Capacity restrictions to deal heavy blow to events, attractions ahead of June holidays

TIGHTER capacity restrictions announced on Friday are a major setback for the business event and attractions industries, which have been struggling to keep the lights on while tourism and business travel remain stalled.

From May 16 till June 13, the maximum number of attendees allowed at events with pre-event testing will be reduced to 100 from 250, and reduced further to 50 without pre-event testing. Attractions will have their operating capacity reduced to 25 per cent from 50 per cent currently.

In addition, social gatherings will be limited to groups of two instead of five.

The new capacity limits for events and attractions were not unexpected given the recent spike in Covid-19 infections, event organisers told The Business Times.

Said Leslie Pillay, managing director of MLA Events: "While the industry has been preparing to run events again, where people can gather safely, and indeed all signs were looking promising, the truth is we've always known that something like this could happen."

He added: "To be honest, it's demoralising, but it's also a good decision. We just have to remain resilient and continue thinking out of the box, because lives and livelihoods depend on it."

Kevin Cheong, chairman of the Association of Singapore Attractions, noted that these new restrictions kick in just before the June school holidays, a crucial time for the attraction operators. They are now expecting families to change their plans, affecting attendance and operations and dealing a blow to revenue.

Attractions may have to make a decision to close during this time, he said.

"We are unsure if there will be any escalated government support for (the financial impact)," Mr Cheong said.

"We are handling the situation, (and) communicating . . . the next few days will be crucial. But if the partial circuit breaker continues, then we'll definitely have to voice out some concerns."

Some of the major attractions in Singapore will continue to operate, but at a lower capacity instead. Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which manages the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park and River Safari, has capped booking slots on its website.

"Shows will take in a maximum of 50 guests, while animal token feedings will continue in pairs," said a Wildlife Reserves Singapore spokesperson, adding that its food & beverage outlets will continue serving takeway meals.

Companies in the event industry are bracing for cancellations and accompanying cashflow issues, said Aloysius Arlando, president of the Singapore Association for Conventions & Exhibitions Organisers and Suppliers.

He said: "With reduced event capacity, industry players eagerly await updates from the government on support measures, including a return to the enhanced Job Support Scheme, debt moratorium programme and rental rebates."

Multi-ministry task force co-chair Lawrence Wong said the organisers of major upcoming events including the Shangri-La Dialogue in early June and the World Economic Forum's special annual meeting in August are being kept updated on the situation so they can decide whether or not to proceed with their events.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies, the organiser of the Shangri-La Dialogue, told CNA on Friday that it remains "committed to holding the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in person".

SingEx-Sphere Holdings has converted CargoNow 2021, a hybrid event planned for May 19 and 20, to a fully virtual one. It will continue to monitor the situation to see how it affects plans in June and beyond.

"Having successfully organised digital and hybrid global events in 2020, we are ready to pivot and adjust event formats according to the operating conditions," the company said.

Tricom Events co-founder and director Dylan Sharma said the industry is better prepared for such disruptions now, having learnt to build contingencies into event plans and acquired the skills to manage digital events.

Clients also understand that planning parameters are fluid, and Tricom has taken an approach of continuously collaborating with its clients about the best approaches to take as the situation evolves.

"We have always known that this will be a long runway, with bumps in the road, and we need to be resilient," he said.

Indeed, some companies are bracing for things to get worse before they get better. Surinder Mastana, director of Fractal Events, thinks another circuit breaker may be the only way to subdue this surge of infections.

"My opinion is to do it across the board and get the situation under control. Continue vaccinations, and then open up like we did after the last circuit breaker," he said.

Mr Pillay of MLA Events said virtual events will remain crucial for event organisers during this time.

"I think 'virtual' will be where our main focus is, and how to make that better than real life - at least real life as we know it today. It's possible in the gaming world, maybe it can be true in the business world too."

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