Today marks 12 weeks that Sydney has been in lockdown – 3 bloody months – now we know how Victorians feel.

But let’s celebrate!

The MEA Awards will be presented on Wednesday night, so pull out a bottle of bubbly and settle down in front of the screen and share your comments via #MEAawards – book your ticket now

Australian Event Awards to go online  The ceremony will be delivered as a series of bite sized broadcasts delivered each evening over 12 days from October 20 – 31 capping off a month-long Industry celebration during which the work of every entrant will be highlighted.

Update on rescheduled events

The PCOA conference has been moved to January 29^th – 31^st 2022 in the hope that Tasmania will reopen to mainlanders by then.

Australian Festival Industry Conference has moved to August 2022

Get Local is on track for February 2022 at ICC Sydney

And we are looking forward to AIME in March at the MCEC

Thanks to Brett Bower, Sydney Cartoonist, for the illustrations you are now seeing on our posts.

In ASE this week

Last week the NSW Premier releasedthe“Roadmap to Freedom” and on Sunday we are expecting something similar from Victoria’s Premier.

The NSW roadmap has some flaws to be sorted yet.

Venues and places of worship can reopen at one person per 4 sqm which will enable gatherings of hundreds of guests; however weddings and funerals are limited to 50 guests – go figure.

Berjiklian confirms that health orders will mandate vaccination to access venues and events

“At 70%, if you’re not vaccinated, it will be a health order and the law that if you’re not vaccinated, you can’t attend venues on the road map. You can’t go into a hospitality venue. You can’t go to ticketed events unless you are vaccinated. We made that very clear for 70% double dose.”

Peter Jones asks: Is the NSW roadmap the answer?

So, NSW has a plan as to how events will look once we get to the magical vaccination rates. Lots of influencing factors that may impact it, but I give them a 10 out of 10 for at least having something that the industry can work to. 

Arinex CEO, Nicole Walker: Vaccines are the ticket to our industry’s resurgence

As we look for ways to rebuild our industry while Australians line up to get vaccinated, it is clear our industry also needs a shot in the arm. While we are fortunate to still have a full events calendar this month, we have had the expected drop-off of events as the lockdowns continue in our two biggest states and I know we are not alone.

ICC Sydney to recommence in-person events next month

According to the NSW Government Gazetted Health Order, 10 September 2021, conferences and exhibitions at ICC Sydney can return at one person per four square metres and entertainment events can return at 75% of their fixed seating capacity.

Arinex’ DCO team completes first year

The DCO team was officially established on 16 September 2020, timed by the launch of the “Turn of Events; Bringing Business Events Back” hub and spoke event, which was held simultaneously across 6 locations and live-streamed globally.

Caleb Bush to run European arm of GPJ

Experiential agency George P. Johnson Australia & New Zealand (GPJ A/NZ) announces the upcoming departure of Managing Director Caleb Bush as he takes on the role of Executive Vice President of GPJ Europe, overseeing its offices London, Stuttgart, Oslow, Paris and Brussels.

This week’s revisited podcast is with Andrew Walsh

In this wide ranging interview we cover how Andrew started in theatre in Melbourne while still at school then worked on various theatre productions including the original production of Rocky Horror in Melbourne. 

In mainstream media

New Doherty modelling advises ‘medium’ Covid restrictions until Australia reaches 80% vaccination – Guardian Australia

While the New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, warned other premiers to stick to the reopening plan agreed by national cabinet, and ease restrictions at 70%, other leaders in other states queried whether the first run of modelling was a reliable barometer of the risks because it assumed low case numbers.

Push for 15,000 vaccinated crowd at Sydney’s Everest – SMH

The Everest, which is Australia’s richest horse race, is locked in for October 16 as part of the Spring Racing Carnival, with organisers lodging an exemption for crowd sizes at the event, which could fall either side of the state meeting its 70 per cent vaccine target.

The 15,000 crowd proposal would be three times larger than the planned cap for outdoor sporting events post lockdown under the NSW COVID-19 road map.

Now let’s see how strong the gambling lobby is…

NSW office Christmas parties may be down 60pc, Vic in doubt– AFR

Most employers in NSW will not have enough time to organise end-of-year parties for their staff even though the state’s lockdown is likely to end next month for the vaccinated, according to one of Sydney’s leading function centre owners.

Doltone House executive chairman Paul Signorelli told the AFR he expected bookings for office Christmas parties to be at least 60 per cent lower this year than in 2020 because staff events for large and medium-sized employers need three to four months of planning and employers are worried about legal risks.

“There is no appetite for Christmas parties,” he said on Sunday. “Companies are worried about compliance. ‘Can we drink? Can we dance? Can we have a cocktail party?’ ”

The office Christmas party may be one of the defining differences between work life in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 states this year.

In Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, the number of corporate functions are likely to be similar to before the pandemic, according to the Restaurant and Catering Association of Australia.

“In NSW, Victoria and the ACT, the path to 80 per cent [vaccinations] will dictate capacity restrictions or if they are allowed at all,” the lobby group’s chief executive, Wes Lambert, said on Sunday.

The Victorian government hasn’t said whether end-of-year office parties will be allowed, although it has promised more freedoms once 80 per cent of adults in the state are vaccinated.

One estimate suggests the 80 per cent level will be reached on December 7 in Victoria, which could lead to a scramble for venues and caterers before Christmas.

WA may stay closed until April

Don’t expect to be holding national events in Perth for a while. Premier Mark McGowan told the West Australian newspaper that he may not permanently open the border for another seven months.

The premier said he would set a date to permanently lift WA’s hard border six to eight weeks after the state reaches a vaccination rate of between 80 and 90%.

“I can’t put a date on [reopening the border] because it’ll be above 80% [vaccination]. We’ve got to get above 80%…

I don’t know whether it’ll be February, March or April, I suspect it will be one of those months.”

The “Digital Passport”

Last week, NSW Digital Minister Victor Dominello announced the state would begin testing a seamless proof of vaccination and check-in process through the Service NSW app later this month.

Victoria is also considering a proof of vaccination trial in regional areas, with Victoria’s Industry Support Minister Martin Pakula confirming the government is working to integrate the vaccination certificate with the Services Victoria app.

Vaccine mandates

Guardian Essential poll: majority of Australians support vaccine mandates

A majority of Australians would be comfortable with venues requiring patrons to be vaccinated as a condition of entry, and for jabs to be mandatory in a range of employment and leisure settings, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.

Majorities also support vaccinations as a condition of entry to sporting events (69%) and hospitality and entertainment venues (68%), while 62% agree mandatory jabs should be required for people to return to work at the workplace.

Low vaccination rates in security staff cast shadow over summer of sport – The Age

Melbourne’s summer of sport is grappling with alarmingly low security guard vaccination rates, prompting concern from Australian Open organisers as the Andrews government discusses mandatory COVID-19 shots for major event workers.

Overseas

Boris Johnson to get rid of his lockdown powers– AFR

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to this week repeal his government’s powers to lock down the economy, as he doubles down on his plan to “live with COVID” despite rising hospital admissions and the threat of a winter resurgence.

In changes to be announced this week, the government will let lapse its power to close businesses and schools, and to restrict events and gatherings – a clear signal that Mr Johnson will shirk another lockdown despite facing “renewed challenges” this winter.

The government also ruled out introducing vaccine passports, putting Britain at odds with European countries such as France, where they are in widespread use as COVID-19 infection rates fall.

“I’m determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences,” Mr Johnson said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Mr Johnson’s antipathy to lockdowns comes in the face of a persistent delta outbreak. On Sunday another 29,173 positive cases were reported, although this was lower than the typical daily rate of more than 35,000; and there were 56 deaths, again less than the usual 150-plus.

IBTM World Barcelona reveals first details of in-person event  – EIN

IBTM has revealed the first details for its flagship event, IBTM World Barcelona, due to take place in-person this year at Fira, Barcelona from 30 November to 2 December 2021.

Under the theme of ‘New Business, New Tech, New World’, IBTM World Barcelona will focus on quality one-to-one business meetings, inspiring educational content and rewarding networking opportunities to help attendees re-connect and thrive in the next chapter in meetings and events.

The 2021 edition of the Met Gala was a bit different

To get into this year’s Met Gala guests had to do more than swipe a QR code at the entry.

All guests had to show proof of vaccination and negative COVID-19 test results. Masks had to be worn while not posing for photographs on the red carpet, eating or drinking.

To promote social distancing the guest list was stripped down to 400 people from its usual 600, making it even more exclusive than usual.

The event was livestreamed via Vogue’s twitter account that you can watch here