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‘Be Prepared For When Life Picks Back Up’: Q’s With Megaforce CEO Michael Brombacher
Courtesy of Megaforce – Michael Brombacher
CEO and owner of Megaforce
It’s not a nice job these days, phoning up live professionals, asking them how they’re coping. Many are currently in (temporary) termination interviews with their employees trying to deliver a devastating blow as smoothly as possible.
Many fear for their existence, and can only hope that the economic rescue program announced by governments around the world will be implemented swiftly.
Pollstar speaks with Michael Brombacher, CEO of Megaforce, the independent German staging company involved in many of Europes biggest tours of the past 25 years.
Pollstar: What does your working day look like these days? Are you working from the office or home?
Michal Brombacher: I’m still working from the office, which you cannot avoid in the current situation and given my role. Of course, we’ve asked our employees to work from their “home office” where possible.
And we’ve shut down operations altogether, apart from a small core staff maintaining the regular operations, so we continue to be available for our clients.
What are most phone calls about these days?
Most phone calls, of course, revolve around Corona. It’s a lot of sharing of the lastest news and knowledge. What do we need to keep in mind, which challenges need to be overcome, etc.
And, of course, consistent cancellations, suspensions and postponements. There are quite a few positive phone calls as well about possible replacement dates and advance bookings.
Kulturprojekte Berlin/Martin Diepold – Celebrating 30 years of the fall of the Berlin wall in the German capital
The stage was built by Megaforce
As a general overview, do promoters have insurance against event cancellations due to the virus? Is it covered under force majeure? Or are most cancellations not covered?
At the moment it looks as if insurance will only become effective in very rare occasions. And since we, as suppliers, are usually considered second or third in the value chain, I hardly see a chance that we’ll be able to take hold of any insurance.
I imagine you’re in tough spots where promoters cannot pay you right now. How do you deal with that situation?
That is unfortunately true. We’re all in the same boat at the moment, and our only option is to keep operating costs as low as possible at the moment.
We’re hoping that all of the announced governmental aid programs will become effective immediately.
What will be most important in the coming days and weeks in order to get out of this crisis as well as possible?
Acting with prudence, speed and purpose on all levels. This applies to politics, the finance economy, the real economy, as well as every single human being.
It’s very important now to receive correct and valid information, implement all measures to slow down the spread, but also look ahead at the same time – towards a time after this crisis, which will come after all, and to be prepared for when life picks back up.