Events Sector welcomes orange light but says that’s not enough

The government’s dramatic announcement a fortnight ago that the country would move to the Orange setting from 11.59 pm on Wednesday, April 13 was met with a collective sigh of relief. This meant the restriction on gatherings imposed under the Red traffic light system, as part of the Covid management protocol, was a thing of the past.

The events sector was among the worst- hit when the restrictions were in force.

“Kiwis want to get out more and attend events. During the Red setting, many events were postponed rather than cancelled. With the move to Orange, events that have been on hold for some time are now in planning mode. We are also seeing several new major events appearing in our pipeline,” says  Chris Simpson, head of Major Events, Auckland Unlimited , an Auckland Council-controlled organisation .

Heather Shaw, who heads The Events Group and whose clientele is predominantly corporate-based, sees an awakening. “A change in settings does not result in immediate enquiry, especially given we are in the school holidays, which is always a quiet time for enquiry. However, we see many of our clients needing to develop ways to reconnect their teams and get them back working in the office, which previous experience shows us is not easy.”

But Anju Desai, creative director of Bollywood Party, is sceptical. “With Covid cases on the rise, people are isolating after testing positive. This reduces the guest numbers considerably from an events point of view. While we can now have up to 200 guests under Orange, people are hesitant to attend large gatherings.”

The change in settings will not boost numbers overnight, some event managers say.  “Our events are planned much in advance, and this decision is a bit late," says Simon Coxhead of Motive Events.

A common refrain is the fallout of the long border closure. “ The real thing is to get Bollywood performers from India.,” says Ram Iyer of CFI Events. “International celebrities must be able to travel hassle-free.”

An ongoing concern is the acute labour shortage. The events sector was crippled when it could not hire staff from overseas after the border closed. “We need people to make events successful,” Coxhead notes.

While the events sector is upbeat that the Red setting has turned to Orange, there is cautious optimism about its revival and growth.