On January 26, various groups of the live event industry offered their venues, staff, and expertise to the COVID-19 vaccination effort.
Groups involved in composing the letter to President Biden include AEG, Bandit Lites, Broadway League, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), Live Nation, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), Oak View Group (OVG), and We Make Events.
Due to the pandemic the live event industry has shut down operations. The venues have remained empty while the crowd-management staff have been eager to get back to work. As a matter of fact, this emptiness and wide range of venues make them an ideal location for vaccination sites.
Live Nation has venues across the country that are capable of managing critical onsite elements of the vaccine rollout and we are eager to pitch in and be part of the solution.
Michael Rapino – President & CEO of Live Nation Entertainment
Venues are specifically designed for crowd control. They’re also located in most urban, suburban, and rural communities. Often times these areas are near transit lines or have an easy access to parking. The interiors are wide and empty, with bright lighting and empty refrigeration systems. Not to mention that the use of ticketing systems for advanced notification, timed entry, and crowd management in live events lends itself to manage this type of process.
We are here to help. In fact, many venues are already working on the State and Local level to implement vaccine programs. Our industry owns, leases and/or has access to thousands of venues throughout America, most that are under mandated closures and sitting empty. Event venues make ideal community vaccination sites.
Wayne Forte – NITO Executive Committee Member and President of Entourage Talent Associates.
Dayna Frank, owner & CEO of First Avenue Productions and Board President of NIVA stressed the benefits of utilizing music industry staff. “These vaccines are our best chance at putting COVID-19 behind us, and our experiences organizing events and managing crowds now put us in the unique position of being the best prepared and most qualified industry to support the vaccination effort and get this country on the road to recovery.”
Live Event Industry Letter to President Biden:
As you set about achieving the ambitious goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in 100 days, we wish to offer the full support and resources of the live event industry. We share your vision of expedient, equitable, and widespread vaccine distribution. It is our duty, as businesses rooted in communities across the nation, to do our part to set America on a positive path during this time of crisis. We stand ready to work with Federal and State governments to save lives and get America back to work and school.
Comments are closed.