Live events industry hopes government can aid in recovery process

Cantopop star Miriam Yeung is among a long list of acts who postponed their concerts in KL due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As more and more businesses begin to open under the conditional movement control order taking effect on May 4, live events are still prohibited.

Arts, Live, International Festivals and Events Association (Alife) – a non-profit organisation representing companies managing, presenting and promoting live events in Malaysia – hopes the government and the various stakeholders can start working together now and prepare for when the industry reopens after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Alife hopes there can be an integrated, combined effort from the Tourism, Culture and Arts Ministry along with the Human Resources Ministry to assist the industry in the overall recovery process," said its president R. Para in a press statement.

Some preparations Alife has started work on is in developing standard operating procedures and public health protocols when conducting live events such as effective screening methods and sanitisation practices.

Alife is also currently setting up a recovery taskforce with other industry leaders – Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS), Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM) and Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) – to work on short-term and long-term recovery measures for the industry.

"During this down time, industry players should also take the initiative to start enhancing skills for themselves and their employees on how we can all be prepared to face this period of the new normal with the use of new technology and identify areas of their services that can be innovated to be more resilient in the future," Para explains the purpose of the initiatives.

Beginning early February, one concert after another have been postponed indefinitely or cancelled altogether to ensure the safety of the public including performances by K-pop bands Super Junior and Seventeen, Taiwanese singer Jay Chou and Cantopop star Miriam Yeung.

"It is quite obvious now that this industry was the first to be hit and it is going to be the last to recover."

As such, Para calls for the government to join them in drawing up plans to help get the industry back on its feet.

"We strongly believe that working closely together as a team will bring effective and quicker results with the long term aim of creating a sustainable industry."