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September becomes go-to month for rescheduled festivals accessaa . co . uk
Local authorities must consider events businesses eligible for grants

September becomes go-to month for rescheduled festivals accessaa . co . uk

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Local authorities must consider events businesses eligible for grants
@ access _ aa
Local authorities have been told they must consider events businesses eligible for Additional Restrictions Grants ( ARG ).
The Government updated its ARG guidance on 4 March , with a specific clause that stated businesses that have not been forced to legally close should receive funding . To date , this has been a technicality in which many events businesses , including agencies , organisers , suppliers and venues , have been prevented from receiving much-needed funding .
Events businesses of all kinds have not been explicitly told to close by Government in the same way as the retail , hospitality and leisure sectors , but at the same time have not been allowed to operate legally since March 2020 . This has caused confusion among many local authorities .
The updated guidance read : “ Local councils have the freedom to determine the eligibility criteria for these [ ARG ] grants . However , we expect the funding to help those businesses which – while not legally forced to close – are nonetheless severely impacted by the restrictions .
“ This could include : businesses which supply the retail , hospitality , and leisure sector ; businesses in the tourism and events sectors ; businesses required to close but which do not pay business rates .”
In a month that traditionally sees a scattering of major outdoor events and festivals , including End Of The Road ( cap . 15,000 ), September is set to accommodate a growing number of rescheduled events such as the 50,000-capacity Isle of Wight Festival and Pride In The Park , which last year attracted 1.2 million people .
One of the first major festivals to be rescheduled for September was LN Gaiety-owned Manchester festival Parklife ( 80,000 ), which was moved from 12-13 June 2021 to 11-12 September back in December .
While other rescheduled festivals , including All Points East ( 40,000 ) and Black Deer ( 20,000 ), are due to run earlier in the year , an increasingly congested September will now also see moved events such as The Cambridge Club ( 30,000 ) and Mighty Hoopla ( 20,000 ).
Isle of Wight Festival promoter John Giddings said he is not concerned by the increasing number of events in September : “ There is enough room for all of them as they are in different locations and attract different demographics .”
Event Production Awards to celebrate industry ’ s return
On the first day of the Event Production Show ( EPS ), 26 May ,
Access ’ s sister event will host the Event Product Awards , with the aim of recognising the outstanding work and dedication of companies and individuals throughout the past 12 months .
As the industry prepares for the return of live events , the Event Production Awards will provide the first opportunity for events professionals to gather in person , in a Covidsafe environment , to network and celebrate the beginning of a new chapter while also marking achievements during the past year .
The awards will highlight achievements such as staging Covid-safe physical events and creating online show platforms , as well as campaigning to ensure the plight of our sector has been paramount . The event will also include the Access All Areas Editor ’ s Award , which will recognise an individual who has championed the live events industry throughout the pandemic .
The awards will run as a freeto-attend event at the end of the first day of the EPS . Designed to be an after-party for the events industry , the awards ceremony will be open to everyone at EPS . The deadline to enter is 1 April .
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