Suppliers
Staying strong In the face of unpredictable challenges, the event supply chain has stuck together, adapted and grasped new opportunities as they’ve come along.
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ith a year’s worth of events cancelled, postponed or shifted to virtual, event suppliers and services have faced, and are still facing, the toughest challenge imaginable. From stylists and caterers to entertainment producers and event managers, the list of businesses impacted by COVID-19 goes on. But during this time, the links that make up the event supply chain have shown their strength by adapting to the ever-changing restrictions and adopting new ways of working, with the goal to see out the pandemic and emerge on the other side. Here, four event suppliers discuss how business has changed, newfound opportunities and why strong bonds are key to keeping the industry together.
New opportunities For Jetpack Entertainment & Events owner Ritchie Gregg, the impact of COVID-19 on his business can’t be understated. “It hurt, it really hurt,” he says. “2020 was set to be one of our busiest event years ever and then everything just stopped all of a sudden.” Gregg, who works closely with other event managers, venues and suppliers, believes the events and entertainment industry has been the hardest hit.“Other industries are back to work, and here we are just taking whatever we can to get through and keep working.” 18 Spice Summer 2020
But with the struggle has come some key learnings that will ultimately change the way suppliers do business in the future.“We no longer look at the future of events and seasons based on previous years’ history,” says Gregg. Now, it’s all about dealing with what’s in front of him and looking for new opportunities along the way. One of those is mobile pool performances, which has seen the Jetpack team tour around Queensland with other local performers for a travelling entertainment display, Showfest. “The client was looking for unique Queensland entertainers to entertain Queensland towns that missed out on their normal agricultural shows due to bushfires and COVID,” explains Gregg.“It is an amazing opportunity to do what we love doing and taking it to places that have never seen a jetpack. “I’m a true believer that there is a reason behind everything. Without COVID, who knows if they would have found us.” For AV and technology supplier Hire Intelligence, the rise in virtual events during the pandemic has seen strong demand for the company’s video conferencing systems, broadcast lighting, laptops and monitors for those working remotely. The heightened focus on hygiene has also opened up new revenue streams for the business, including hand sanitiser stations with built-in screens and thermal temperature kiosks.