Events management sector tells govt. to stop step motherly treatment

Mohamed Hussain – Member, Charm De Silva – Member, Saliya Weerasekera - Asst. Secretary, Roshan Wijeyaratne – President, Nishan Wasalathanthri - Treasurer, Malinda Lowe - Member and Gerry Jayasinghe - Advisory Counsel, Event Management Association Sri Lanka  

• Notes industry on brink of collapsing with hardly any work since beginning of pandemic
• Demands one standard for industry; says their event handling proposals were ignored 

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
The Event Management Association Sri Lanka (EMASL) this week called on the government to stop giving the industry step motherly treatment since it is on the​​ brink of collapsing with hardly any work since the beginning of 
the pandemic.

The association, which consists of over 65-member companies, which in turn provide employment for over 400,000 individuals, highlighted its plight at a press conference held this week.

It pointed out that the government giving the green light to all others, but not the event management sector is unfair and unjust and continuing to turn a blind eye to its issues has led smaller entities to shut operations or file for bankruptcy. 

“We would like to ask the government as to why they refuse to understand the industry. They know there is a representing association, and we met with them. Why the step motherly treatment? 

We don’t want double standards. We wanted one standard for our industry, whether be it a corporate event, wedding with a ​band​, ​an​ official show or a musical show, we want one standard for all of us. Give us the guidelines and we will follow it,” said EMASL President Roshan Wijeyaratne.

Wijeyaratne asserted that allowing no more than 50 attendees for corporate events makes no sense since no company would want to have physical events in that capacity as it serves no purpose.

He urged the government to consider starting with allowing at least 150 packs, and 50 percent capacity for fixed seating venues. This can gradually increase as the Covid-19 crisis in the country eases, he added.

Wijeyaratne shared that the industry representatives pooled their efforts to formulate a comprehensive set of guidelines that would allow events to take place in a safe and secure manner. However, the document that was put forward to the relevant government officials has not acknowledged nor taken steps to implement the same. “Unfortunately the booklet is sitting on someone’s table,” said the 
EMASL head.

While it is only the corporate events industry that has not been allowed to open since March 2020, Wijeyaratne reiterated it is imperative for the government to revise the guidelines as failing to do so would wipe out 
the sector.

“We can’t go on like this. If there is a fourth wave as similar guidelines continue then there won’t be an events management industry. We cannot sustain anymore,” stressed Wijeyaratne.