The Coronavirus effect on global events so far
The Coronavirus effect on global events has seen the postponement/cancellation of major festivals.
As the world continues to shrink with countries restricting travel in hopes of curbing the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, the global economy is taking a massive hit, especially businesses that rely on tourists like events/festivals/conferences/travel agencies/etc. Basically, if you rely on people from elsewhere to come in, this is not a good time for business.
Here are some of the global events that have been affected by Coronavirus thus far:
Last Friday we reported that two major festivals; Tomorrowland Winter and Ultra Miami, have been ‘postponed’ until further notice (possibly until 2021, realistically).
Tomorrowland is offering ticketholders two options: Discounted tickets to next year’s main festival or a full refund.
On the other side of the spectrum, Ultra announced they will NOT be refunding tickets, opting instead to give ticketholders access to 2021 or 2022 events with added benefits including discounts for a new ‘premium’ General Attendance upgrade, among others mentioned in the picture below. (A smart move on their part).
Shut it down
This week, France announced its plan to ban any public gathering with more than 1000 people in attendance (a decrease from the former 5000).
Looking at the United States of America, there is much postponement happening in the events scene.
- The Miami Winter Music Conference scheduled to take place 16-19 March has been postponed.
- For the first time in its 34-year history, SXSW Festival in Austen, Texas has been cancelled. The event attracts more than 400 000 attendees per year.
- And then on the West Coast, Coachella has been postponed until October 2020, changing its date from 10-12 and 17-19 April to 9-11 and 16-18 October.
With the European summer coming up, we could see a lot more postponements and cancelations happening.
Thousands of people from around the world in a confined space for days may be a dream for a virus, but it will be a nightmare for us.
The Coronavirus effect on global events is just beginning, we will have to see how far it goes.
