Inside Events & Festivals - August 2020

Inside Events and Festivals The official publication of the Washington Festivals & Events Association

Scaled Down, Virtual Olympia Harbor Days Announced: Page 5 •

Sponsorship Branding Study 2020: Page 8

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WFEA Conference Set for October 13-16: Page 9

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Sen. Schumer Co-Sponsors $10B Save Our Stages Act: Page 11

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What some concerts and festivals look like during the coronavirus pandemic: Page 15

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The Lineup Scaled Down, Virtual Olympia Harbor Days Announced The South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA) has developed a scaled-down version of its popular Olympia Harbor Days festival Page 5

Sponsorship Branding Study 2020 An important study is being conducted to understand the challenges, opportunities and objectives of brands in the future.

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WFEA Annual Conference Virtually Set for October October 13-16, 2020 Register at WFEA.org Page 9

Sen. Schumer Co-Sponsors $10B Save Our Stages Act Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he is co-sponsoring the Save Our Stages Act Page 11

What some concerts and festivals look like during the coronavirus pandemic Music festivals and concerts that draw large crowds will probably be off-limits — for a while. So event organizers around the world are coming up with different ways for people to have a bit of fun.

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Sponsorship Branding Study 2020 An important study is being conducted to understand the challenges, opportunities and objectives of brands in the future. We are asking our sponsors and brands to share their insights to help properties plan for the future and serve partners better. The questions below and more will be addressed in the Sponsorship Study from Sponsorship Mastery.

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How will sponsorship objectives change in the future?

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What will be key changes for the industry?

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What services are the most important for properties to provide?

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What sponsorship resources are most valuable?

The first 100 to respond will get a $10 Amazon.com e-gift card. And, all who participate will receive a helpful summary of the findings, which will be used to shape and improve the sponsorship industry.

The participation of sponsors and brands is critical. Please help out by taking this 8-10 minute survey on your mobile phone or computer.

TAKE ME TO THE SURVEY Inside Event & Festivals, June 2020

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WFEA ANNUAL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 13-16, 2020

REGISTER AT WFEA.ORG .

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Sen. Schumer Co-Sponsors $10B Save Our Stages Act, Speaks Alongside LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy In Brooklyn Live for Live Music

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.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he is co-sponsoring the Save Our Stages Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this summer which is aimed at providing financial relief to independent venues, promoters, and festivals around the country as regular live shows remain on hold amid the ongoing pandemic. The press conference took place on the sidewalk in front of Brooklyn club Baby’s All Right and featured comments from James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) executive director Rev. Moose, and more. gigs in Melbourne, was also planned for this month but has now been cancelled.

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The Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258), introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would provide vital support for independent live music venues that have lost nearly 100% of their revenue since the pandemic began in March. The companion bill in the House (H.R. 7806) is led by Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Roger Williams (R-TX). C The Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258), introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would provide vital support for independent live music venues that have lost nearly 100% of their revenue since the pandemic began in March. The companion bill in the House (H.R. 7806) is led by Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Roger Williams (R-TX).

Noted LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, a longtime Brooklyn resident, “These venues are places that occupy parts of cities that nobody wants to be in when they start.

They fill in the gaps and communities spring up around them.

They take those warehouses that nobody wanted to be in and they build places that foster the most diverse music scene in the world. Thank you to the venues that let me play and let me work for the 30 years I’ve lived here. We’re not going to be able to rebuild these from zero. You can’t knock out all the mom and pops and think that more mom and pops will spring up. If we knock them out, it’s just chains. Write your senators and ask them to support this bill – it’s critical, or this whole industry is going to go away without it. The very nature of being independent means these people, these centers, don’t have the kind of voice that bigger companies do have – they need your voice, so please do your best to support them.”

Beyond the financial well-being of the venues themselves, the concert shutdown has had a cascading effect on local economies. A Chicago study last year showed that for every $1 spent on a ticket at a local venue, $12 of economic activity was generated for area businesses such as restaurants, retailers, and hotels.

forgiveness or pay our overhead costs,” explained Dhruv Chopra of Brooklyn’s Elsewhere. “Federal grants are the best way to keep us afloat. We whole-heartedly thank Senator Schumer for recognizing our value and our plight and he’s fighting to do something about it.”

In Schumer’s home state of New York, The Save Our Stages Act will not only help to save independent concert venues, but independent Broadway stages as well. As NIVA vice president and NYIVA co-founder Justin Kantor of lower Manhattan’s le poisson rouge explained: Senator Schumer understands the severity of our situation and we applaud him for his cosponsorship of the Save our Stages act. New York City’s culture is tied inextricably to the city’s sustainability and independent venues are the city’s cultural hubs. From tourism to real estate, our collective economic impact is in the billions. The current situation is devastating and if nothing is done, venues that have been around for decades will go out of business. It’s impossible for any performance space to keep this up for months on end without generating revenue.

Live streaming is not the answer and will not even make a dent in a venue’s monthly expenses. Our collective survival is hanging in the balance.

Fans wishing to have their voice heard on this topic should go to www.saveourstages.com where they can tell their elected officials that they care about their local independent venues and want them to get assistance until they can reopen safely. So far, more than 1.8 million emails have gone to Congress to let elected officials know their constituents want independent venues to receive the assistance they need so they can reopen when it’s safe.

As Rev. Moose explained, “Local independent scenes are the cultural lifeblood of our communities as well as an economic driver throughout America. These mom and pop venues are unable to fully reopen until well into 2021 due to safety concerns posed by large gatherings. These institutions draw most of their revenue from acts that tour the United States, and until it’s safe to gather people en masse, it won’t be possible for venues to bring back their staff, which is one reason why the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) does not work for this industry.”

The proposed legislation would provide Small Business Administration grants for independent live venue operators, promoters, and festivals affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. These grants would provide at least six months of financial support to keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector for communities across the country.

“Although independent music venues have access to PPP loans, the length of this shutdown means that venue owners are unable to utilize these loans in a way to receive

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What some concerts and festivals look like during the coronavirus pandemic Global News

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one are the days where thousands of people pack into a single space, standing shoulder to shoulder and side by side.

Music festivals and concerts that draw large crowds will probably be off-limits — for a while.

So event organizers around the world are coming up with different ways for people to have a bit of fun.

In the U.K., the country saw its first socially distanced concert on Tuesday.

Around 2,500 fans gathered at a park in Newcastle to watch a show by musician Sam Fender.

But instead of people standing all together, groups of five are separated on metal platforms.

In the U.K., the country saw its first socially distanced concert on Tuesday.

Around 2,500 fans gathered at a park in Newcastle to watch a show by musician Sam Fender.

But instead of people standing all together, groups of five are separated on metal platforms.

Concertgoers enjoyed the Reklaws from the comfort of their cars.

The new venue is located by the city’s waterfront. All summer long, it will host fans for live concerts, sports games and special movie screenings.

Meanwhile, in Regina, a new festival was born as a result of the pandemic.

It’s called Krugofest. The event allowed people in Regina to book a private hotel room and attend a music festival from their balcony.

“We’ve put our stage on a rooftop of a parkade structure that’s adjacent to the DoubleTree by Hilton in Regina,” said Kirk Morrison, CEO and co-founder of Krugofest. “The hotel has 108 rooms with balconies that overlook the rooftop stage that we’ve built.”

Morrison says tickets start at $600, which includes a room, a meal and some concerts.

More than that, proceeds from each ticket will go to a local food bank.

“It’s basically like having a private box screen at a stadium or an arena,” he said. “Everyone’s a VIP and everyone gets their own private space.”

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Washington Festivals & Events Association 1015 Georgiana St. Port Angeles, WA 98362 www.wfea.org

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