By now, none of you need me to recite the effects of the great pandemic of 2020. It started out as a generally localized outbreak in China, causing audio supply chain issues including shortages of key elements ranging from electronic components to more mundane items, such as wall warts or foam microphone windscreens. Probably not critical, unless that is the one item you need to package with a product that’s otherwise ready to ship.
The next sign of trouble was reduced attendance at the ISE convention in Amsterdam, which dropped from last year’s 80,000 to 50,000 in early-February, 2020. Then the cancellations began, with huge confabs such as the cell phone industry’s 110,000-attendee Mobile World Congress a few weeks later, to the gargantuan (600,000-person) Geneva International Motor Show. And more familiar tradeshows would follow suit, such as Musikmesse, Prolight+Sound, NAB, EuroAES and surely (and sadly) others to come.
A Little History (and a Science Lesson)
Back to the pandemic, these things have the potential to be bad — really bad. The global flu outbreak of 1918 resulted in somewhere between 20 and 50 million deaths globally, with more than 675,000 in the U.S. alone — and even outstripped the notorious Black Plague of the 14th century, with its estimated 23 million victims worldwide. Thankfully, modern antibiotics have mostly vanquished the bacterial-caused plague, carried by fleas on rodents and small animals and passed on to humans.
However, unlike bacteria, viruses are not living organisms, but complex protein and enzyme structures. These spread by binding to healthy cells, and being about 100 times smaller than bacteria, a very small amount of viral material can create havoc with the human host. Viruses can quickly spread airborne pathogens via coughing and sneezing from an infected person and inhaled by nearby people, or land on physical surfaces which, if touched, can enter the body when hands touch the eyes, nose or mouth — hence the value of repeated hand-washing.
The bottom line is that the large groups of people we have close encounters with in our regular gigs — clubs, concerts, churches, hotels, theaters, sports facilities, industrials, trade shows, etc. — are all potential carriers by which a virus can spread. Even in the (mostly) pre-coronavirus environment known as NAMM, we’d joke about coming back with “NAMMthrax” — some unspecified condition with flu-like symptoms — or possibly an actual mild flu strain. I have often described the cause as “shaking the hands of 10,000 infected people,” which probably isn’t far from the truth. Maybe the Japanese custom of bowing (rather than clasping hands) is something we should all embrace — at least figuratively, rather than literally.
And here, sheltering in place, maintaining social distances and wearing masks can reduce the chance of an outbreak becoming an uncontrollable pandemic. These measures are all well and good, except the closing of businesses, restaurants, stadiums and entertainment venues, etc., has left an indelible blot on both the economy and the livelihood of most of us in the event business.
Moving Forward
Along with that reality, however, potential ways of coping abound. First of all, unemployment benefits are available — in many cases for the first time — to thousands of freelance workers (as well as salaried employees), including audio techs, and the federal government is sweetening state benefits with an extra $600/week through July 31. Small business loans and/or grants are also offered, and here, a little web research may truly pay off.
Industry groups are also offering support, so follow the links from plsn.me/Covid19-FOH). While you’re staying home, brush up on your tech knowledge with numerous free online classes — another page 5 news item, with lists of links at plsn.me/FOH-training. Meanwhile, Steve La Cerra broaches the subject of keeping busy with deferred maintenance and other activities to keep those mix fingers busy (https://fohonline.com/articles/on-the-digital-edge/downtime-no-get-back-to-work/). And our man in the pews John McJunkin offers advice for creating great virtual streaming audio mixes from an empty church space (https://fohonline.com/articles/sound-sanctuary/audio-for-online-streaming/).
Event Strong!
Clearly, these are tough times, indeed. You’d probably have to go back to the years of the Great Depression to come close to the impact on lives, careers, businesses and livelihoods that we are experiencing today. But the event industry has always been resilient in times of adversity. Perhaps we need a rallying cry. I suggest “Event Strong!” — just like the “Nashville Strong” after the Cumberland River flood of 2010 or the recent tornados that struck earlier this year. In both cases, the Music City community pulled together to help themselves and their neighbors. And the same can surely apply to the event industry. It will be tough for a while, but let’s look ahead to better days — hopefully in the very near future. Or in the closing stanza of “Touch of Grey,” the 1987 Grateful Dead classic: “We will get by… We will survive.” Stay Safe!
