The roadmap back to live events.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined the roadmap out of lockdown for England on Monday 22nd February.
The four stage timetable focuses on gradual easing of restrictions which will continue to be guided by the data. It has been an incredibly long 12 months for many of us as individuals, events professionals, business owners, parents and employees – this news comes with a welcome air of hope as we head into Spring.
This roadmap indicates a route to some degree of normality - enabling face to face social and business interactions and connections to resume, and is a positive step.
The route back to live events
The roadmap also indicates a very positive route to the return of live events. Following the announcement, the Government has confirmed the launch of a new Events Research Programme, which will include a series of pilot events using testing measures, in preparation for a full rollback of restrictions planned for 21 June.
The pilot events will start in April in England.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have been working closely with representatives from industry to explore when and how events will be able to return safely. This includes conferences and exhibitions, as well as consumer events such as festivals and sporting events.
"Over the spring the Government will run a scientific Events Research Programme,"
An update reads.
"This will include a series of pilots using enhanced testing approaches and other measures to run events with larger crowd sizes and reduced social distancing to evaluate the outcomes. The pilots will start in April."
"The Government will bring the findings from across different sectors and different settings to determine a consistent approach to lifting restrictions on these events."
“We are delighted with the news yesterday outlining the clear road out of lockdown and a return to live events. Connections are fundamental to us as human beings and it’s the value of our connections that our industry is built on.”
Ed Tranter, MD & Founder of 73 Media