Concert and Event Companies Reel from Fallout of COVID-19 Pandemic

– Lucy Loughridge, Volunteer and Student at Francis Parker School

Think about the last time you attended a sporting event, a theatre production, or a concert. Unless it was a drive-in event, it probably was before March 2020. For nearly a year, the entertainment and hospitality industry has been motionless, leaving thousands of workers unemployed and unsupported. Power Plus Productions, a full- service event technology and production company, sponsored Feeding San Diego’s Spread Love San Diego campaign in an effort to extend a hand to the industry’s workers that have been laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19.

“We realized that there were a lot of people in our industry that still have not been brought back to work and who are still not working at all,” says Lane Rickard, President and Owner of Power Plus Productions. “We were trying to determine how to bring staff back when we were allowed to help our customers and keep our staff fed.”

Rickard explained that the entertainment industry was one of the first to be hit by the effects of COVID-19. It will also likely be one of the last to return to full revenue. With much of his business relying on the attendance of large crowds and live events, Rickard recognizes the longevity of the COVID-19 economic fallout. The pandemic will continue to have detrimental effects on his employees long-term.

“You always plan for a bad day, but you just don’t think it’s going to turn into a bad year,” Rickard says.

Every Monday throughout the month of February, Feeding San Diego is hosting a free food distribution dedicated to workers of the entertainment and hospitality industry as a part of their Spread Love San Diego campaign, sponsored by Power Plus Productions and ESET.  Every registered recipient will receive approximately 50 pounds of dry goods, produce, and a frozen meat protein to take home.

With the support of organizations like Power Plus Productions, Feeding San Diego continues to be innovative and proactive in its fight against hunger, especially in a time where so many have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Identifying industries in need and collaborating with others to make change is so important, now more than ever.