What avenues will be taken to ensure safety for both concertgoers and staff as restrictions regarding coronavirus are starting to ease off. As concerts are becoming possible, the Event Safety Alliance has issued new guidelines answering some of these concerns.
Now that many U.S states are allowing concerts to pick up this month, what lays ahead? The non-profit concert-business group has published a guide detailing the best safety steps that can be addressed before reopening. On May 11, the Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide’s goal is to offer guidelines at a time when there is so much confusion surrounding the correct practices for events to undertake.
There is controversy surrounding live music, reflecting hesitancy regarding reopening as mayors across the nation are trying to figure out the best plan of action. According to Billboard, bars in Kansas were ready to open at half-capacity on May 18, live shows in Branson, Missouri were ready to open on May 15. Loadwire reported they are ready to host the country’s first socially distant concerts.
Travis McCready, frontman of Bishop Gunn, was ready to play the first socially distanced concerts in Arkansas on May 15 but has gotten an unfavorable reaction from the state’s governor. According to Rolling Stone, Gov Asa Hutchinson is critical of the plan for the show and does not plan on lifting the ban on gatherings. McCready’s concert was expected to host 229 people as of May 15 then set for May 18.
What steps should be taken to keep people safe? Alliance’s Steven Adelman and Jacob Worek, vice president, and operations director, put together instructions to help deal with the situation but are much more dangerous than what the staff usually faces.
They do realize there will be missed steps that have never been considered before. According to Billboard, Adelman said everybody wants to be safe, clean, and in good shape and not transmitting COVID-19 and killing people.
As Adelman looked at the empty streets, it was apparent that small events were going to be allowed to open first but without any idea how to do it safely. The safety group put together a guide after talking with over 400 different concert promoters, venue owners, managers, and many others. This guide includes moratoriums from names such as Live Nation and AEG.
- Event Safety Alliance recommendations but not limited to:
- Washing hands every hour after sneezing, smoking, eating, drinking, mopping, etc.
- Masks are required.
- Sanitizing sink faucets, soap dispensers, elevator buttons, phones, water fountains, doorknobs, vending machines, trash bins, and computers to name a few.
- Stagger lines so people are not clustered together.
- Temperature screening for all customers.
- Protective shields for box office windows and will-call windows.
- Employers must offer sick leave. If employees cannot stay 6-feet way from others, they should have a work team where people work together but can keep their distance from everyone else.
- Educate fans in a word everywhere including mobile apps, ticket-selling sites, and social media.