Los Angeles Times (09/27/19) Vega, Priscella
Several recent eleventh-hour music festival cancellations at California's Huntington State Beach may prompt state officials to tighten rules for promoters to reduce the likelihood of repeat incidents. State Parks Superintendent Kevin Pearsall said promoters may be obligated to show that they have all required permits on a set schedule with specific deadlines, instead of having them submit all documentation at least two weeks before an event. State parks officials will consider the matter this fall. Pearsall added that several permits are required to build large stages, guarantee safety and sell food and alcohol. "We're trying to put those guidelines in place earlier on now because of these last experiences this year," he stated. One of the Huntington festivals was cancelled because production company Freeze Management failed to pay mandatory fees, despite repeated excuses from the promoter about the invoice. A more recent cancellation was ordered because event organizers did not provide documents that the stage was approved by the state fire marshal. "We thought we were pretty vocal and communicative with [promoters], but we're gonna try and do more of that in the beginning of communication for those events when they come to us," Pearsall declared.
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