LAS VEGAS – A group of industry leaders that includes PLSN publisher Terry Lowe, NAMM, and others encourage members of the live event production industry to contact their representatives in Congress for a federal relief plan that will help them stay afloat until mass gatherings become feasible again.
You hear about airlines. You hear about the restaurants. But there’s a $38 billion industry with over 10 million people working in it that is not getting any attention – our live event industry. And to those individuals wondering what they can do – write a letter, attend a webinar.
Write Your Representatives
Several leaders in our industry have been saying the obvious: It is time to make our collective voices heard. Our elected officials respond when they are inundated with a single, focused message, and it’s being suggested that it is crucial that we all send our Senators and Congressional Reps the following or a variation of it.
(To find your Senator or Congress Rep, go to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials)
[Today’s Date]
Dear [Senator/Rep by Name],
I am writing you about the survival of the Live Event Production Industry and the desperate need for Federal Relief.
- The Live Event Production Industry is a $38 billion a year business that employs over 10 million people. This includes concerts and sporting, special, and corporate events.
- This industry will have no income until it’s safe for crowds of 10,000 or more, which isn’t likely before October 2020 at the earliest.
To survive, we must have a Federal Relief Plan that includes the following:
- Three additional 8-week PPP tranches provided to all firms that received the initial tranches. These three tranches will be provided up until the date that crowds of over 10,000 are allowed to gather nationwide and liability protection is in place.
- Full liability protection from all COVID 19 legal actions.
The three additional tranches of PPP will not require any additional vetting, but simply the execution of new notes under the same conditions as the original notes. These 3 new tranches are needed for all the Live Event Production Industry firms to survive while at zero income.
Absent relief, a large portion of the entire industry will cease to exist. Time is of the essence of the original funding begins to expire June 15, 2020.
Sincerely,
Name
Phone number
Attend NAMM’s Webinar
NAMM is hosting a Webinar Thursday, June 4, “COVID-19 Update for Live Event Professionals.” Moderated by PLSN/FOH/SD Magazines publisher Terry Lowe, the panel features NAMM’s top executives experienced with lobbying the Federal Government plus our industry’s Michael Strickland (Bandit Lites) and Jim Digby (Event Safety Alliance).
NAMM writes:
New regulations will influence the way we create live experiences in the future. At the same time, businesses have been able to receive benefits (such as PPP loans) as a stopgap, but for many of them, more support is needed. What will you want to know as you navigate this new reality?
In this online session, presented by NAMM and PLSN magazine, a panel of industry experts weigh in with:
• An update on the current status, including findings from a recent PLSN survey, and outlook for the live event industry
• Developments in the reopening process
• Industry solutions and precautions proposed to further ensure safety as mass gatherings and live events resume
• Update on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and key action points that are being made to the highest levels of government, concerning the extension of the grace period for loan forgiveness, additional funding and lowering salary requirements
The webinar is designed to inform and educate, as well as encourage all to contact their representatives with a unified voice.
[To register for this webinar, go to https://namm.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ud3y0fiKQdyFaiqTaTmTag]
