Although there is also a considerable shortage of personnel in the festival industry, various parties involved in the sector do not expect that events will be canceled as a result.
According to Berend Schans, director of the Association of Dutch Poppodia and Festivals (VNPF), “the bottleneck is mainly with the suppliers”.
Other parties
“A festival organizer devises the event – the concept, the line-up – but many other matters are outsourced to other parties.” According to Schans, there are shortages “across the board”, whereby in absolute numbers, for example, many bar staff and stagehands are needed. “After two years of corona, many organized personnel have left. A huge recruitment campaign is now underway, but certainly not everyone will return. Self-employed people who are available in particular are a lot more expensive,” said the VNPF director.
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Flexible shell
“People are needed in all places”, agrees Willem Westermann of the Association of Event Makers (VVEM). This organization represents all kinds of parties in the industry, from coin makers to bar builders. “The hard permanent core still works in the industry, but we lost the flexible shell in the corona crisis.”
security guards
He notices that vacancies for which you must have followed training, such as security guards, are more difficult to fill than, for example, catering staff. “If I recruit students today to tap beers, they can come to work next week. While it can still be quite difficult to find people in the permanent catering industry, it is less difficult for us in the event industry because it is a combination of a You can work all day and enjoy a few more hours of partying. Moreover, you are freer in terms of working hours.”
Also read: Personnel problems at festivals: ‘They work elsewhere’
Busy festival month
According to Westermann, June is “traditionally a busy festival month”. For example, several festivals are planned in the coming weekends, with the Whitsun weekend in two weeks as the peak moment for the time being. During that weekend, Amsterdam will host Amsterdam Open Air and Spring Cabinet, Arnhem will host Free Your Mind, and Harmony of Hardcore will take place in Erp in Brabant. Later in June, Pinkpop will also start with the first edition since the outbreak of the pandemic.
To trust
Will visitors notice the shortage on the labor market in the near future? “The aim is not,” says Schans. “We assume that everything will work out, although you will sometimes have to wait a little longer.” Westermann is also confident. “I have the feeling that we are just going to get it done, although the rack in terms of personnel will be completely sought out.”
Also read: Festival organizations are looking forward to full festival meadows