#WeMakeEvents launch new campaign for government relief for the live events sector

#WeMakeEvents has announced a new campaign in a bid to urge the UK Government to provide relief for the struggling live events sector during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ahead of the March 3rd budget, ‘The Government Can’t See Us, Can You?’ #GovCantSeeUs campaign is sending the government a message that the people who work in the live event supply chain are on their knees and urgently need help.

If you’re a freelancer or work for a business in live events that has been badly affected by COVID and you haven’t received enough help from government, you can add your face to the digital wall. 

The campaign is also asking the public to contribute their voices and opinions through social media, as well as writing to their local MP to further urge the government to address the situation. You can find out more about how to do that and #WeMakeEvents’ new ‘The Government Can’t See Us, Can You?’ campaign here.

The campaign is aiming to highlight those people who work in the live event supply chain whose livelihoods have been seriously damaged by the shutdown, sharing personal testimonies from people who usually work at festivals, gigs, conferences, award ceremonies, weddings and more.

#WeMakeEvents has called on the government in an open letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to “halt the destruction of the sector by recognising the impact of the pandemic on the live event supply chain, support individuals and businesses to survive while they cannot work and to engage with the sector to develop a plan for reopening, including government-backed COVID-19 cancellation insurance”.

A survey conducted this year found that 93% of individuals and businesses in the live event supply chain have seen their income fall dramatically as a result of the pandemic – 65% have seen a fall of over 50%, and 30% a fall of over 90%.

As a result, 50% of individuals have had to take work outside of live events to supplement their income. A third have been forced to leave – or are considering leaving – the sector. On top of that, 43% of live event supply chain businesses say they don’t have the resources to last until the summer. This makes the live events sector one of the most heavily impacted from the pandemic.

Read more and get involved: https://www.wemakeevents.com/gcsu/