As we close in on another Labor Day weekend, we’re reminded yet again of how different our lives look this year. Typically, the park in front of our Cincinnati headquarters is bustling with temporary stages + 500,000 people for Riverfest and the Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks. We’d welcome family + friends to our office, open the terrace doors to hear the sounds of the bands echoing through the building, and enjoy some of the best seats in the city for the annual fireworks display.
Unfortunately, the entertainment professionals in our area that support this event, and all live events across the country, cannot put on a show for us this Labor Day.
This year was going to one of the biggest + best years in live entertainment. The arts community had been expanding with new shows + venues for the past 5-10 years, and some have said we were living in the golden ages of entertainment. These venues + events support the economies + communities across the country.
Theatres, live entertainment venues, performing arts venues, trade shows, zoos, theme parks, and all the events we love to immerse ourselves in the moment – abruptly shut down. The emotions, laugher and passion of these social gatherings, the ones we crave at this very moment – stopped. The concert tickets we have held for a year, the tickets we bought at the exact moment they were released so we could see our favorite band – refunded. This industry was the first to close and will be the last to reopen.
Behind every one of these events are people – lighting designers, sound technicians, video crew, stagehands, technical directors, producers, stage managers, trade show employees, artists, fabricators, scenic painters, truckers, ushers, riggers – people who know exactly how to capture these moments in light, sound, and action. You don’t see them, but they are there; up to 500 people support one event. They want to entertain you again; we all want to be entertained by them again. They are our neighbors, friends, colleagues and family who need our support now more than any other time. Millions of people working in a $13 billion dollar industry – frozen.
On September 1, Schaefer joined with 40+ venues in Cincinnati and 1,800+ venues across the country to light up in RED. #WeMakeEvents and #RedAlertRESTART brings, to a national level, awareness of the financial plight of the live events industry and its people. In total, 77% of people working in the entertainment industry have lost 100% of their income. Small businesses + individuals have been financially crushed and may not have any income until next year; they need help. Schaefer is proud to be a part of this event and shine a light on the deep financial hardships of the live event industry. We join with the people of the live events industry and urge Congress to pass the Restart Act in support of an industry that had created moments we will never forget.
More information on #RedAlertRESTART and how to get involved can be found at #WeMakeEvents.
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