“The difference between this and terrorism is that everybody now has changed their behaviour, whereas there was only a small percentage of the population who went through airports regularly,” he observes. “With Covid, everyone has been through it and everyone understands it. Therefore, if you say to consumers that there’s going to be a bit more expense as we try to sort things out, personally I think consumers will live with that.”

Twomey concludes, “It’s going to cost a bit more money but probably not as much as peopleof Thousands think. But people are going professionals to have to do someread thing. If your model is I’m going to sit day. and wait, IQ every Make that’s fine, but plan for the second quarter sure you get of the 2022… maybe.”

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PROMOTED CONTENT

Ahead of the 20th anniversary edition of EXIT, festival founder and CEO Dušan Kovačević talks to IQ about plans for the 8-11 July gathering.

IQ: EXIT’s Dance Arena is almost as big as the main arena (25,000 vs 35,000). How important is it, and why do you mix musical styles so much?

DK: We were one of the first festivals to have two main stages and have alternative electronic music on the big stage. The Dance Arena soon became known among DJs and music magazines as one of the best, if not the best electronic dance floor in the world. It is our flagship stage and the main reason we have visitors from over 100 countries.

We have more than 35 stages and zones throughout the fortress, providing a unique and unforgettable festival experience, and combining a large number of genres. We are committed to being a multi-genre festival where you can hear the world’s best alternative and mainstream electronic music, but also the best rock, hip-hop, pop, as well as reggae, drum & bass, and other genres.

If you could sum up the top three things you’ve learned over the last 20 years of EXIT, what are they?

Firstly, never give up. I often say that doing a major festival in a country where wages and ticket prices are ten times lower than in developed western countries is akin to farming in the Sahara. But I learned that the night really is always darkest before dawn and that one must persevere. I have the same mindset regarding the pandemic, and I believe that the end is closer than most expect.

Secondly, people are most important – both people within the festival team and the people in the audience, the fans. It’s vital to be dedicated to people; then you can expect great things from them. I would say that this is one reason why EXIT is known for having one of the best atmospheres in the world.

Thirdly, nothing is impossible. The key to life is believing in yourself and your dreams, and if that faith is strong enough, miracles can happen every day.

What’s the plan for the 20th birthday party?

We are planning a Big Bang at the Fortress. Many performers have already been confirmed, including David Guetta, DJ Snake, Sheck Wes, Nina Kraviz, Eric Prydz (in a special b2b set with Four Tet), Paul Kalkbrenner, Solomon, Tyga, Boris Brejcha, Honey Dijon, Metronomy, Paul van Dyk and Sepultura.

What’s the plan for 2021 in terms of capacity and mitigation measures in place regarding Covid? How will you ensure that EXIT is safe?

In the first few months of 2021, Serbia, along with the UK, established itself as the European leader in immunisation numbers, which is why we expect an accelerated opening plan similar to the British model.

We believe that, before the end of spring, we will have achieved herd immunity. Therefore, we expect the government to lift all restrictions by the beginning of summer, similar to what is planned in the UK. In the worst-case scenario, we expect entry to the festival to be possible for all who have been vaccinated, while others will be able to take quick tests at the entrance.

How do you see the festival business changing over the next few years?

It will take several years for the whole industry to recover from such a strong impact. We will have to be more united than ever, and I see a significant change in the fact that the pandemic has awakened solidarity in the music industry. The practice used to be that agencies and event organisers were often on opposite sides. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how, after the outbreak of the pandemic, the whole industry united, and we all finally realised that if any part of the music ecosystem is disrupted, everyone is threatened.

EXIT was born from political struggle – how political is the organisation these days?

The EXIT Foundation is as important to us as the music festival, and it implements dozens of important projects each year. Using the power of the brand, the EXIT Foundation has positioned itself as a leader in mobilising both public opinion and decision makers in the areas of youth support, environmental protection, peace promotion, creative industries, destination branding and humanitarian work. Last year, we used our Green Revolution platform to influence the government of Serbia to adopt our initiative and increase the country's afforestation, from the current 28% to 40% of its territory.

How do you see the festival developing over the next 20 years?

The next 20 years will determine whether our planet will become uninhabitable. I see EXIT at the forefront of that fight, along with all like-minded individuals and organisations, because only united can we make real change.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

I am most looking forward to another embrace – an embrace between the audience and the artists, and an embrace between all of us.

The Path To Recovery_Feature

Magazine

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Feature_Insurance

UNDER COVER

OPERATIONS As roadmaps to reopening roll out in key territories around the world, the subject of insurance has become more vital than ever, as it becomes apparent that Covid cover is non-existent.

Gordon Masson investigates.

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Insurance_Feature

T

he fact that more than 350 delegates tuned in to participate in the specialist insurance session at this year’s ILMC underlines the live entertainment industry’s drive to return to normality, albeit with the reasonable caveat that their risks are insured should restrictions on mass gatherings be reintroduced due to Covid.

“Insurance in the past has always been a dirty word: nobody gave a damn and that was always reflected in the show contracts,” states Martin Goebbels of brokers Miller Insurance. “Either nobody looked at, or perhaps understood the full implications of show contract cancellation and force majeure clauses until volcanic ash and a couple of instances after that – terrorism particularly. Obviously, Covid has just blown everything out of the water and people are suddenly realising that insurance can be important. But insurance runs in line with contract terms so it is vital to get both in sync.”

The business, however, has never been trickier. Insurers globally lost more than £8billion (€9.3bn) in the past year because of the pandemic – £2.6bn (€3bn) of which was incurred by

Lloyds of London alone. Understandably, insurers are, therefore, reluctant to offer any future Covid cover, leaving event organisers high and dry when it comes to including the coronavirus as part of their event cancellation coverage.

In a number of markets, notably Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, the industry has been able to persuade government to set aside funds to provide an insurance stop-gap should events have to be cancelled because of a new wave of Covid cases, while trade bodies – and, indeed, the traditional insurance market – elsewhere around the world are lobbying authorities to create similar schemes that would allow the beleaguered live events business to get back on its feet.

Tim Thornhill of specialist brokers Tysers Insurance has played a lead role in the ongoing negotiations between the UK Government and the country’s live music and event businesses.

He notes, “41% of Covid losses last year were as a result of event cancellation, so that is one of the key reasons that the commercial insurance market is not in a position at this moment and does not have the appetite to write Covid-related risks.

That’s one of the critical reasons why we have been working alongside other brokers in the live music

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Feature_Insurance sector to ask UK government to provide a government-backed insurance solution.”

Tysers’ efforts have included employing professional lobbyists and PR firms, months of conversations with the Treasury and other government departments, and complex modelling developed with the live music sector, including umbrella trade organisation LIVE. Goebbels explains that the landscape for live events coverage had already started thinning prior to the pandemic. “If you put Covid to one side, over the past couple of years the contingency insurance market took some massive hits,” he says. “Certainly in the UK – which is generally recognised as the centre of the insurance industry – on the music contingency side and cancellation insurance side, there were about half a dozen insurers pulled out of writing that class of business prior to Covid, because their losses on adverse weather, illness and other reasons had increased in recent years.

“More insurers have now pulled out because of Covid. But there are glimmers of hope, as there are some new markets that have expressed an interest in coming in. [But] quite often in the past we’ve had people who want to get involved in what they see as a glamorous business, dip their toe in the market, find they have some losses, and then get twitchy and withdraw again.”

That’s a dilemma underlined by Paul Twomey, director of contingency insurance at broker, Gallagher. “Some new companies have seen this as an opportunity to make money because rates are going up and exclusions are going onto the policies; there are definitely some chancers out there who can see this as a potential way to make a quick buck,” he warns. “But because nobody is buying, it’s very much up in the air as to whether these new players will stick around.”

Thankfully, the news isn’t all bleak. Edel Ryan, sports entertainment & media industry head of strategic business development UK&I for

“Live music events and festivals are unwilling to be the first to walk the plank and cancel their events in light of the uprecedented pent up demand and ticket sales” Tim Thornhill | Tysers

specialist brokers Marsh, observes that although a number of insurance companies have withdrawn from live entertainment cover, the expertise on the underwriting side has not been lost.

“While some key insurers have formally exited from the entertainment industry, those experts and teams have moved and turned up in new places,” Ryan tells IQ. “The contingency market recovers well and they are already open for business, providing terms where although the cover may have changed, the rates are kinder than we would have expected.”

Long-term Recovery

With the insurance industry’s losses amounting to about 13 years worth of premiums, EC3 broker James Davies sums up the dilemma that live events find themselves in: “Traditionally, the contingency market generates something in the region of between £500-600million [€580-696m] per year in premiums, so it’s going to take a very long time to recover that income,” he says.

Indeed, Twomey estimates it could take the insurance market an entire generation to claw back those sums. “If the insurers were to have a run with no other losses beginning today, they are telling us it would take 24 years to get back that money,” says Twomey.

Pragmatic in trying to encourage insurers to remain interested in the live music sector, Davies reveals why his company is in talks with

government over a UK insurance scheme. “One of the reasons we’re trying to structure something is to involve the insurance market so that they can still generate some income to recover, and they can underwrite some of the non-Covid risks that we need them to cover,” he says.

For his spart, Tysers’ Thornhill observes, “Live music events and festivals are, understandably, unwilling to be the first to walk the plank and cancel their events in light of the uprecedented pent up demand and ticket sales following the announcement of the [UK] roadmap.”

Thornhill adds, “No festival wants to cancel, but might be forced to because of the result of the [UK’s Events Research Programme], safety concerns of organisers or a lack of confidence in the ability to pay suppliers in time and release deposits to the supply chain. With government-backed insurance for costs aligning to the roadmap, the flow of money to the supply chain will unlock, bringing many out of furlough to plan events in their industry.”

Government Backing

On 16 March, Denmark became the latest nation where the government proactively stepped in to assist promoters and event organisers, when it created a DKK 500m (€67.2m) safety net for festivals and major events, allowing organisers to plan for this summer without the financial risk posed by a potential Covid outbreak.

GOVERNMENT-BACKED SCHEMES

DENMARK DKK 500m (€67.2m)

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GERMANY €2.5bn

AUSTRIA €300m

NETHERLANDS €300m

BELGIUM €60m

NORWAY €34m

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ESTONIA

WHEN COVID-19 PUT THE LIGHTS OUT…

OUR SERVICE

SHONE THROUGH



320+



£255m



64



150

event cancellation claims paid

different countries

estimated claims payments

UK cities and towns

OVER 50 YEARS

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Your Shout

“What was your ILMC highlight this year?”

Emma Banks keeping it briefs at The Arthur Awards 2021

TOP SHOUT

Ed Bicknell talking about Ed Bicknell was drollery personified; Irving Azoff putting the boot into Philip Anschutz was revenge served ice-cold; but the overall highlight was Emma Banks pitching her stand-up persona just right – the real Emma taking the piss out of everything, herself included – great!

Nick Hobbs | Charmenko

I loved how candid Irving Azoff was in his interview, it was so refreshing for someone to be so open and honest. That, and coming second in the quiz and fourth in the poker, where I was genuinely reading the rules on how to play whilst everyone thought I was hustling.

Mark Bennett | MBA Live My top highlights were catching up with folks in The Smoking Steps; having an online jam with the mighty Marc Lambelet; and explaining to the wonderful Martin Hopewell where Bulgaria is actually located. A million laughs as we stayed until the system timed out and kicked us out!

Boyan Robert Pinter | Booking and Event Production The Ed Bicknell and Bob Lefsetz podcast was a classic.

Dan Waite | Better Noise Music On a serious note, I thought that being able to type in a question or comment was very useful; quicker and less inhibiting for many. Perhaps it

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could be incorporated into next year’s event with a moderator posting the questions on screens and the panel responding live? It’d be like a One Direction concert!

Bryan Grant | Britannia Row My ILMC highlight this year… was that it happened at all.

Ed Grossman | Brackman Chopra LLP My highlight of ILMC this year was knowing I could have meetings and conversations with my industry friends without worrying if I had enough cash in my pocket to buy another round of drinks…

Martin Jarvis | 1266 Music Group/On Point Touring I cannot pinpoint one highlight… well maybe Greg’s intro. I enjoyed all the sessions, and when they clashed it was so helpful to be able to watch them the next day. I met some super lovely people on the speed meetings, not all were matched, but I was able to send contact info to one or two

people who were looking at setting up businesses within festivals. Totally loved it – the ILMC team did a great job! Well done.

Sharon Richardson | K2 AGENCY Surprisingly enough the virtual ILMC turned out brilliantly from my perspective and much better than anticipated. My favourite and most meaningful moments would have to be the music and the artists as these two elements are the primary foundations that have built and sustained all of this. Being able to see artists perform virtually, comprehending that the fact that this was the only option available, made me focus more on the artist and the music. It was such a great pleasure to particpate in ILMC 33.

I have to say that I was genuinely impressed with how the virtual ILMC was organised and orchestrated.

Tommy Jinho Yoon | International Creative Agency My highlight of this year’s virtual ILMC was how well the panels worked and how much more interesting they were because we were all able to engage with the panellists through the rolling ‘chat’ on the side of the screen. In the past, I’ve found most panels to be pretty boring because they’ve mostly been an ‘audience’ watching a discussion on stage. This year, there was far more interaction and side discussions about what was being said – hard work for the mods, but they did a great job.

Mike Donovan | MD Tour Accounting Limited

Thousands of

Definitely Ben Lovett challenging TikTok onread professionals their responsibilities to the artistIQtoevery stop fans day.us-Make ing phones at gigs. sure you get the Beckie Sugden | X-ray Touring

whole picture…

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