COVID-19 and the formula that will bring us a step further

A while ago, I was interviewed by Event Inspiration NL on the column 'You, Me, (vir)us'.

In this interview I mentioned five phases that we at Plugged Live Shows and The Fireflies believe the Corona Crisis is taking us through: 

1. Stay at home; nothing happens event wise from a ‘live perspective’. The entertainment industry is researching and discovering the possibilities of virtual and digital events.

2. The 1,5m economy; in this phase live events are allowed to be organized within strict frameworks.

3. Early adventurers phase; organizations and event organizers who dare, are trying to research the possibilities and limits in the area of events.This is the phase we are in at the moment. This phase does not offer any handholds and is very tense. This is because when this phase fails, we will have to return to phase one.

4. Recovery mode; in this phase, the government is letting go of strict regulations because we have found a vaccine for COVID-19, reached herd immunity, or for another reason. Big brands are not organizing events yet though, because there is no precedent yet. Another reason may be compliance or simply that the Corona Crisis has hurt their revenues and/or workforce in the form of layoffs. 

5. Back on track; I expect us to reach this phase, where everything is back to pre-Corona, at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.

Based on this sum-up I received a question in the comment section from Marnix Eykhout: 

"Thank you for sharing the 5 phases. Very recognizable. I am wondering how you are dealing with phase 3. What are, according to you, the essential adjustments in measures for this phase?"

The reply I wrote was too long as a reply to his comment. Therefore this article.

OUR FORMULA

We feel that the only way to create a snowball effect towards momentum in this phase, is building trust. How we feel to build that trust I summed up in the following formula:

Creativity + Respect + Collaboration + Persistence = Trust

These are the ingredients we need to focus on. Trust is the basic goal of phase 3 that, together with a solution to the biological challenge of COVID-19, will lead to phase 4.

Phase 3 is about achieving a tidal wave of trust. Malcolm X Gladwell based the name of his best-selling book on this theory: ‘the tipping point';

’ The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behaviour crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire’.

'The tipping point' by Malcolm x Gladwell

Creativity

Only by being creative we can facilitate solutions and experiences for the early adventurers; the organizations and organizers who dare to take action during these uncertain times. We need to rethink our existing models, be flexible towards changes that will inevitably occur due to new restrictions or regulations. We need to come up with completely new insights and solutions. And use those new ideas to find what works and what doesn’t. Innovation is playing around to find what works. In order to innovate, we need to turn the box inside out.

Think about creative concepts like Guido Weijers and his show for 3 isolated theatres by Coreworks that allowed 90 people to watch the show simultaneously. Or Danny Damman and the Ziggo Dome and the Larger than Live concept. But also Rob de Otter and Larissa Verbaas from INNI who, together with his partners, created Scala. Think of Claartje Bakker and Fiona Konijnenburg who turned the AFAS Live into a workable event environment as one of the first with a concept called EUREKA. Think of Bart Roelen from Unlimited Productions who, together with Rai Amsterdam, produced the concept: The stage is yours!.

Enabling performances by thinking out of the box

Respect

We must make sure that whilst playing around, we respect the governmental measures and social distancing regulations so that we are not working against the lawmakers and the corona virus. This will have the opposite effect on what we should be trying to achieve: trust. Sure, we are right to have our opinions about the measures that are taken, yet building trust is how we prove that we can handle those rules. Let's be honest, this is what we have always done. Things are possible thinking within these boundaries. We have always worked within boundaries. they just changed.

Bending the rules whilst respecting the measurements

Collaboration

We as the event industry have the responsibility to build this trust and reach this tipping point. We have the responsibility to develop concepts that set an example. Whether they work out or not, they are the foundation and inspiration for new initiatives to arise. And by doing so, yet again new initiatives arise.

This is not something that we as a company, or any company for that matter, can do by themselves. An event or an experience is woven together by a network or professionals. To build trust, the pieces of the puzzle need to collaborate like clockwork. This has always been the case, but the ingredient ‘Collaboration’ is now more important than ever. In these corona times collaboration, in order to build trust, should outweigh any company or event. We must share knowledge and insights with our competition, we must act together. The goal in this phase is not company revenue, market share or differentiation, but an branche-wide movement to the benefit of the survival of our beloved industry. To the benefit of the survival of our event-species. The night owls, the kings and queens of precision. The creators and facilitators. The events industry. 

This is why I am so proud that Plugged Live Shows and The Fireflies have participated in an event with de Beurs van Berlage, Faber, Maison van den Boer and BloemBloem. We hope to have shared insights and inspiration.

And yet again, we will share our thoughts. We are proud to be part of Project Playground, where we work together with amazing partners such as Boozed, Hete Peper, Sugarcity, Bazelmans, Evite, Van Stralen and many more, who are inviting friends and competition to share the learning curve.

Persistence

One of the many challenges in this formula is ‘Persistence’. It takes a lot of ‘no’s’ to get to a ‘yes’. Many permit requests are being turned down. Together with the daring early adventurers Pepijn Rijvers (Hunkering) and Tim Agter (Sunrise Productions) we requested a permit for the festival ‘Hunkering on Water’ in Amsterdam. This was to take place on the Sloterplas. 1000 visitors,  divided over 100 boats and a beautiful sailing boat as a DJ Booth. We designed 2 entertainment decks surrounding the pontons where the boats were to dock and remain. An extensive logistical plan. All rules taken into consideration. Result? Permit denied. Painful. Yet, we must not give up. Of all the initiatives and concepts that are developed, many will fail or be turned down. But only with Persistence we will overcome this. Keep on creating. Keep on trying. To build trust, we must trust ourselves. With Persistence we will reach the tipping point, and with that exponential growth of initiatives (and trust).

Trust

Gain trust from the government who are deciding on the measures that form the rules we must follow.

Gain trust from corporates and clients who do not yet dare to organize an event, fearing to thereby facilitate the spread of the virus and endangering their guests.

Gain trust from the municipality who is responsible for the procurement of permits that allow us to organize concepts with which we build trust.

Gain trust from the visitors and spectators, who do not dare to buy a theatre-, festival-, or concert ticket out of the fear of cancellation. Who do not dare to visit an event not knowing whether the measurements taken will protect them.

Gain trust from the people working in the events industry that need to enact (logistical) safety measures on behalf of the safety of us all.

As for the adjustments necessary in the measures taken by the government, these are outside our circle of influence, but not outside OUR circle of influence. I applaud the 'code red' event on the Malieveld the other day, as this created focus on our industry and gave it a voice that might help to bring the government to help us with the financial challenges encrypted in the ingredient ‘persistence’: time is money, and money is running out. 

Phase 4 is the face where measures are lifted. Trust will work towards that phase, but the COVID-19 virus also needs to be controllable in the form of a vaccine, or herd-immunity for the government to play its part and lift the measures. 

In my opinion the government has two responsibilities to help the events industry build trust:

1. Keep the industry alive by supporting companies so that they can keep their human capital together. Facilitate personal development in this branch so that when phase 4 starts, we are all smarter, more agile, more knowledgeable as a market. NOW3 seems to be coming, but also the promise of ‘NL Leert door’ is still an interesting discussion. As for now, this initiative deals with retraining. Why wouldn’t we instead focus on deepening our knowledge and specialism rather than retraining for a different job in a different market? At Plugged Live Shows we initiated ‘Masterclasses’ from specialists in the area of light design, rigging, sound design, video animation etcetera. Could the government facilitate these types of initiatives in the events industry so that we do not only have a chance to survive, but also get out of this crisis stronger, with more (international) ambition, potential and strength than ever? I am personally very happy that our industry came together and is lobbying, in the form of people such as Pieter Bas Boertje at Idea, and organizations such as EventPlatform. If anything, this crisis has taught us that by organizing ourselves, we stand stronger.
2. Organize local permit requests and measures taken, and make sure there is a common understanding of what is possible, and what is not. Help early adventurers to create successes, small and big. ‘No’ as an answer to a permit request does not suffice. Help the early adventurer with insights and knowledge on how to turn that ‘No’ into a ‘Yes’. The fact that our permit request for Hunkering was refused in Amsterdam, yet a similar event took place in Eindhoven is making our shared efforts to build trust and reach a tipping point, unstable.

Waiting for the green light

We will need to wait until the impact of the corona virus is levelled out of the equation before measures are lifted and we can start licking our wounds and grow back to what will then be normal. The only thing we can do is be creative. We should continue to be respectful to the thread of the virus and the rules, social and governmental. We must collaborate and grow out strength, together. We must Persist, with the help of the government and fight for small successes that we celebrate together, so slowly but surely...

We win back the confidence and trust..

In the idea that events are possible.