A sight we will not see for a while, as most events have been cancelled to help curb the spread of Covid-19. PHOTO: Unsplash/Danny Howe
The nationwide lockdown enforced to curb the spread of Covid-19, has also put a hold on any events and mass gatherings, and has therefore directly affected the events and entertainment industry.
“Events like Corona Sunsets, MTN Bushfire and Splashy Fen – [for which] tickets traditionally sell out – are amongst the largest of the events that have needed to be postponed,” said Robyn Marais, junior marketing manager at events organising platform, Howler. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as Marais adds that over 120 events have been forced to postpone or cancel due to the restrictions on gatherings to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Following the restrictions on gatherings, Howler has moved swiftly to put measures in place that will make it easier for their clients to move their events online.
“We’re offering our platform to event organisers, vendors, artists, DJs, performers, instructors, chefs and many more to host online streams through our platform,” said Marais.
Howler has also contributed to assisting essential service providers at this time, by enabling vendors with an essential service permit to manage orders by selling their items as tickets on the Howler website and app, Marais said.
Under normal circumstances, Howler is a cashless platform and serves as the ‘middle-man’ between event organisers, vendors and event attendees. Event attendees buy tickets for events as well as food and drinks at events using the Howler website or app.
It was not until they consulted their clients and customers, that Howler responded to the lockdown in the above manner. Numerous emails, a communique and a survey were sent by the Howler team, to gauge what the needs of their platform users were.
“We’ve compiled a couple of online options for our clients and customers, all at no cost, except for payment processing fees for now,” said Marais. These options include allowing organisers to determine their own cancellation and refund processes, which has always been a part of Howler policy, Marais said.
“Be Human & Give a F***”
Howler’s response was driven by their agenda to keep the industry afloat and their values: ‘Be Human & Give a F***’, said Shai Evian, chief executive officer of Howler.
The way Evian sees it, the impact of the lockdown means that everyone involved – from attendees to organisers and vendors – has to work together to make it through this crisis. “We tried to find compassion with event-goers and giving a f*** by truly going the extra mile,” he said.
Apart from online events concerts, Howler CEO Shai Evan is also hosting interviews with event organisers and artists on Howler’s Instagram and Facebook Live. Pictured here is Shaun Duvet, founder of music festival, ULTRA South Africa. PHOTO: Facebook/Howler
In a Facebook live interview with Evian, Bushfire organisers Jiggs and Sholto Thorne, Sholto explained how difficult it was to make the call to postpone the event to 2021, as they had been planning it since the end of BushFire in 2019.
“It was an emotional point for the team … it was really, really tough on the team … The show goes on, though. We’ve planted that seed, the fires are burning and so the next one is going to be rocking,” Thorne said.
The reactions from event-goers have been mixed, though. “I bought a ticket in January and I was ready to go [to Splashy Fen] until everything happened. Last year was a lot of fun and the event was really well run. I was very disappointed when it was cancelled,” said Rachel Adam, Splashy Fen ticket-holder from Hillcrest KwaZulu-Natal.
However, there are perks to moving the event online, said Adam. This is because she can still watch some of the acts while practicing social distancing.
“I still don’t think that it will attract as many people though because, while some people have a projector set up to watch the acts, a lot of us just have our computers to watch on and it’s not the same atmosphere,” Adam said.
Rachel Adam (18) and her friend, captured at Splashy Fen 2019, will have to settle for dressing up and posing in their living rooms this year. Photo: Rachele Adam
Will the show go on?
According to Marais, the economic impact of the lockdown on the entertainment industry will be felt for a while after the lockdown has been lifted. “We believe that even once public gatherings are allowed again, many events will remain online and so we are continuously improving this service,” she said.
Financially, the industry is going to take a knock. Although the Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation has set aside R150 million to assist the industry, Howler does not qualify to access this fund, said Evian.
“Only if a promoter receives the funding, they could, in turn, compensate us for loss of income but we are not holding our breath. Plus, R150 million is very small for the entertainment industry considering the annual sales revenue is more than R5 billion [for the industry],” Evian said.