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It is a strange and trying time for all of us in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We certainly understand times are tough for you, as they are for us. We have been proud to bring Stage Directions for free all these many years and we will continue to provide you with complimentary subscriptions during the pandemic. However, we would like to ask in these difficult times that you consider a small donation to help support our efforts here at Stage Directions as we work to keep our industry up to date by providing you with a continuous stream of current and vital information when it is needed, today more than ever, to keep us all in the theater community connected.
In the spirit of Live Aid and Farm Aid, the Live Event Industry is prepared to offer their services, in the form of COV-AID, in order to assist with increasing the speed and efficiency of vaccine inoculations. The Live Event Industry is one of the best prepared, best equipment, most experienced industries in the world to manage and control large crowds in a rapid fashion. Moving people swiftly and safely is one of the cornerstones of the foundation of the Live Event Industry.
With that in mind, here are the key points for you to focus on:
The entire Live Event Industry has been largely idle since March 13, 2020. There are over 10 million Live Event people sitting dormant. These people are, for the most part, highly skilled and highly trained in organization, crowd management, dealing with people and constructing sites. Many have offered to volunteer to assist in COV-AID vaccine distribution. There is no need to look any further for a labor force when this highly qualified, well trained labor force is at the ready.
There are several thousand Live Event Companies also currently dormant and many of these firms own the equipment and infrastructure required to safely manage, control, and move people in an orderly fashion. This infrastructure already exists in many places, is sitting idle and is paid for. Therefore, there is no logical reason for this equipment to be replicated by an entity (or entities) attempting to assist with vaccine roll out.
Thousands of large venues across the country (arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, etc. and perhaps even empty or under-utilized shopping malls and/or their parking lots ) currently sit empty or underutilized. Each feature the size, parking facilities and necessary infrastructure to through-put large crowds rapidly, if properly coordinated.
Several industry organizations currently exist, and are willing to get involved, which can quickly mobilize to set up vaccine inoculation centers. These organizations can design, deliver, and manage the infrastructure as well as the people needed to staff them.
Here is the simple view of how we propose it will work:
In each market a venue or venues will be identified. Local health and medical officials will work with Live Event people to design the set up for that particular area.
The Live Event teams will execute the physical set up and provide needed infrastructure from local production firms.
The local Live Event staff in each market will serve as labor (directing and coordinating ‘people traffic’) each day while the local medical staff handle all of the actual medical details.
Much of the Live Event Industry has offered to assist; from venues to concert and production companies to labor firms and individuals. These teams of Live Event professionals will deliver a swift, safe, high quality solution just as they do every day, worldwide for concerts (large and small), festivals and special events.
The biggest names in the industry including Live Nation, AEG, C3, Red Light Management, IATSE, IAVM, IAFE, NIVA, NITO, IPA, NAPA, TPA, WME, SLEN, ESA and many others are all ready to move into action. We will begin at the top with the Biden Transition team, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients, Congress, Governors, Mayors, HHS, Local Health Departments, and the medical community in each area.
A coordinated effort by the medical teams with the Live Events Industry will assure the fastest, safest delivery of vaccine inoculations in the U.S. by managing large crowds in a manner which the Live Event Industry do, virtually every day! The entire Live Event Industry looks forward to assisting in speeding up the delivery of the vaccine inoculations with their talent and energy.
To sign up or obtain further information please go to this website: https://forms.gle/KeAFrGCfvRUYWvRb9
Thank you.
Michael T. Strickland
mstrickland@banditlites.com
To learn more and read the letter COV-AID sent to President Biden go to:
https://stage-directions.com/all/news/theatre-buzz/u-s-live-event-i…-president-biden/
