SIMON DURRANT Epsom Downs and Kempton Park Racecourses general manager
Do you believe anything positive has come out of the pandemic and are we better placed to collectively face challenges as a result ? The pandemic has made our teams much more adaptable and has fostered more flexibility in the way we work , whether that ’ s by working from home or in other ways . We ’ ve also seen racegoers showing a renewed appreciation of live events again after many months of not being able visit our venues . That demonstrates that no matter how good virtual events have become , especially during the pandemic , there really is no substitute for tangible experiences .
What do you believe are the biggest opportunities for the sector in 2022 and subsequent years ? Sustainability is undoubtedly a hugely important factor in consumer decisions and is at the forefront of our thinking . For example , we are working with a company to turn our single-use cups into clothing , which has been well received . Customers want to know that by attending an event they aren ’ t doing so at the expense of the planet so innovations which allow the industry to reduce its carbon footprint should be welcomed .
CLARE GOODCHILD We Organise Chaos director
What do you believe will be the biggest challenges for the industry in 2022 , and what measures would you like to see taken to tackle them ? Linked to the supply chain issues is burnout . We have less staff in our pool ; and we are all fatigued from the past two years . In short , our capacity to overcome stress and anxiety has been taken up with the pandemic , and adding the extra stress of producing shows will become a mental battle for some people . Couple this with the fact that some of us are totally not match fit . There are festivals that haven ’ t run for two years , and now we have to step back into it again . It will be tough , and teams need to have a good awareness of this fact when planning resilience and schedules .
What are the biggest opportunities for the sector in 2022 and subsequent years ? 2022 is really the year to look at our impact on the world , and make changes towards that impact being more positive . We have all had the time to consider in more detail our wellbeing , the environment , social justice and change , and we need make sure we don ’ t lose sight of those issues .
DAVE KEIGHLEY Production Services Association chairman
From an industry perspective do you believe anything positive has come out of the pandemic ? One of the most positive things to come out of the last two years is that all parts of the live music and events industry are at last , talking to each other . With associations like LIVE , the TPG , WeMakeEvents , BVEP and others , finally the whole industry is working together to work out solutions to enable shows and events to take place . We have been lobbying the Government for financial support , working with DCMS to ease restrictions on working in the EU and we at the PSA , through our charity Stagehand , have given out thousands of grants to support individuals suffering the worst financial impacts of the last two years .
What are the biggest opportunities for the sector in 2022 and subsequent years ? The most important thing regarding sustainability is that the whole industry is now talking about it and talking about it in a serious and meaning full way . There are many things we can all do , we need to work together and understand what has been damaging in our design , logistics , routing and use of single use materials in the past and explore our overall approach to changing how we work in the future .
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