Promoters want blueprint for large event application
Published:Sunday | June 27, 2021 | 12:07 AMShereita Grizzle - Staff Reporter
Promoters of large outdoor events are today requesting a blueprint or guideline from the Government regarding the requirements for the special application process they are to undergo before being allowed to host an event. Event promoters told The Sunday Gleaner that they would appreciate some direction as to what to include in this special application, pointing out that said instructions would ultimately work in everyone’s best interest.
In his announcement about the reopening of the entertainment sector on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness revealed that promoters of large events such as stage shows, church conventions, conferences or crusades would have to go through an additional layer of approval which would involve the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). Before being permitted to stage these events, promoters must submit applications to the ministry, which will then send it to the ODPEM, which will, in turn, consult with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, as well as the municipal corporations and any other relevant authorities, before granting permission for any large gathering to be held.
In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, popular promoter Gyete Ghartey said that while he is not contemplating submitting an application for his events (Yesterday and Mellow Vibes, held at Mas Camp) to be staged before year-end, he would like to be made aware of what the relevant authorities are looking for so he can plan accordingly. “There should be some form of guidance to say, for example, ‘For every 10 persons, you need a wash station, etc’. Going into this special application process with some direction would be more efficient for everyone involved. When I send something to the ministry, I want it to be with some amount of certainty that it (the application) will pass because I know what it is that they’re looking for,” he said.
He is calling for a “skeletal plan” to guide promoters. “The best route for everyone involved in this process would have been to come up with a skeletal plan to tell us how to proceed. I am not about coming up with 10 proposals for you to reject them all until you find one you like. You tell me what it is I need to do, and I will do it,” he said.
Chief executive officer of Reggae Sumfest and Downsounds Records, Josef Bogdanovich, agreed to some extent. Bogdanovich, who on Friday revealed his intention to host a physical staging of Reggae Sumfest come December, said that a plan is necessary and said he believes the Government is now working overtime to provide promoters with said layout. “There is a lot at stake here in terms of the health of the country. The Government understands that and is also aware that education will be the most important thing going forward. I know they are working through the details and will make the information promoters are seeking regarding the application process available as soon as they can,” he said.
Bogdanovich said he and his team have been staying two steps ahead of the game and have already forged a plan that may guarantee them smooth sailing as it relates to the application process. “I think they (the Government) are focusing on promoters who have a good track record and are responsible. Our going forward widely depends on proper execution, and that’s one thing we have been discussing as a group at Downsound Records. In this business, especially now, you have to anticipate what is expected of you and plan accordingly. We know COVID-19 is still in play, and so we have to plan with the pandemic and protocols in mind,” he said.
Howard McIntosh, chairman of the Entertainment Advisory Board (EAB), shared similar sentiments. While not having concrete information yet to share with the public regarding the special application process promoters of large events are to undergo, McIntosh urged promoters to “plan with COVID in mind”. “As you would appreciate, I have received hundreds of calls from the night of the announcement (from the prime minister), and I have just been advising persons to ‘do your regular application’ and indicate that certain things are subject to change based on whatever policies and guidelines are announced. You know you’re going to have to indicate the mandatory protocols. So don’t say you’re going to have 5,000 people at your event, and you don’t even mention how you will factor in the mandatory COVID protocols because that is going to be rejected immediately. You need to at least be saying you’re going to observe social-distancing guidelines, the wearing of masks and proper sanitisation,” he said. McIntosh also indicated that based on models presented by other territories where entertainment has resumed on a large-scale basis, COVID marshals might be a key part of any huge event going forward. A COVID marshall, he shared, is that person who will serve as a ‘compliance officer’ for the protocols.
With that said, McIntosh also said that with the prime minister’s announcement still fresh, a lot of things remain a work in progress for the sector. He said that as soon as details are ironed out, he suspects that a public education campaign will be launched to answer the questions now swirling in the minds of key players from the industry. “There’s going to need to be some type of public education campaign for promoters and patrons for them to understand the new realities of life in terms of events. Everybody knows about the mandatory protocols, so that’s nothing new to anyone. That is standard and must be observed. The truth of the matter is, the powers that be must be trying to put together all the guidelines as we speak,” he said.
Based on information received from Richard Thompson, acting director general of the ODPEM, the latter is exactly what is currently taking place. Thompson told The Sunday Gleaner that the Government and the ODPEM have been having discussions to work through certain technicalities regarding the hosting of large events. Because of this, he said he was unable to speak further on the matter but said that as soon as details are sorted, they would be made public. He said these details are to be announced before July 1, which is the date stipulated by the prime minister for the reopening of the sector. That date is also the day the Government is expected to host a mass concert commemorating International Reggae Day. In his address to Parliament on Tuesday, Holness revealed that the July 1 event would signal the reopening of the entertainment sector and demonstrate how a large event could be hosted with the proper protocols. The concert is expected to take place at the Port Royal Cruise Terminal.