SHOW STOPPER

Big Hobart loss triggers call to lift caps on crowds

If that 5000-person can limit stays you kiss the events industry goodbye

MAJOR events will no longer be viable unless the state government lifts its caps on crowds, Royal Hobart Show boss Scott Gadd says.

The show, which finished on Saturday, will take a major financial hit after crowds were capped at 5000 for day and night sessions.

Mr Gadd said the outlook for the events sector in the state was grim.

“We’re looking at a significant six-figure loss ... if that 5000-person limit stays you can kiss the events industry goodbye,” he said.

ROYAL Hobart Show organisers have revealed their massive financial loss as questions rise over capacity limits for the embattled events industry.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania had been anticipating a loss at the 200th Hobart show since it learned each session would have a 5000-guest limit.

RAST CEO Scott Gadd said this year’s event “was one of the better shows in every way except financially”.

He said the team had mountains of paperwork to sort through to determine the exact loss, but the estimated figure was dire.

“We’re looking at a significant six-figure loss, probably $200,000 or more,” he said.

“We could have handled triple the number of patrons per session that we were allowed to have.”

Mr Gadd said holding two separate sessions a day required extra management, and the three-day snap lockdown had killed the Wednesday sessions. He said the outlook for events into next year was grim.

“If that 5000-person limit stays you can kiss the events industry goodbye,” he said.

“I understand that they had to put a limit on it, it’s more driven by their ability to contact trace and support hospital systems if there’s an outbreak, but if they want an event industry in Tasmania then that cap’s going to have to be more like 20,000 or every (large) event will not be able to proceed.”

Mr Gadd said it was unfair and illogical to give seated stadium events a 10,000 cap without allowing freestanding events the same restriction.

Given the length of time spent near someone is a major factor in the likelihood of catching coronavirus, Mr Gadd questioned why more people could stay seated near each other at sporting events than move around at a freestanding event.

He believed sports events received more support because “shows make millions for their local industry, but not for big businesses”.

The RAST has adopted a sustainable financial model that Mr Gadd said should keep it afloat.

He said its stage one Bunnings development was a success, with Anaconda and Spotlight stores due to open mid-December for stage two, and stage three set to overhaul the Hobart Showground site.

Mr Gadd said camaraderie and positivity among volunteers and workers made him “the proudest I’ve ever been of the show”, but he feared next year’s instalment might not proceed if capacity limits remained. “It’s pretty much killed the industry,” he said.

A government spokeswoman said free-moving and mixing events would remain capped at 5000 under the revised events framework beginning November 1.

“Outdoor seated events in stadiums and arenas are capped at their seated capacity,” she said.

“As we prepare to open our borders on (December 15) it will be important for some restrictions to remain in place to keep Tasmanians safe.

“We have worked closely with the Royal Hobart Show and provided $250,000 in direct financial assistance, as well as in-kind assistance, in addition to the Agricultural Show Development Grants Program, which was targeted to support the sustainability of agricultural show societies.”