COVID has changed the entertainment industry
- Lanea Bynum
- Sep 23, 2020
- 2 min read
2020 was a year like no other. The pandemic caused by the spread of the COVID outbreak has left many families and business in disarray. Some companies will never recover, and some are slowly returning to a different normal. The music industry is no different from any other business. The impact on the entertainment business has been devastating to many artists.
Such as contemporary jazz artist Tony Exum Jr. who has been in the entertainment industry for over 23 years. “When it comes to ticket sales, it is kind of hard, but I would say its probably been a 60% loss of potential revenue,” said Exum Jr, who has not only been affected financially but mentally and emotionally as well.
While the average venue can hold 80-100 people and up before COVID, some venues are down to 50 people being seated, and still having to keep ticket prices comparable to what they were before the pandemic can be quite the challenge. Not to mention having the economic conditions to consider while making it affordable for people to attend the events.
Keeping ticketed prices comparable to what was charged before COVID is the most significant percentage losses, Tony has seen. Compared to Evan Hooton, who has been the Gold Room owner and operator in Colorado Springs for the past seven years. As a venue owner for over ten years, Evan has also experienced a 60% loss and has found it challenging to continue operating the business standardly.
Both entertainers and venue owners alike have to get creative in order for people to continue to show up. Some artists are doing “drive-up” shows while others are doing private and smaller shows. Venue owners are doing everything from community events to cabarets to receive income to supplement lost revenue. There is no magic formula that anyone can agree on at this time. The industry has forever changed.
The one thing both Tony and Evan can agree on is that fear is keeping patrons from partaking in indoor events. “People are just not ready,” said Tony. It depends on how much someone wants to go out in public and have a good time versus how much they want to adhere to safety measures. While there are always individuals who do not care how safe businesses appear to be, there is still so much apprehension about attending intimate settings, and they are just not ready to take a chance. Some still believe in the “still safer at home mentality.” Regardless of how a person prefers to socialize, the music industry will never be the same.
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