Joe GallopVenue management giant ASM Global has pledged its support to charity the Music Venue Trust (MVT) by committing to donations, training and marketing support across its portfolio of UK venues.
Programmes will be rolled out on a local level across ASM Global’s venues such as AO Arena in Manchester, OVO Arena Wembley, first direct Arena in Leeds, Utilita Arena Newcastle, P&J Live Aberdeen, Bonus Arena Hull and York Barbican.
Through donations, ASM Global will support one-off initiatives designed to raise additional income for the fund. OVO Arena Wembley (cap. 12,500) will match Enter Shikari’s £1 per ticket sold donation to the MVT when the band plays in February 2024.
There will also be opportunities for additional fundraising activity for grassroots venues via tickets for events at ASM Global venues. The company will also make equipment and furniture in need of a new home available to grassroots music venues that need it.
ASM Global will offer access to training either online or in its venues, covering health and safety, food safety, hygiene, cybersecurity as well as wider topics such as mental health, equality and diversity and social media awareness. The company said it will share guidance and insights received through its pledge to Greener Arena certification across its UK portfolio.
Through marketing, support will include inclusion in newsletters and linking to venue websites with event and ticketing information. ASM will also offer social media support on a local level, as well as signage in venues, highlighting each city’s grassroots music venues, as well as more targeted support for specific venue shows.
ASM Global commercial director and SVP Europe Tom Lynch was recently announced as a patron of the MVT. He said, “At ASM Global, we are very aware and concerned about the unprecedented cost pressures facing Grassroots Music Venues, and in turn, the knock-on pressures placed on the pipeline of talent for the rest of the live music industry. Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of our cultural fabric and where much of society truly falls in love with music for the first time.”
MVT CEO Mark Davyd said, “This is an incredibly important first step towards ensuring that when an artist emerges from the grassroots sector, everyone shares in the success they generate once they reach the very top of the industry. We look forward to developing this important relationship.”
Tonight (21 June) Lynch and Davyd will appear on BBC Radio 4 Front Row with presenter Nick Ahad to discuss Davyd’s open letter to the live events industry.