The Roadmap to Events

| 29-03-2021 | Posted By Ryan Lee

Back in February, Boris Johnson announced to the nation the Roadmap to England's journey out of lockdown. Recently we saw the first steps begin as the rule of 6 effectively came back in to play. Two households could visit in a private back garden and up to 6 people from different households can meet outdoors.

On 12th April, non essential retail and others begin to open (no more rocking a hair do from the 70's - we've got our hairdressers appointment booked!).

But for The Fun Experts, these dates mean so much more as they lead to what we do best...delivering fun to events. Among these steps and dates, you may have missed the clear picture as to when certain events can 'begin' again, so we thought we'd outline these for you.

"...from Steps 2-4 events organised by businesses, charitable organisations, sporting and public bodies will be permitted, within the restrictions set out"

Step 2 - Permitted events — from 12 April 2021

As set out above, around four weeks is required to see the impact of the previous step in the data and the government has committed to provide a further week’s notice. Step 2 will therefore take place no earlier than 12 April, subject to an assessment of the data against the four tests. If Step 2 is delayed, subsequent steps will need to be pushed back in order to maintain the necessary five week period to assess the impact of each step and provide notice.

An event can take place at Step 2 if:

All three of the following conditions are met:

a) The event takes place outdoors
b) Attendees are expected to arrive and leave the event in a staggered manner throughout the day
c) It does not involve attendees converging on and congregating in a site for a specific discrete performance or activity, such as a theatre or music performance, OR
It is a drive-in performance or show.

This could include events such as:

agricultural shows
steam rallies
flower shows
gardening shows and events
literary fairs
car boot sales
community fairs
village fetes
animal and pet shows
funfairs and fairgrounds
drive-in cinemas and drive-in performance events (eg comedy, dance, music, theatre and air shows)
food and drink festivals

It should be noted that for these events, there is no capacity level cap - however, the government do state "we expect these events to have fewer than 4,000 attendees per day"

Step 3 - Permitted events — no earlier than 17 May 2021

Step 3 will take place no earlier than 17 May, and at least five weeks after Step 2, following a further review of the data and the four tests. Again, the government will announce one week in advance whether restrictions will be eased as planned.

The Government's intention is that indoor events and all remaining outdoor events can commence from Step 3, subject to meeting COVID-secure requirements including social distancing.

Events that are able to commence from Step 3 include those where:

People are likely to congregate in one area for the duration of the event.
People are likely to enter or leave the venue in large numbers at a similar time.

This could include events and activities such as:

business events such as conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, charity auctions, and private dining events such as charity or gala dinners and awards ceremonies, and corporate hospitality
cinemas
live performances
circuses
air shows
historical /battle reenactments
metal detecting rallies
live animal performances such as falconry displays at events
non-elite and professional sporting events

Event organisers will need to adhere to the requirements set out by Government. This includes the need to follow the relevant COVID-secure guidance, taking reasonable steps to limit the risk of transmission, completing a related risk assessment, and adhering to all legal requirements, including ensuring that those attending an event do not mix beyond what is permitted by social contact limits.

If you're in need of advice or support with COVID-secure guidance, the team at Covid Management Services are on available to provide this for you.

It should be noted also, that all events recommencing at Step 3 of the Government's roadmap will be subject to the following capacity limits:

1,000 people or 50% of a venue’s capacity, whichever is lower at indoor events
4,000 people or 50% of a site or venue’s capacity, whichever is lower at outdoor events

These caps also refer to event attendees only, workers of the event are exempt from being counted in these capacity numbers.

Step 4 - Permitted events — no earlier than 21 June 2021

Step 4 will take place no earlier than 21 June, and at least five weeks after Step 3, following a further review of the data against the four tests. As before, the government will announce one week in advance whether restrictions will be eased as planned.

With appropriate mitigations in place, by Step 4, the government aims to remove all legal limits on social contact and enable all events above the Step 3 capacity restrictions to go ahead.

So there you have it...our road map!

If you still have questions about your event and the timeline permitted by the Government, The Fun Experts can give you the relevant advice and support to ensure that you can provide fun for your guests in a Covid secure environment and inline with Government guidance.