vanessaimmink
- Aug 17, 2020
- 4 min read

COVID-19 Resources for Artists, Producers, Venues and Event Management teams

Are you an artist, producer, event manager or venue? Here's a compiled list of links to help you create your multi-alert-level COVID-19 strategies and plans!

Please note - all of these resources have been found via major arts organisations, New Zealand's Ministry of Health and other official sources. I have not personally added any information from my experience, and I urge you to fact check or ask for any further advice from health/venue/legal professionals.

I will update this list as I find more relevant resources.

Any questions? Please get in touch at kiaora@vanessaimmink.com.

COVID-19 CODE FOR NEW ZEALAND FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

FROM NZ MAJOR EVENTS COVID CODE

Commitment to COVID-19 Ministry of Health guidance – Operators will take responsibility to regularly and consistently stay up to date with the Ministry of Health guidance.

Enable effective contact tracing – Fast and effective contact tracing is essential to stop the spread of COVID-19. Recording people’s movements will help the Ministry of Health to do this quickly and efficiently. Operators will undertake best practice to encourage Attendees to use the record-keeping mechanisms at Events to enable the Ministry of Health to undertake contact tracing processes if needed.

Attendee behaviours can be encouraged at all types of Events inclusive of non-ticketed or partially ticketed Events. Operators are encouraged to:

(a) Educate Attendees pre-event and through the duration of an event on record-keeping expectations and mechanisms at Events to support this.

(b) Consider ways to guide best practice behaviours through event design.

(d) Incorporate record-keeping mechanisms at Events for Attendees either through self-selected technology or the recommended NZ COVID Tracer App.

(e) Notify attendees that attendance information will be collected for the purpose of contact tracing and may be disclosed to the Ministry of Health should the need arise.

Retaining Records – Operators are encouraged to retain attendance records that can be supplied to the Ministry of Health should they need to contact trace. This includes ticketing or attendance data that can be legally obtained within the bounds of New Zealand’s Privacy Act 1993. Operators are encouraged to Retain Records of Attendees for a minimum of four weeks, this being the minimum period necessary to support effective contact tracing.

The health of Operators and Attendees - Operators should take reasonable measures to ensure that individuals (including Operators and Attendees) have the appropriate resources or facilities to ensure they undertake best practice hygiene standards. Operators are encouraged to:

(a) Ensure Operators are aware of and comply with the Ministry of Health guidance.

(b) Ensure Operators and Attendees are educated on the hygiene practices expected when attending the event as per Ministry of Health guidance.

(d) Ask Operators and Attendees who are unwell to stay home.

Encourage a culture of adhering to best practice COVID-19 risk management as set by an Operator – Utilise leadership, influence, education and best practice to ensure Ministry of Health guidance on hygiene and adherence to event policies put in place by the Operator are upheld in delivering the event. This includes not only during the event but pre and post-event. Operators can prepare, implement and measure this adherence using technology, risk management implementation, briefings, marketing, and incident reporting processes.

EVENT SECTOR RESOURCES APPLICABLE TO THIS CODE

COVID-19 Social Gatherings
COVID-19 Alert Level 1: Public Health Requirements – What you need to know
Key Planning Recommendations WHO Guidelines
Official COVID-19 Posters
NZ COVID Tracer QR codes
Attendee NZ COVID App Download

EVANZ COVID INFORMATION

LEGAL ADVICE TO EVENTS INDUSTRY AROUND OBLIGATIONS

Summary - What you need to know

If an event such as a music concert or sporting event is cancelled, contrary to public belief, the Consumer Guarantees Act will not provide a remedy to consumers. Consumers’ rights are primarily determined by the terms and conditions of the event.
Event terms and conditions may contain specific clauses dealing with cancellation or postponement of an event, and the issuing of any refunds (full or partial). If they do not, a force majeure clause may kick in depending on whether such a clause is worded to include a pandemic of this nature or a government ban on certain gatherings or a lockdown. See our previous FYI on force majeure clauses here for further information.
If there is no force majeure clause in the terms and conditions, or even if there is, where the clause does not cover events such as pandemics, the law of frustration may require refunds to be given to consumers (less any justifiable costs already incurred).
Regardless of the terms and conditions, if the event organiser or their representative has made any representation to consumers as to the provision of refunds in the event of cancellation, then that representation may need to be honoured.