COLORADO SPRINGS — Venues across the country and right here at home lit up red on Tuesday night to raise awareness about the impact the pandemic has had on the Live Events Industry. The event used both the hashtags #WeMakeEvents and #RedAlertRESTART.
Locally, the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts had their marquee lit with a red sign. They have been closed since March, and now must follow health guidelines, which only allow them to host 100 people per event.
The General Manager for both the Pikes Peak Center and the Broadmoor World Arena, Dot Lischick, said it just does not make financial sense to have 100 people in such large venues.
Between her two locations, there are around 300 employees on payroll. Lischick said there needs to be some kind of special funding or assistance to help venues through the pandemic, but she says there's already many that will not make it. "We're saying 'Hey, pay attention to us, we're not working. Help us. Recognize that we are a different segment of the industry.' We make our money through events," said Lischick.
Lischick said she and her staff will use any opportunity to either wear red, or their #RedAlertRESTART shirts, until they get some relief.
According to #WeMakeEvents, live events employ more than $12 million people, and contribute over one trillion dollars every year to the U.S. economy. 95% of live events have been canceled because of coronavirus.
