The Event Industry Alliance (EIA) have issued a statement following their meeting this morning with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister Catherine Martin and her department, and other representatives from the Government and the live events industry – noting that they remain "disappointed and frustrated."

This was the second Event Industry Stakeholder meeting, which was supposed to focus on the safe reopening of the live events industry.

The Event Industry Alliance are a cross-industry body, representing several affiliated groups – including EPIC (the Event Production Industry Covid-19 Working Group), AOIFE (the Association of Irish Festivals and Events), AIST (Association of Irish Stage Technicians), EIAI (Event Industry Association of Ireland), EII (Event Industry Ireland), IEOA (Irish Exhibition Organisers Association), ISG (Irish Showman’s Guild [Funfairs & Circuses]), WBA (Wedding Band Association) and VOPF (Venue Operators and Promoters Forum).

"We acknowledged that An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister Catherine Martin attended today’s meeting with the Event Industry, the first such meeting in nearly 18 months," the statement from the EIA reads. "We outlined our demands for the full reopening of indoor and outdoor events for the fully vaccinated, along with vital industry supports to enable the sector’s recovery.

"Despite EIA specifically writing to Government in advance of this meeting, highlighting our sectors' expectations, and requesting a confirmed reopening date for full capacity events, and a strategy to achieve same – the Government failed to provide either."

The EIA called on the Government to "stop compounding the hardship suffered by the sector" by ensuring that:

1. "An early September safe reopening date is implemented for those fully vaccinated to attend full capacity indoor and outdoor events. Events must be viable with food and beverage sales a key source of income for our events, which are NOT funded by the tax payer."
2. "Vital business and employee supports remain in place and are extended until June 2022, to help allow the sector recover. To enable this, the establishment of a rapid cross government departmental and sector focused group, to establish specific sector supports and deliver recommendations within 14 days."
3. "Meaningful engagement to continue across Government, including confirmation of progress and review meetings with An Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Martin, until a full reopening is achieved."

Concluding the statement, the EIA said that they "continue to be disappointed and frustrated at the total lack of urgency on the part of Government for the reopening of the Event Industry, which represents 35,000 people and is worth €3.5 billion to the Irish economy."

See eventindustryalliance.ie for more information.