On the heels of an announcement by the Government that small outdoor events, not exceeding 280 patrons, with the requisite permits, social distancing, and health protocols will be allowed as of next week, Chairman of the Entertainment Advisory (EAB) Board Howard McIntosh is urging stakeholders to be compliant. “Adherence to the stipulated protocols by industry professionals is key to getting our entertainment sector back on track as we enter phase one of the reopening on July 21,” he emphasised.

He noted that it has been a long four months of industry consultations, inter-ministerial meeting, and lobbying to get to this point, “but without complete compliance, we run the risk of crippling this J$195 billion-dollar industry, which provides a viable livelihood for so many while complementing other major industries such as tourism”.

Shared Responsibility

McIntosh emphasised that there is a “shared responsibility between promoter and patron that becomes paramount as we navigate phase one of the reopening of the entertainment industry so that we can adequately plan to get to subsequent phases and possibly a full reopening in 2021”.

The EAB falls under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and applauded the collaboration of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Health, the Fire Brigade, the Social Development Commission, as well as the patience of industry professionals, which led to round-robins, launches, small parties, and religious celebrations being given the green light not only for event operators and the eco-system that exists in the execution of events to earn, but also for citizens to get a much-needed break from virtual engagements.

However, he was also hasty to reiterate that the unprecedented collaboration among event promoters, sound-system operators, artistes, and musicians, as well as production personnel and venue operators in providing recommendations to the Government about the creative industry has been a positive outcome from the COVID experience. He urged the existing industry associations to “continue lobbying for positive change for the industry as we continue to make strides to operate in a formalised way”.