Billboard (06/09/20) Brandle, Lars
Australia's live music sector has partnered with the sports industry to reenergize the live entertainment community in the wake of the pandemic lockdown, with the announcement of the Live Entertainment Industry Forum (LEIF). The Forum will establish and implement a strategic plan, including best practices, for revitalizing the industry. LEIF also will devise industry standard guidelines for cleaning and sanitization, crowd management, social distancing, health monitoring and contact tracing, in an effort to win back attendees and reassure the government. "We need a clear roadmap to get our industry back to work, while playing a bigger role in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery of our nation," said LEIF Chairman and former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland. The Forum's executive committee includes major concerts and sports players, in addition to top associations such as Live Performance Australia, the Venue Management Association and the Australian Festivals Association. Competitors like Frontier Touring and Live Nation also have suspended their rivalry in a show of solidarity, along with Ticketek owner TEG, Chugg Entertainment and AEG. Live Nation Australasia CEO Roger Field sees Sutherland's participation in the Forum as a major support pillar. "He'll really help us cut through to be clear that there's one message, one objective and one united industry in what we're trying to achieve," he said.
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