Hello <<First Name>>, we hope you are well. This newsletter is packed with event goodness! Firstly we liked to tell you our new website is now live! After months of development the new site now includes all of our free resources all in one place.
 

This includes our blogs, podcasts, industry reports, past Manifesto newsletters and everything you need to know about our courses!

Event News

Is the 2022 festival season going to be the biggest ever? Many festivals have announced that they will be going ahead this year and others have already released their lineups.

However the industry may be heading into a new crisis as a result of severe staff shortages, a supply chain in chaos and financial difficulties caused by the pandemic, the sector is warning.

According to a survey, nearly half of freelance workers have not returned to the industry full time, leading to the majority of businesses feeling the effects of a skills shortage, while crippling delays in the supply chain have forced high numbers of companies to delay or cancel upcoming work. PLASA said the combination of these factors fosters little confidence that the picture will improve in the coming months, and a "real risk of not meeting the increasing audience demand" in 2022. The survey also found;

• 56% of freelancers reported earnings of less than £10,000, while 64% of freelancers found work in other sectors. 17% found work in film and TV.
   
• Nearly all manufacturers (95%) reported shortages of components such as metals and cables, leading to 70% of non-manufacturing companies experiencing delays in finishing goods such as mixing desks and lighting fixtures. Respondents said that in some cases, lead times are over a year.
   
• More than two thirds (69%) of companies reported a skills shortage, with onsite workers such as riggers, engineers and technicians in particularly short supply.
   
• 50% of freelancers surveyed said they have not returned to the industry full time.
   
• A third of companies said they are being forced to delay projects as a result, with a further third also canceling work altogether.
   
• 74% lack confidence in the availability of skilled workers over the coming months, with similar numbers not confident about the availability and ability to import and export goods.

What are our thoughts?

This study showcases the issues the industry is going to face in next months, however we think many freelancers may re-enter back into the industry now that vaccination numbers are higher and hospitalisations are much lower. There seems to be more confidence around the industry as a whole and we think there will be shortages but we predict that most festivals will still be able to go ahead.

Everything you need to know about MDLBEAST SoundStorm Festival

MDLBEAST SoundStorm festival is a music festival in Saudi Arabia. It was first launched in 2019 as part of the Riyadh Mega Event. The festival made headlines this year for being the world's largest music festival, attracting 732,000 eager fans from across the region and beyond. Once unthinkable, the idea of a music festival in Saudi Arabia, where hundreds of thousands of men and women dance together is now a reality.

Many of you may have heard about this festival and we wanted to share some details about this incredible festival that happened last year. To understand the impact and significance of this festival let's first take a look at the history of Saudi Arabia.

Monthly Manifestos

We are going back to publishing a fully packed monthly Manifesto so if you know someone that would love to be included make sure to send them the link below to subscribe!

https://bit.ly/3vU5eBT

We have lots of content planned for this year so make sure you follow us on social media to keep up to date with the latest from us.