An exuberant audience is once again throwing themselves into the festival summer, after two years with hardly any events. But festival organizers and companies that provide services there are barely able to find enough staff. It is “a lot of work” for the festival sector, where a lot of flexibility is needed after many staff have left due to the corona crisis.
For two years, hardly any money could be made at festivals, which were largely canceled due to the corona crisis. That is why many employees in the sector decided to change course. Now that the festivals are back in full swing, organisers, catering companies and suppliers of, for example, light and sound are severely affected by this.
Bente Bollmann, spokesperson for festival and concert organizer MOJO, says that the staff shortage is “an important theme” for the festival industry this year. “Many freelancers work in our industry and they were forced to look for other work during the corona crisis because there were no festivals. They now have a different job and we notice that,” says Bollmann. “The technicians have largely left for construction and installation technology.”
To recruit people, the industry has set up a special website. Vacancies for side jobs, flexible jobs and permanent positions are then shared. Bollmann notices that there is “quite a lot of enthusiasm” for working at a festival, but that it remains a concern. “Things are now going in the right direction,” said Bollmann. “It helps that there are real festivals again, which makes working at such an event again on top of mind is with people.”
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Festival directors also notice that suppliers are struggling with a staff shortage. Siart Smit, festival director of Oerol, mainly sees problems with transport. “That material arrives later, for example, because there is no driver.” According to Smit, this requires some creativity from all parties. “And that works, but flexibility is needed.”
Not only festivals suffer from the crowds, also the companies that work with the events. Catering company Holland Promotion Group, which regularly collaborates with festivals throughout the Netherlands, says it is “extremely” busy. “It’s crazy,” said a spokesman.
“For two years nothing could be celebrated, no weddings, no parties, no festivals. Now everyone is catching up with everything at once.” Meanwhile, the caterer often has to say no to potential customers. “If I had five more cars to carry, I could have filled them all.” However, the company is not affected by a staff shortage. “It’s all going well, but it’s a bit of a stretch.”
no sell
HD Rent, lessor of light and sound equipment, is experiencing a staff shortage. “You notice that there is a lot of staff from the market. And that is reflected in all kinds of places. There are fewer people in the warehouse, so you can rent out less. Suppliers of equipment have major problems. And freelancers have eggs for them in the corona crisis. chose their money and went to do something else,” said a spokesperson.
The company has just received an application for Rotterdam Ahoy. “I don’t know how to fill that yet.” The company has, however, been forced to become more selective in taking on large-scale jobs. “We have to say no more often than before, but what we assume, we also live up to.”
Pieter Smit, the largest transport rental company in Europe for the entertainment sector, is also more likely to say no. “We are still receiving requests for festivals in June and July,” said a spokesman. The company’s capacity is currently not sufficient for this. “We have already invested in additional equipment, but new trailers sometimes arrive too late.” In addition, those trailers must also be steered. “As far as drivers are concerned, it is now really a work of art. We appeal to everyone, but there is also a limit to what people can do.”