Press release - AROC took today, September 17, together with the Romanian Government, the first step in the process of reopening the live events

Following last week's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan, today was the first working meeting that brought together AROC representatives and those of the authorities, in the process of reopening the live events industry in conditions of maximum safety.

The Romanian Association of Concert Organizers (AROC) participated today in one of the first meetings of the working groups aimed to discuss the plan to reopen the live sector in Romania and the measures to be taken in order to have in optimal conditions events in the near future.

Today's meeting was attended, under the coordination of Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan, by representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the National Institute of Public Health and AROC. From the Romanian Association of Concert Organizers were present Cristi Beiu (Sublime Events), Razvan Manta (BestMusic Live), Oana Giurgiu (TIFF), Andreea Bugnariu (SNSRS / Sunwaves), Andreea Nedelea (AROC production consultant) and Codruta Vulcu ( AROC Vice President and ARTmania founder).

Among the subjects on the working list at today's meeting were:

 - the existing safety measures for outdoor and indoor performances with a capacity of up to 500 people and proposals to modify these rules based on inconsistencies identified during their application, so as to ensure the happening of the events in conditions of maximum safety for participants and workers;

 - drafting a phased reopening plan and the rules related to this reopening depending on the epidemiological situation;

During the next week, AROC will send to the Ministry of Culture, INSP, the Ministry of Health and the Romanian Government a centralized document that will include proposals for amendments to the existing measures, drafted after consulting operators who have organized recent events. The purpose of this document is to identify, together with the competent authorities, the best solutions so that the events can take place in optimal conditions, from a health and cultural point of view.

The events industry was among the first of the most severely affected areas of activity by the Covid-19 pandemic, so there is an urgent need to adopt special measures for live performances in the coming period. Restarting activities in the cultural field and adjacent fields is a necessary step for the survival of the activities provided by companies and NGOs involved in organizing indoor and outdoor events, concerts or festivals, but also for the support companies (scenography, logistics, infrastructure etc.) and staff working in the event industry.

AROC is glad to have found in the Romanian Government a receptive partner, willing to understand the problems of this sector and to offer support to the entertainment industry, and is open to productive cooperation with the authorities, through regular meetings with working groups composed of association’s members and competent authorities,  for each of the industry's sub-domains, so that it provides support for all categories of events, from low-capacity indoor performances to high-capacity outdoor performances and festivals.

AROC  members

ARTmania (ARTmania Festival, Blaj aLive), Asociația Fapte (Jazz in the Park), Asociația Mozaic (Mozaic Jazz Festival), Asociația Festivalul de Film Transilvania (TIFF), BestMusic Live, Centrul Cultural Plai (Plai Festival, JazzTM), Comparty Events (diMANSIONS Hit Music Festival), Electric Castle, Emagic Live (Awake Festival), FORM Space, Movement Team (Sports Festival), NEVERSEA, SNRS (Sunwaves Festival), Sprint Media Group, Sublime Romania, Summer Well, The Institute, UNTOLD, VRTW (Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & Wine), Why Not Us (Street Food Festival), Wise Factor (The Fresh).