Event industry still in the midst of crisis

The event industry was hoping for full order books from fall 2021 to at least partially make up for the loss of revenue. The reality shows that events can often hardly be realized profitably due to the considerable additional effort required to implement the necessary protective measures and the subdued visitor numbers or - in order to avert damage - even have to be cancelled in advance. The certificate requirement and the fact that Covid certificate tests will be subject to a fee from October 1, 2021 also have a limiting effect on visitor volumes.

The figures from the second industry survey of the event and trade fair industry in 2021 paint a clear picture: after a pitch-black 2020, the industry will soon have another gloomy 2021 behind it. With sales of CHF 2.37 billion in the crisis year 2020, the industry only reported sales of around CHF 2.52 billion at the end of 2021. A comparison of turnover in the pre-pandemic year 2019, which amounted to around CHF 5.56 billion, clearly shows that the crisis in the event and trade fair industry is not yet over and that the recovery will take much longer than expected. The forecast for 2022 also anticipates only 50% of the sales volume compared to 2019.

The figures make it clear that the continuation of the measures is essential for the industry. The survey also shows that it was only thanks to financial aid such as short-time working compensation that even more massive job losses could be counteracted.

The Alliance of Event Organizer Associations is therefore calling for the continuation of all macroeconomic and sector-specific support and compensation measures until the end of 2022, as the general conditions continue to make it impossible to operate normally. Otherwise, the restrictions specifically affecting the event industry can no longer be justified, according to Christoph Kamber, President of Expo Event Swiss LiveCom Association. Once all measures have been lifted, it will take another six to twelve months for the industry to return to normal operations.

The Alliance of Event Organizers' Associations is also in favour of a YES to the amendments to the Covid-19 Act: It creates the temporary legal basis for the urgently needed economic support services, including the protective shield, and is the basis for the Covid certificate, which makes larger events possible in the first place and creates trust among visitors, which the industry urgently needs in times of great uncertainty.