After months of asking for federal relief, independent concert and event venues in the area are poised to see some welcomed assistance as part of the new COVID relief bill.
Adam Valen is the marketing manager for Drusky Entertainment and was a part of the lobbying effort for the Save Our Stages Act.
“Essentially we went from what we thought we be one of the biggest summers and year for our industry to absolutely nothing,” Valen said.
As time elapsed, and the return to live music appeared no where in sight, Valen said independent venues soon realized they were going to need financial assistance to survive the pandemic. That’s what led to the creation of NIVA, the National Independent Venues Association.
“We quickly realized that the industry was losing billions of dollars and we had to do something to step up and make sure our voices were heard,” Valen said. “That’s when the association came in and really helped represent the best needs of the industry.”
Valen said $15 billion was set aside for the industry and will help the venues survive the next few months.
“It will help provide up to six months of funding and financial support to help expand upon what the Paid Protection Program couldn’t for a lot of our industry, which is having more flexible use of funding,” Valen said.
Valen also said this is just the beginning as promoters and venues are unsure what 2021 will holds for their ability to have concerts.