This week I ask what our industry can learn from the demise of the professional photography industry association. James Bartold on how sports sponsorship has been affected by COVID and what they need to do get back in the game.  Gary Fitz-Roy compares WA and China (carefully). And BECA have talks with the federal opposition.

A federal parliamentary committee have released a National Cultural Plan. Another plan for Scotty to promote – because he loves a plan.

And what can be learned from the concert disaster in Texas that has now claimed nine lives?

The future of industry associations

 I’ve been a long time member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP). This association has a lot in common with our own industry associations. In both instances members are professionals operating in their field but are not required to be licenced. These associations are run by members who make up a governing board (national) with state branches. 

Driving brands and events back to consumers.

 James Bartold, Group Director Brand Partnerships Bastion Experience responds to the question – How does sponsorship play its role in driving brands and events back to consumers?

Bartold recently joined Bastion Experience from the North Melbourne Football Club where he was Head of Sponsorship, Events and Commercial Strategy.

What do China and WA have in common?

 I love the line in Crocodile Dundee where Paul Hogan talks about a problem and he says to Linda Kozlowski, “I tell Wal and he tells everyone and the problem goes away” I am sure this story will be controversial for some, but it’s the current reality of the situation playing out and without change will continue to impact the Business Events sector in Australia. 

BECA delivers message of continued pain and uncertainty to the Federal Opposition

This week, representatives of the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) including Deputy Chair Geoff Donaghy (ICC Sydney), Kate Smith (Waldron Smith Management), Matt Pearce (Talk2 Media & Events) and Andrew Hiebl (Association of Australian Convention Bureaux), met online with Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism, and the Hon Tony Burke MP, Shadow Minister for the Arts. 

Federal Parliamentary Report suggests roadmap for the Arts as COVID devastation becomes clearer

The federal House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts has released a National Cultural Plan, acknowledging the enormous economic and cultural benefits of Australia’s arts and entertainment sector, and recommending a series of policy initiatives to support and grow the “post-COVID economy”.

The fallout from disaster at a music festival in Texas run by Live Nation (who also run tours and festivals in Australia) will be closely monitored by festival producers in Australia as well as in the US. Here are two perspectives, first from the US Event Safety Alliance and then from well-respected Australian safety consultant, Roderick van Gelder. They are both worth a read.

Last Night at Astroworld

Steve Adelman, Vice President, Event Safety Alliance

Last night at Astroworld, a festival held at NRG Stadium in Houston, at least eight people died and more than 300 others received medical treatment in a crowd crush during Travis Scott’s performance. Because we have seen too many heartbreaking incidents like this before, it is tempting to rush to judgment about the causes of this one. Let’s do better than that. Let’s ask the right questions first, then see what the facts reveal.

What happened at Astroworld and how do we avoid it?

Roderick van Gelder, Stage Safety p/l

Details are slowly coming in about another concert crowd crush, leaving eight fans dead. The crush happened during the Travis Scott set at the Astroworld Festival in Houston Texas. When things like this happen many people start looking for a scapegoat, for someone to blame because that is much easier than trying to understand the cause of the incident. For me, it is important to understand what went wrong and learn from that so we can improve our safety systems and avoid a repeat.

At the time of writing, very few details were known about the causes that lead to this crush. We may never have full access to the details, the Loveparade crush in Germany took 10 years to gather details and still very little has been made public.