Compensation for the exhibition and event industry?
The Famab Communications Association is calling for compensation for the immense damage suffered by the event industry, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses. Citing a study by the Research Institute for Exhibition and Live-Communication (RIFEL), it outlines effective measures to prevent widespread business closures.
The event industry is the most severely affected industry in Germany in terms of duration and severity of damage. Famab (famab.de) demands compensation for the immense damage in the event industry, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, and shows effective measures to prevent large-scale company deaths with a study by RIFEL. The Famab in addition: "The entrepreneur inside and entrepreneurs of the meeting industry were taken each still so small perspective. Many are now not just wondering how long they can keep it up. They ask themselves why they should hold out at all. This must now be swiftly changed by the responsible governments. Good words are not enough for this."
RIFEL's study shows five storylines elaborated in great detail:
- Redesign of the credit programs
- Securing liquidity / avoiding balance sheet over-indebtedness
- Fixed cost subsidy through emergency fund
- Adjustment of conditions for short-time work
RIFEL Recommendations for Action: Event Security in the Context of COVID-19
To curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the federal and state government(s) imposed a de facto occupational ban on the entire industry back in early March 2020. Despite the relaxations announced last week by parts of the state governments, it will be months before trade shows and business events resume on a significant scale.
Jörn Huber, Chairman of the Board of Famab, commented:
"In all discussions with political decision-makers, we are told that the dramatic situation of the event industry is recognized. And again and again we are told that it is mainly a lack of concrete and implementable approaches.
With the RIFEL study, we are now providing decision-makers with very detailed and, in the opinion of numerous experts from politics and business, also implementable recommendations for action. We demand, however, that companies for which the Corona measures have destroyed up to 100% of the sales of the last and also the future months, now finally also be helped accordingly."
