Renegades & Events During the Pandemic: Right or Wrong?

It’s no secret that the pandemic has completely flipped our worlds upside down. Live Events especially have taken a HUGE hit, leaving the future of the music industry uncertain. Millions of employees have been out of work for 6 months now… I mean, how crazy is that? Half a YEAR. Some statistics from wemakeevents.org to put things in perspective:

• Live events is an $877-billion industry.

• 95% of live events have been cancelled due to COVID-19.

• 96% of companies have cut staff and/or wages.

• 77% of people in the live events industry have lost 100% of their income.

We’re all dying to get back to work and do what we love because it is our passion. Some people might not understand the obsession many have with live music. But when you’re a part of this scene, you understand the desire for human connection and euphoria that live music brings. It really is a lifestyle. This brings me to the controversial topic of renegades during quarantine. To be straightforward, I can honestly see both sides on the topic but I feel like there is a healthy medium so that everyone is happy and SAFE.

The bottom line is we don’t want to prolong this quarantine and take steps backwards by planning unsafe events. That is not only unfair to attendees and their health, but it is also a huge slap in the face to the event organizers and production staff that are at home waiting for the day they can get back to work.The right thing to do is obviously not to gather. And in a perfect world, we’d all stay home, cases would go down, and we’d get back to our normal lives. Thing is, the world isn’t perfect and people crave human connection - meaning they’re bound to break rules. So if you ARE planning on having a renegade right now, then at least DO IT RIGHT and DO IT SAFE!

1. MASKS ON. Make it mandatory for attendees to bring and wear their masks. We all gotta do our part so this should be non-negotiable. Period.

2. STRICT GUEST LIST. Do not let things get out of hand. Control the situation and only invite a cautious amount of people. Ideally, only a small group of your close friends. If this is a larger event being hosted at an actual venue, then make sure you communicate with the venue and have a proper plan on how to create a socially distanced event.

3. 6 FEET APART. Whether you have tables that people can be seated at or distinct markers and sections on the ground, do what you can to separate groups.

4. SANITIZER ON DECK. Be sure to have plenty of sanitizer so that the event is as CLEAN as possible.

5. TEMPERATURE CHECK. Like any other restaurant or bar, be sure to purchase a no-touch thermometer (cheaper than you think ~ $30) and send anyone with an unusual temp home.

6. ENFORCE THE RULES. Be sure to actually have someone walking around and enforcing rules. Bring proper signage and remind your attendees to be safe.

If we want some normalcy in the world again, then we can’t be selfish or careless. The smarter we are and the SAFER we are, the sooner we can get back to doing what we love.

Until the next Family Reunion ♫ (Hopefully soon!)