JUNE | THE COLUMNISTS
This month’s
columnists weigh
in on the struggles
of independent
promoters and the
modern phenomenon
of ‘Zoom fatigue’
The Columnists
John Rostron, Executive Chair,
Association of Independent
Promoters
The return to live music is going to
be through the grassroots, by which
I mean venues under around 2000
capacity. These shows will require
a few things: artists able and
willing to perform, venues for them
to perform in, staff to make the
venues ready, and audiences who
want to come. They will also need
promoters to put the shows on.
These promoters aren’t Live
Nation, AEG, SJM or any of the
other big names you know - those
companies pretty much don’t
operate in the grassroots. The
promoters here are all independent.
Some are one person operations,
most are small organisations. All of
them have been obliterated by the
impact of Covid-19.
Yet these are the people we need
to bring live music back. So how
can we help them get through this?
At the Association Of Independent
Promoters we estimate that a
regular sum of £2m a month would
enable us to keep most, if not all,
of the key independent promoters
afloat until activity returns.
We’re aware any forms of socially
distanced gigs would need radical
funding support too. Live music is
a social experience, and that’s what
we want to return to, when it’s safe
to do so.
Nick Gold, Managing Director,
Speakers Corner
Our relationship with the world
of virtual meetings is starting to
turn. There was a novelty to them
at first - an amusement as we
watched each other get to grips
with the technology. It offered a
glimpse into our private sanctuary:
kids, housemates, partners heard
in the background. There was focus
and a sense of excitement as this
communication tool became the
new normal.
And then time continued, and
the meetings stacked up. There was
a slow realisation that ensuring
the energy level of a virtual
meeting comes even close to that
of a physical meeting is tough, and
requires more than just showing up
and chatting.
I am now getting regular
requests to “just have a telephone
call, I have a severe case of zoom
fatigue” or “can we have the
meeting by conference call, we don’t
need to see each other.”
We need to use every skill which
made us who we are in the live
world to help our clients lift their
virtual meeting away from being a
passive tool where conversation is
stilted, and discussions are sources
of frustration. Instead, we should
introduce them to the tools and
techniques where the audience
becomes the star of the show.
James Morgan, Founder of Event
Tech Lab
Zoom Bombing and other hacks
are new features of the near total
transformation from live to online
communications. Some platforms
have failed in providing adequate
encryption protocols. However,
there are some platforms that have
taken security seriously.
Cisco created Webex Meeting,
which offers an end to end
encryption option. It also allows
you to host HD video meetings and
has screen audio and file sharing
functions.
Microsoft Teams offers both
free and enterprise solutions. On
the free subscription you can host
up to 300 attendees. The solution
is very secure and also integrates
seamlessly with other Microsoft
applications, including Office 365.
Probably the most secure solution
is to host a virtual meetings
platform on your own servers.
Jitsi is a free open-source video
conferencing solution owned
by 8x8. If you use an event app
regularly, you can ask your provider
to use a ‘skin’ icon to embed the
platform on the app home page to
augment the other functions you
have already.
But how about a secure queuing
system? Lineup Ninja has just
launched their Clear Chat platform.
It’s a virtual waiting room for video
conferences that lets you screen
guests before granting access. And
its free!
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