At the start of 2020, Namibia’s vibrant and valuable creative industry faced ruin.
Despite Covid-19 infection rates sinking, the prospects of reopening the events industry remain unclear.
A few event organisers are going ahead by employing innovative ideas, while others refuse to even consider events until things return to ‘normal’.
Unwrap.online spoke to a few event organisers on the future of Namibian events.
Many agree the return of festivals after the pandemic depends on whether organisers have survived the financial hit of 2020 and can afford to start planning amid continuing public health uncertainty.
Gordon Jay from Mindscape Events says Covid-19 restrictions have impacted the whole events supply chain, as some events cannot guarantee profits or generate revenue through ticket sales.
Most, according to him, are basically a game of numbers, experiences and human interactions, which go against regulations. “While the pandemic has hit the revenues of traditional event planners extremely hard, there’s been a steady rise in the number of virtual events, but if you ask the audience, it’s not the same. It doesn’t satisfy them,” he says.
Due to the fact that gatherings spread the disease, most corporates have in the meantime stopped sponsorships, because they don’t want to be associated with gatherings.
This means event organisers have to host events autonomously, with limited resources, and with restrictions. “Any experienced event planner will tell you how important sponsorship can be to an event’s success. Funds are always short. You’re always looking for cost-effective ways to promote the event,” Jay says.
He says event organisers must be willing to adapt to these changing times and begin planning around it.
Robert Switch of popular spots The Catch and Experience says the only way forward is to ensure the masses are vaccinated. “There really is no way of doing an event that doesn’t involve interaction,” he says.
Switch says the current regulation allowing gatherings of 100 people means event organisers would have to charge higher prices for in-person events and offer the same services cheaper.
Andreas Gustav from Ngandu Festival says they will not be hosting any events in the current conditions. He also urges Namibians to get vaccinated.
“We’ll only do something when outside opens, so we want people to get vaccinated. For us, Ngandu TV is our way of continuing what we have started with the event. Prospects are probably for much smaller events, very targeted, rather than a weekend festival,” Gustav says.
Sandro Ithana believes online events are the future.
“The reality is that everything is moving to digital, so we should just get used to it. The whole aim of an event is also to make something, and trust me, you won’t make anything with a limited number of people. If possible, hosting an event at an open space can be explored, but the only way we can enjoy events again is by everyone adhering to the regulations and getting back to normal,” he says.
