Joe GallopRecently formed event industry group the Scotland Event Producers Independent Committee (SEPIC) is lobbying the Scottish Government to underwrite possible cancellation costs by creating a £9m insurance safety net.
Among those to have joined the call for support are the organisers of Scottish festivals including Party in the Palace at Lochside Field in Linlithgow, which has a daily capacity of 9,000, Terminal V at the Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston (10,000) and Kelburn Garden Party at Kelburn Castle in Ayrshire (1,300).
The Scottish Government is yet to announce a roadmap for how and when live events will return.
New industry group, the Scotland Event Producers Independent Committee, has been pushing for Scotland to create its own financial package for festival organisers.
In a statement, SEPIC said, “Events at scale take months to plan and require significant pre-event investment.
“Should events be forcibly cancelled all costs would currently be borne by the organiser and their event supply chain, and the debt would render businesses unrecoverable.
“Coverage against cancellations is not available in the commercial insurance market. A Scottish cancellation fund would immediately address concerns and provide organisers of Scottish events with the confidence to keep planning for outdoor events in summer 2021 in Scotland, and provide job security for thousands across the country.”
The Scottish Government’s Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG) has written to first minister Nicola Sturgeon asking for details on the return of events. She is due to provide an update on how restrictions will be lifted next week.
In a statement, the group said, “During the latest meeting of the group members outlined the challenges the sector faces and the significant disadvantages Scotland’s event businesses are facing following the publication of indicative dates for the resumption of events in England by the UK Government.”