Croatia Turns Red – The Croatian Event Industry is Rising!

The major global initiative “Red Alert”, launched to raise awareness about the crisis situation faced by the entire event industry, is joined by Croatia. On Tuesday, from 9 PM to 11 PM, thousands of locations around the world will light up in red, including the Zagreb and Pula Arenas. The Croatian event industry consists of more than 2,000 businesses with over 12,000 employees, all of whom have overnight lost the ability to perform their jobs. Experts predict that it will take a whole year before restarting, thus urgent action and the implementation of necessary measures are required to prevent the entire industry from completely collapsing.

Every live event, from the smallest to the largest, has something in common. The hidden part of that live mechanism without which production as a whole, or the entire event, would not be possible to realize – is the people. These are talented professionals who stand „behind the curtain“ and are fully dedicated to their work, creating that unforgettable wow effect. They are audio engineers, lighting designers, video masters, system designers, sound technicians, video technicians, lighting technicians, backline technicians, stage builders, energy technicians, riggers, pyrotechnicians, stagehands, runners, roadies, stage managers, production and hospitality managers, directors, logistics coordinators, promoters, caterers, drivers, employees in numerous event and booking agencies, and security guards who have been on their knees for months, without income and perspective.

Concerts, festivals, theaters, fairs, congresses, and numerous other events have been affected, which can either not operate at all or can operate under numerous restrictions and drastically reduced audience capacity, which practically makes work impossible and creates enormous financial losses.

The Croatian event industry consists of 2,000 businesses with over 12,000 employees, generating 4.5 billion kuna in revenue annually. With the outbreak of the pandemic, they experienced a complete shutdown, and after 6 months of stagnation, the situation is still not improving, and it is predicted that it will take at least another year before recovery and restart. Without the possibility of income and with immeasurable losses, the entire industry is on the brink of complete collapse, and urgent action from the Government of the Republic of Croatia is necessary.

“We cannot do what we love and what we are best at. Our special knowledge and skills, valued in the event industry, mean little outside of it. The moment has come when we, the people „behind the curtain“ of live events, need to stand in front of that curtain and be loud. We are here – we need help and support. Without  help and support, now and immediately, it is questionable whether we will still be here when larger live events can start again. That is why we are joining the Red Alert initiative, within which thousands of locations around the world will light up in red today. In this way, we want to raise awareness among the Government, but also the wider public about the situation we are in.“ – stated Zoran Biškupić, director of Promologistika d.o.o.

The Association of Music Managers and Organizers has sent a proposal to the Government of the Republic of Croatia for the most urgent measures to save the Croatian event industry, following similar moves by numerous other European countries, which are:

1. Extension of HZZ measures for the preservation of jobs for the event industry, until March 2021.
2. Opening new favorable credit lines for working capital for entrepreneurs in the event industry, based on the HAMAG COVID-19 loan.
3. Reducing the VAT rate on tickets to 5%, i.e., equalizing it with the tax rate for cinema tickets.
4. Aligning local Civil Protection Headquarters and minimizing harmful and unjustified bans on those events that can be held in safe conditions.
5. Establishing a fund to assist events in marketing activities for future events, targeting domestic and foreign audiences.

No live event is a spectacle without an audience, participants who provide that final emotion. Now we need you to be our voice, our strength, our lobbyists. Whether you work in the event industry or simply love live events, support us, join us, post a cherished photo from an unforgettable live event, turn it red, share it, like it, all with the hashtag #WeMakeEvents

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