Working for a professional services company that serves the live entertainment industry, the awards and exhibition season is always a useful opportunity to catch up with the people you’ve been working with over the previous 12 months. When I say professional services, I mean the likes of accountants, lawyers and, of course, my lot – insurance advisors.
This year’s GTL Sessions was one such opportunity that we at SRG (Specialist Risk Group) certainly made the most of. As soon as I saw the launch of GTL Sessions and in particular the Speed + Sync sessions, I thought this was the perfect forum for our experienced team to go and talk about our new venture.
I did a lot of work in esports previously and these types of events were very successful for suppliers and people who represented the performers, too. Suffice to say that it worked.
Considering the stretched-out format, and the fact that the TMs weren’t on the clock, we had plenty of time to convey the points that we wanted. It was clear that people got a lot of value by being able to listen to us without limitations across the whole event.
At some point early on, the penny dropped. I’d spent my time prepping for the event, selfishly considering the one-way flow of information to those representing the industry. Surprise then followed that it’s what we’ve learned and consequently taken away from the event that could make the biggest difference.
Paul Jones’ presentation of the LIVE Freelancer Survey was an eye-opener for providing a look into the future of the industry from the perspective of those who prop it up and make it work. There were themes that came out from it that provoked interesting conversation throughout the days and crucially made me sit up and think.
It’s not for me to offer a view on the state of the industry as it is today. However, I can say that the survey highlighted some worrying trends, with symptoms of an industry that looks to have been healthier in the past, and it makes you think what can we do to help?
I took great interest in what was said about contracts, cancellations and payments, and I empathised with how the rising costs of event cancellation insurance is a major challenge to promoters. In particular by causing organisers to run an event without cancellation insurance or for the cost to contribute to a decision not to run the event at all. These scenarios can negatively impact the freelancer community. Aside from the work that can be done on cancellation insurance, I think there is greater scope for an improved insurance offering to freelancers which will do something to help make things a little easier.
Innovation in this area has tended to be limited to making products available online, but when that removes the personal service and advice aspect, it’s not an improvement.
Over the next few months, our team will reflect on the feedback from the LIVE Freelancer Survey and much of the feedback received during GTL Sessions.
By listening to our customer base, we will scope out a freelancer insurance offering that not only provides easy access to the covers that are commonly required, but also contains an element of business services support, too.
The survey makes clear that there is work to be done to bring a certain balance back to the live music industry and foster new talent and variety – be that in the form of freelancers, artists, or indeed promoters. What we learned at GTL Sessions has inspired us to do what we can in our space to help bring that about.
Words: Gary Brooks
Photos: SRG
