Event managers urge authorities to allow increased numbers at corporate events
The Event Management Association (EMA) of Sri Lanka this week made a fervent plea to the government to consider their proposals including increasing the numbers at corporate events to 150 (which has been allowed for weddings) in the COVID-19 pandemic situation, otherwise many of their members would have to close down, losing jobs for many in the industry.
This desperate and alarming call for help was made by Roshan Wijeratne, President, EMA when he addressed a media conference at Shangri-La Hotel, last Tuesday.
The association has a membership of 65 companies, is an important one in the private sector, and the government has rightly identified the private sector as the engine of growth which helps the state exchequer and provides employment to a large number of people, in a big way and requested urgent assistance to restore their industry.
Their members, he said employ more than 100,000 persons directly and pointed out, “We are the arm of the marketing and communications industry”. Consequent to the Easter Sunday disaster, their industry came to a standstill, he said and as a result they formed their association two years ago. He presented the harrowing experiences their members underwent due to shutting down their industry during the pandemic.
Due to the precarious situation, he said a large number of their companies are bankrupt and some are on the verge of collapse. He said that after the first pandemic wave all industries were opened up and there were even political campaigns, but strangely the authorities did not allow the corporate event industry to function.
While the authorities have allowed to open their industry now, Mr. Wijeratne indicated that they are very much concerned and confused as they are allowed only 50 pax which appears to be ridiculous as no company – for an event – would opt for 50 pax. He said that in venues like BMICH there are six seating in the venue and Mr. Wijeratne urged to allow them at least 50 per cent of the capacity.
Gerry Jayasinghe, EMA Advisory Councilor addressing the briefing implied that the failure to contain COVID-19 spread in Sri Lanka could be attributed to the failure to vaccinate the people against the pandemic, which appears to have seriously implications to fuel one wave after another and said that if there would be a fourth wave, it would kill their industry altogether.
He said that it appears that
Sri Lanka is still in the prevention era following medical advice of washing hands wearing masks and keeping to social distancing without a proper programme of vaccination.
He pointed out that to tackle the alarming spread of the pandemic it is essential to vaccinate the people as a responsible state and the Sri Lanka needs only 11 million doses of vaccination to vaccinate the over 60-year citizens of the country.
The forum appealed to the media to help them in spreading their message and to open the eyes of the state to understand the plight and the major contributions they make to the economy through taxes and employment.