Leadership / 04.29.20
Hope and Uncertainty: The Live Business Comeback
Access Staff
Pollstar (04/24/20) Borba, Ryan
Stakeholders in the live music industry are thinking about how their businesses can recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Live Nation executives have publicly stated that the moratorium on major shows could last six to nine months, while various U.S. states and European countries are preparing for gradual reopenings. Some states are galvanized by President Trump's recent announcement of a three-phase plan to restart business, but industry players participating in the April 20 "The Show Must Go On" town hall were skeptical. "The truth is, we're talking about moving back into a house that's still on fire," said Artist Group International agent Adam Kornfeld. He added, "I think we're unfortunately a ways off from large social gatherings, be it music or sports." Nederlander Concerts CEO Alex Hodges and First Avenue Productions CEO Dayna Frank concurred that one-off shows or mini-tours will be the norm for a while. Logjam Productions owner Nick Checota said sporadic reopenings in markets will create their own problems. "If we don't know what the future holds as far as the economy, or regulations regarding mass gatherings, it's really hard for us to predict what we should offer artists and that sort of thing," admitted Patchwork Presents' Dave Poe.
Read the full story from Pollstar.
Tags: Music , News , COVID-19 , Coronavirus