Christopher BarrettNadia Raibin, founder of events management agency Mass Movement, on why she partnered with events tech supplier PRG to create the Drive-In Events Group.
The power of live has driven the global entertainment industry across both the show business and big business sectors for decades but at the beginning of this year the appeal of going to a live concert, theatre or sporting event diminished.
Then restaurants and shops started to close their doors, football and theatre was suspended – everything in the live entertainment and corporate events industry went dark.
Everyone on our management roster at Mass Movement, from choreographers to set designers to creative directors had their work either cancelled or postponed until 2021. For the first time in fifteen years of business we did not have our people working in several countries around the world – they were all at home.
Music and sports are the heartbeat of our nation with the live experience at the core of its DNA. The revenue derived from these events, globally, is colossal. To lose that forever is just not acceptable or practical.
With the onset of Covid-19, and in order for our beloved live industry to survive in all its formats, and for those millions of skilled and gifted people who work in it to be able to start to work again, it needs to pivot to find practical solutions that not just secure our industry but also protect the economy that is derived from it.
Maintaining the safety of the audience, while still giving them entertainment, is the key to building back public confidence. We realised that had to be accomplished before we could make sure the show could go on – so what did we do?
We set up Drive-In Events Group Ltd and partnered with leading global tech giant PRG and well respected live creative agency Mass Movement, giving brands and consumers the solution to embrace safely the precious commodity of live entertainment, therefore securing both its future and the economy it brings in and giving that army of skilled craftsmen their work back.
This triangle of experts brings the best minds together to offer the best solutions. Every aspect of every live performance and live event is covered – from grassroots planning, location sourcing, licences, health & safety planners, technical wizards across sound, stage lighting, special effects, state-of-the-art LED screens, creative show producers, directors, choreographers and all the infrastructure and other elements needed to bring back live entertainment in a new way.
We are partnering with the automotive industry for corporate events, and for public events you simply enjoy the experience from the comfort your own car.
Will drive-in events survive post Covid? Yes, why not? The shows will add a new dimension for the live entertainment and event industry to thrive in, allowing many remarkable indoor and outdoor venues to be used differently.
Just look at the popularity of drive-in movies; they have been successful in the US since the 1950s and are now popping up all over Europe, with PRG having been instrumental in providing the technology.
It’s logical that if you can safely watch a movie from your car you can safely enjoy a music concert, a festival, a red-carpet VIP event, award ceremony or brand product launch.
There are challenges, however, for example; what if the area you are due to perform in is closed down due to another outbreak?
Having industry experts who have been there and done that is key. Being able to ‘tap dance’ and find another solution, work with a nearby city and dealing with new red tape is easier when you have done it a million times before.
We should not be limited by our imagination. We must not relegate the power of live, it has never been more important.