The event management industry sees a bleak future again – The New Indian Express

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Express news service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The event management industry has been hit hard by Covid-19. Although the industry suffered a huge loss last year with the massive cancellations of events such as weddings, conferences and meetings, this year has started on a positive note, with many companies getting back on their feet and organizing events. However, the cool edging left them with a bleak future again.

“Last year, nearly 2,000 event management companies across the state had to close their doors due to the pandemic and more than 5,000 people in the industry changed jobs. Just when we could see light at the end of the tunnel, new curbs are there, ”said Anwar Pallikkal, chairman of the Confederation of Events and Entertainment Management of Kerala.

“The new limit on the number of people attending events has affected caterers, furniture suppliers and other associated small businesses. No effort has been made by the government so far to protect the livelihoods of people in this industry, ”Anwar said. Even though a letter was sent to the Planning Council asking for its support, no action has been taken to implement it, he said.

Despite this being a peak wedding season, event management companies are facing massive cancellations due to the surge in Covid cases. “Two big events planned for this month were canceled resulting in a loss of over 5 lakh. We are now forced to downsize. Although the pandemic has severely affected the industry, we were hoping to revive it this year. , we don’t know how to handle the crisis because of the restrictions on the number of guests, ”said Kishore G Das of Eve Experience.

It has become a challenge even for customers. They are obliged to choose among the guests because the order imposes a smaller number. “April to mid-May is the peak time for weddings. We had almost eight marriages in April. However, some were canceled and others had to be postponed. The mandatory RT-PCR test also led to a decrease in the number of guests. If there are appropriate government guidelines, events can be organized safely. However, none of these efforts have been made, ”said Sujith S Nair of Excito Events.

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