Rapid Deployment of Live Music Events.

As the UK government announced that live events with audiences can resume from 2nd December 2020 how are event organisers geared up to put on events with such short notice? What processes and procedures are in place to gear up for short notice events with ongoing lockdown restrictions likely to be an ongoing threat  

The whole live music events industry is happy to see the recent government announcement allowing the return of audience attendance at events from 2nd December 2020 but with just a weeks' notice how can organisers gear up to get an event live in such a short period of time with likely logistical challenges.

Artists. 
How quickly can an artist line-up be confirmed depends on the contacts and relationships an organiser has with musicians and DJs for example. Given the current state of the industry it should not be too difficult to find artists willing and able to perform at short notice.

Venues.
Most venues are desperate to open up and the speed with which they can respond to a short notice event will very much depend on the state of readiness of the venue and availability of key staff to service the venue. For venues that have been closed for some time it makes sense for all electrical and other heating and ventilation systems to be fully checked that they are operational.

Food & Beverage vendors.
F&B vendors within venues have also been closed for some time and the venue owner will need to staff up quickly and order in stocks sufficient for an expected audience. The only concern for many venues is the proposed ban on the sales of alcohol at many events unless accompanied by a substantial meal.

Marketing and Ticket Sales.
The marketing and advertising of an event at short notice is a big challenge and to some extent is a bit of an unknown. Selling event tickets with just a week or twos notice is asking a lot especially if the organisers are looking for the maximum allowable audience of 1,000 (indoor) or 4.000 (outdoor). However, in unprecedented times the pent-up demand form event goers could be enough to sell out very quickly.

Safety Restrictions and Staffing.
One of the biggest challenges is getting trained staff available for an event at short notice, many will be called back from being furloughed but some key staff may have found alternative employment in recent months. The organisers will need to introduce new working practices to comply with reopening restrictions for screening, social distancing, contactless ordering and payment of food and drinks.

The most likely venues that will open quickly will be the many nightclubs throughout the country. They will have a ready set of resident DJs and can quickly get their venue in a ready state. Staff will be keen to return to work and tickets can be sold on the door as well as online pre-event. For event organisers looking to get a live music event ready with musicians and bands for example the challenge will be securing artists, venues and selling tickets. Expect to see some live music events returning within two or three weeks at the earliest. The popularity of any events that take place in December will be welcomed by all as the Christmas and New Year season approaches. 

Using an event management software platform like FestivalPro live music event organisers get all the functionality they need to plan an event at short notice. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The FestivalPro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features for managing the entire event including specific modules for artists, venues, contactless ordering and ticketing. 

Photo by Bich Tran from Pexels

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