Features
German Events Sector Demands December 1st Freedom Day
Fabian Lippke – Alice Merton performing at Stadtpark Open Air, promoted by Karsten Jahnke.
Capacities were still severly limited in Germany this summer.
Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft, the German umbrella association representing the country’s major promoters and events associations, is demanding that Germany opens back up by Dec. 1, given the high vaccination rate as well as a comprehensive framework for safe events developed by the sector.
Addressing Germany’s decision makers, the Forum points out that due to different rules in different German states, the planning of tours in particular is still impossible.
Some German states still enforce distancing at events, where guests have to show one of three health proofs: vaccination, recovery, negative test. Other states accept only the first two of these proofs to gain access to events, but allow the full capacity. Some states still require the wearing of masks, others don’t.
The country’s Robert-Koch-Institut states that up to 80% of Germans have received two COVID shots already. According to the Forum, this begs the question of what else needs to happen for events to go ahead without restrictions.
Stijn De Grauwe – Each (normal) year, the Stadionbad Frankfurt turns into a festival site for the WCD Pool Sessions.
This year promoter BigCityBeats had to take the city to court to receive the green light, Sept. 3-5.
The association, which represents the promoters association BDKV, the European venues association EVVC, the trade association for exhibitions FAMA, the interest group for self-employed event professionals ISDV, club association LIVEKOMM as well as the association for event tech VPLT, wants “Freedom Day” to come Dec. 1.
It demands the lifting fall remaining coronavirus restrictions, as has been done in several other European countries. According to Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft, Germany’s hospitals aren’t overwhelmed, incidences are mostly stable, the vaccination rate is rising, continuing the restrictions was therefore inappropriate.
The Forum emphasizes that the country’s live professionals have been supporting all state-mandated measures for 20 months whenever they have been reasonable, adding that continuing the restrictions on events wasn’t.
Back in January, the forum developed a framework for safe events, which it presented to decision makers, but nothing happened in the nine months that followed. The promoting businesses have been forced to scrape along, while many suppliers have left the industry entirely. Already it is questionable whether the sector will be able to bounce back due to a lack of professionals.
The Forum therefore demands that all remaining restrictions on a sector that has been singled out, be lifted by Dec. 1, so the Christmas period will see cultural and other events return in Germany.