Protective screen for the event industry – an important step – a long-term perspective has not yet been worked out

IG Österreichische Veranstaltungswirtschaft welcomes greater planning security. The measure secures the value chain worth billions. Detailed questions need to be clarified.

Vienna (OTS / LCG) – Today’s announcement from the Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler, Secretary of State for Culture Andrea Mayer, Finance Minister Gernot Blümel and Minister of Tourism Elisabeth KöstingerThe IG Österreichische Veranstaltungswirtschaft welcomes 300 million euros to the troubled event industry.

Tourism and hospitality need mega-events

The new protective shield of the Austrian federal government will come into effect at the beginning of November and includes events that have been or will be planned in accordance with the applicable COVID-19 regulations. This point still needs to be clarified in detail. Currently valid requirements would include, for example, a maximum of 3,000 people at an outdoor event. Therefore, from the point of view of the Austrian Event Industry Organization, it is imperative to include future developments such as vaccines, rapid tests or tools for data acquisition in the considerations. Only in this way can events of an economically relevant scale be considered again from the summer months. A large concert, for example at the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna, offers space for up to 50,000 visitors and can only be performed on this scale. The hospitality industry and tourism as a whole, as well as associated industries, benefit from every event that takes place. Of the great events, however, in excess, so it is essential to also integrate them into the protective shield.

“In my opinion, the protective screen that has now been adopted is the most important measure for the events industry. For one thing, the perspective that is so important to this industry is created to restart the engine. On the other hand, the entire value chain is served in events. So we guarantee live experiences and many jobs alike “, explained Herwig Straka (e | movement group).

“The protective screen is an extremely important and vital step for our event industry, also towards security planning for 2021. Fortunately, our calls for help, arguments and facts were understood here. Many thanks to everyone who makes the decisions! However, a comment from Secretary of State Mayer regarding large outdoor festivals and events that they may not be eligible for the protective umbrella is extremely disturbing. Why? Because these are some of the most popular cultural events in our country. I sincerely hope that this statement is just a verbal error and of course these Austrian cultural flagships will also fall under this protective umbrella. Anything else would be completely incomprehensible, not to say absurd “, so Ewald Tatar (Barracuda Music), whose “Nova Rock” festival has more than 200,000 visitors in normal years.

“The rescue package announced today is the only way to plan events. However, it is not a perspective for the future to plan with the current upper personal limits because that does not take into account the economically relevant events., Guides Klaus Leutgeb (Leutgeb Entertainment).

“The rescue package is not only essential for cultural diversity, but also the only way to maintain high added value through the events industry. Compliance with COVID-19 regulations is a matter of course for all organizers. The dog is buried in the details: the industry needs a planning perspective for the new normal “, complements CTS-EVENTIM-Austria-CEO Christoph Klingler. “Contact tracing is a sensible measure that can be carried out responsibly regardless of the number of guests. In terms of the economy in general, it is also necessary to rethink in larger dimensions.

“With each ticket sold, we spend less time in taxpayers’ pockets and can support the hotel industry and tourism in general and contribute to added value.”, underlined Martin birds (Barracuda music).

In conclusion, the Presidium notes: “A value chain valued in billions of dollars depends on the events industry and is in the national interest! The course of the Austrian federal government is correct. However, we caution against using the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 as a planning basis for future events. “

More information at https://www.igoev.at.

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