No arena events possible this year, claims NEC chief
THERE may be no more indoor arena events at the NEC for the rest of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, its boss has said.
NEC chief executive Paul Thandi said he did not foresee an indoor arena event taking place this year “in the country”.
And he pleaded with the Government to extend the furlough scheme, saying ministers owed it to the NEC group to repay the same support that saw them offer up the National Exhibition Centre back in March as a Nightingale hospital for use by the NHS.
Indoor arena events have been on pause since mid-March, with all events scheduled to take place at NEC venues this year now rescheduled for 2021.
The NEC group is the largest event-sector company in the country, with seven million people attending events at the group’s five Birmingham-based venues – the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), the International Convention Centre (ICC), Resorts World Arena, Utilita Arena Birmingham and Vox Conference Centre.
Last year it contributed an estimated £4 billion to the local economy.
Mr Thandi has asked the Government to support his business in the coming months to help protect the 2,000 jobs based there, saying that he does not feel that the predicted 20 per cent fall in GDP ‘‘even touches the sides’’.
“We don’t see an indoor arena event taking place this year, in the country,” he said.
“The issue is that people don’t feel confident enough, and retail shops are seeing it as well, in terms of people going to retail, spending their time shopping and feeling comfortable going out.
“So there’s an issue of confidence in our marketplace.”
He added: “In order to protect the 800 full-time jobs and the 1,200 part-time jobs that we have in our business, we need some support to take us through to March 31.
“And I know the Chancellor, who’s been brilliant to date, has already said he won’t extend furlough, but there are other interventions that he can make.”
He added: “I also think that it’s going take us two to three years to recover from this. Hence the reason why we need to protect these significant businesses like ours, that have a strategic value to the country.”
Turning to the issue of loan repayments, Mr Thandi also said that businesses such as his would need longer than until the end of January to start paying back VAT and other rates that have been deferred.
And he again asked the Government to take action, warning that being forced to start paying back money so soon could result in an ‘‘economic disaster’’.