Australia’s largest live event businesses have for the first time united, forming an alliance to safely restart the $150 billion industry and bring back jobs.
Coined the Live Entertainment Industry Forum (LEIF), their aim is to ensure fans can return safely to live entertainment, music, theatre, festivals and sport events following the industry’s complete shutdown due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions back in March, with sights set on restarting large, open-air events from July.
Leading the newly established LEIF is former Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland who will aid the development world’s best practice safety protocols.
Alongside Sutherland, LEIF sees the Australia’s biggest Promoters of Entertainment and Sport, Venue Managers, and Key Peak Bodies join forces, including the bosses of TEG, Live Nation, Frontier Touring, Chugg Entertainment, AEG, WME, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Olympic Parks, Adelaide Oval, ASM Global, Venues West, Venues Live, Michael Cassel Group, Live Performance Australia, Venue Management Association and the Australian Festivals Association.
Together as one, LEIF will work in conjunction with governments, Chief Medical and Health Officers, sporting bodies, venues and audiences to build confidence in the industry’s preparedness to operate safely, flexibly and sustainably and explore how industry can be supported by Governments during its gradual return. This includes developing industry-wide measures regarding cleaning and sanitisation, crowd management, physical distancing plans, health monitoring and contact tracing.
“This pandemic has brought our industry to a complete standstill. The thousands of cancelled sporting events, concerts, festivals, theatre, family and comedy shows, and all the associated revenues related to them, can never be replaced,” Sutherland said in a statement.
“Our industry was the first to close during COVID-19 and it will be one of the last to fully re-open. The cultural, creative and sports industries supports the livelihoods of around 175,000 Australians, many of whom are casual or part time. The industry also contributes an estimated $150 billion to the Australian economy. Our live events have a huge economic flow on effect: we support jobs in airlines and other transport companies, hotels, pubs, restaurants and retail establishments of all sizes all over Australia.”
This announcement follows Live Performance Australia calling on the government last week to provide a $345 million local recovery package for the industry, and Melbourne’s live music venues sending the Victorian Government an SOS (Save Our Scene).
“Our industry has to work together at this challenging time. We must put aside our natural competitive instincts so we can all bring large-scale live events back to the Australian people safely,” Geoff Jones, CEO of TEG adds.
“Live entertainment and sport at scale is the beating heart of Australian culture. From footy Grand Finals to outdoor festivals and from The Ashes series to stadium concerts like FIRE FIGHT AUSTRALIA, the live experience unites us with our fellow Australians and lifts spirits as no other experience can. We are all committed to bringing back live in a COVIDSafe manner.”
The operating principles and guidelines are intended to be adapted across the entire industry.
For more information about the Live Entertainment Industry Forum, visit www.leif.net.au
