Page 36 - December 2020 January 2021

RLI INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Amazon Makes A Stand

The events industry has not been quiet about their
current situation. As the first industry to close, they are
desperate for government support to see them through
until events can take place. Now e-commerce giant
Amazon has taken a stand to ensure this industry has
their voice heard. Natalka Antoniuk, Content Writer
for Quadrant2Design discusses this further below.

he events industry contributed £70bn to the Eventually, that PR disaster went away. The events industry
UK economy each year. Business events make went back to campaigning for government funding and
up three-quarters of this. Since March, barely forgot about Fatima. Or so we thought.
T anyone in this sector has been able to raise an Yesterday, e-commerce giant Amazon released their
invoice. The events industry is on red alert with gatherings Christmas advert. And guess who took the lead role? Fatima.
not coming back until spring 2021 at the earliest. Not the Fatima from the government’s advert, but there are
Unfortunately, they have yet to receive the help they need. enough similarities for anyone who has seen both to make
According to a survey by Feast It, 400,000 jobs will be lost the connection.
by the end of this year. Almost two-thirds of businesses The video tells the story of a dancer whose spirit triumphs
operating in this sector expect to close within six months. through the challenges of 2020. In two minutes, you watch
The people working in this industry make up a significant her grow up learning to dance. You see her take over her
proportion of the Excluded UK. parents’ home, pirouetting across the living room. And then
The government can’t support every job and keep every she is cast as the white swan, a prestigious part to play and a
business open. However, it is disappointing to watch them let fantastic reward for the hard work we have witnessed so far.
this industry crumble. Other countries have powered ahead As Covid-19 hits, the ballerina persists with recitals. She
and proven that events can take place safely with increased takes part in virtual classes and dances wherever she goes.
restrictions. Nevertheless, in the UK, the industry is yet to get Inevitably, the show is cancelled.
a timeline. And then the UK government released that advert. The advert perfectly summarises the events industries
If you’re an event professional, you’ll know what I’m talking situation. Events, shows and performances like this aren’t
about. The advert featured Fatima, a budding ballerina lacing thrown together overnight. Some people have spent years
her shoes in a dance studio. The campaign launched to training for the opportunity to play the white swan. Amazon
encourage individuals to consider a career in cybersecurity. captured that emotion.
As you can imagine, the 1,000,000 employees who have After months of being ignored, excluded and pushed aside
been excluded from additional support didn’t take to this by their government, Amazon managed to resonate with
very well. To them, it was a kick in the teeth. the industry in just two minutes. They have shown how the
Rather than the grants or specific job support scheme that government got it so wrong.
the events industry were asking for, the government told Of course, the advert ends in the snow with Fatima’s
them to retrain. Of course, this was unintentional. But it lookalike performing a solo rendition of the white swan. Her
didn’t stop the advert going viral. determination and incredible skill helped her to get through
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and the challenges that this industry is facing. Her neighbours clap
Sport, admitted the advert was ‘crass’ and had it removed. and cheer from their balcony’s proving that the arts bring
But the damage was done. Twitter went into frenzy. People people together.
were quick off the mark to remake the ad, suggesting Rishi The event industry creates communities. Those who work
Sunak should retrain for his new career in Wagamama. in events, or have spent their life training for their role, are
vital, and nobody is going to tell Fatima any different. Amazon
understands this. They believe that the industry and its one
million workers are valuable.
What does the future look like for an industry that is ignored
by its government but celebrated by Amazon?
In the past month, the events industry has rallied together to
raise awareness of their plight. Five music industry stalwarts
took part in The Survival Tour, which took them to the UK’s
most iconic venues in a 1,500km cycle across the country.
Survival in the Square was a week-long series of creative
activations that brought people from the industry together in
Parliament Square. Big names like Amy Macdonald and Niall
Horan hosted live streams, donating the money raised from
ticket sales to the #WeMakeEvents charity.
You’d think that the above would be enough for the
government to take notice. Not yet. However, with global
brands like Amazon behind them, the industry can see a light
at the end of the tunnel.

36 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021