The live events industry, both on the local and national level, is comprised of a wide swath of professionals: hospitality, planners, caterers, photographers, musicians, producers, technicians, general contractors, engineers, suppliers, manufacturers and many more. Industry members execute trade shows, social events/weddings, exhibitions, conferences, concerts and so much more. Nationally, over 6.5 million jobs rely on live events and live events have an estimated $419 billion impact on the economy[1].

This unique makeup and diversity of the live events industry makes finding statistics that accurately reflect the devastating impact of COVID-19 restrictions challenging, if not impossible. The industry simply doesn’t fit neatly into a single category. However, today, for the sake of argument and illustration, let’s say that most small businesses in the live events industry fit into one (or both) of the following categories: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation, and/or Accommodation and Food Services. According to a survey by the U.S. Small Business Association, while other small businesses and industries showed significant recovery from April to November 2020, small businesses in these two categories continued to show a sustained negative impact from COVID-19[2]. Further, in a majority of cases, operating capacities of small businesses fitting into these two categories were down greater than 50% from November 2019-2020[3].

The statistics showing the negative impact of COVID-19 on the live events industry nationally are staggering, but undeniably, major markets like New York, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, etc. with larger populations and well-developed live event industries, can skew results, when, in actuality, circumstances in small or mid-metros with smaller live events industries might not actually be as dire. However, in this case, research suggests otherwise. The live events industries in small and mid-metros are struggling too.

In the state of North Carolina, for example, the state unemployment rate generally has steadily improved since February 2020, currently standing at around 5.9% as of January 2021. However, unemployment within the Leisure and Hospitality sector, of which the majority of live event businesses are a part, remains down more than 16% since January, 2020[4], a sustained loss greater than any other sector surveyed. Looking at the Raleigh metro area, specifically, the change in employment status within the Leisure and Hospitality sector is even more profound, dropping more than 25% from December 2019 to December 2020[5].

Bottom line is this: by and large the live events industry stages in-person gatherings, and the COVID-19 pandemic shut down those opportunities and left nearly the entire industry in free fall. Events that had been planned for years with budgets ranging from a few hundred dollars to millions were canceled or postponed overnight. 6.5 million Americans - freelancers, contractors, small businesses and larger companies - all of whom made their living in the live events industry found themselves without reliable income in a matter of days.

An industry-wide survey conducted by the International Live Events Association on December 20, 2020, helps to further illustrate the dramatic impact of the pandemic showing that in Q2 of 2020 only 10% of global respondents in the live events industry were actually producing in-person events. Ten percent.

In an effort to keep their doors open, event professionals had to pivot, to learn new technologies, create new income streams, juggle rescheduling and cancelations, scramble to educate themselves and their clients, all while to learning the proper protocols needed to host safe events in a COVID-19 world.

And, while the statistics are sobering, more powerful than the numbers are the real stories from members of the live events industry: the business owners, the contractors and the freelancers. Theirs are stories of incredible loss and uncertainty, but in most cases, optimism and hope for a creative rebirth - despite all the challenges of the last year. Most of their stories haven’t made headlines, but all are true testaments to those characteristics that are most often found in people making their living in the live events industry: creativity, resilience and passion. Their accounts give a more complete and human picture of how dark and challenging times got for small businesses and workers in the live events industry, while still managing to offer hope and direction as their nation and their industry move forward, up and out, from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and begins to celebrate – together – once again.

THE NC PANDEMIC PROFILES PROJECT

A couple of weeks ago, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the NC shutdown, I sat down with several well-established members of live events industry in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas). I asked each of them to share a little about their experience in the live events industry over the past year and how they felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in their work or business.

I considered weaving each of their stories into what would have been a lengthy article, but ultimately, determined that their experiences were best told by them without my editorializing. What you’ll find below are transcripts of each of our conversations; edited only for clarity and length. I hope you will take the time to read each of them.

To this project’s participants - my friends - who agreed to talk with me candidly about how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their lives and their businesses: I recognize the trust you have placed in me to share your experiences and sincerely thank you. It is my hope that sharing your stories will bring attention to the incredible impact that statewide shutdowns and a deadly pandemic had on live events industry.

Click on any of the photos below to read a transcript of the interview.

All photos property of Kate Pope Photography unless otherwise indicated.

REFERENCES

[1] Go Live Together, http://www.golivetogether.com/impact

[2] U.S. Small Business Administration, The Pulse of Small Business: An Industry Breakdown https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/21102154/December-PULSE-Fact-Sheet.pdf

[3] U.S. Small Business Administration, The Pulse of Small Business: An Industry Breakdown https://cdn.advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/21102154/December-PULSE-Fact-Sheet.pdf

[4] U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Southeast Information Office, https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/north_carolina.htm#eag_nc.f.p

[5] U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Raleigh NC Area Economic Survey, https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/summary/blssummary_raleigh.pdf