Christopher BarrettThe Arena Resilience Alliance (ARA), an initiative created by the European Arenas Association (EAA), will launch a manifesto next week, outlining the next steps required to build towards the safe return of live events across Europe.
The industry body will unveil its action plan at the end of its second virtual conference, #AGameofTwoHalves: The Return Leg on 18 February.
An array of music and sport event professionals will speak at the event, during which the results of a series of pilot concerts at the 6,000-capacity Rockhal arena in Luxembourg will be discussed.
Organisers of the free-to-attend online conference said the event will explore how arenas and large capacity venues across Europe are preparing for a safe and sustainable reopening. Panelists will also discuss what support the live events sector needs from policymakers on both a national and EU level to enable long-term resilience and future growth. The discussion will bring together high-level speakers representing EU institutions, national governments as well as the sports and live music sectors.
The live virtual event will feature contributions from a range of speakers including John Langford, COO, AEG Europe and EAA President; Sam Tanson, Minister of Culture, Luxembourg; and Alex Jäger, Sport Director, Champions Hockey League.
Rockhal CEO Olivier Toth said: “We are looking forward to our forthcoming virtual conference, which will build on the success of our first #AGameofTwoHalves webinar in December, and explore how we are working towards the safe return of live music and sport. Our Because Music Matters project at Rockhal is an important step forward in testing the safety measures we can employ to support our back to business strategies. I look forward to sharing our experience and insights from these events.”
Robert Fitzpatrick, CEO, The Odyssey Trust, owners of The SSE Arena, Belfast, EAA Member and co-founder of the ARA added, “As the advocacy platform for European arenas, the ARA has developed a manifesto, which will be an important tool as we prepare for a return to live events, whilst working to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities and the sustainability of our industry. This event provides a further opportunity for industry and key EU decision makers to come together and discuss the regional and national frameworks that will help us get back to business.”
The conference will be streamed live from 1pm on 18 February via the EAA You Tube Channel or Facebook page.