Swiss miss live events

After the Federal Council let the event organizer scene breathe a sigh of relief the week before last by lifting the 1000 limit as of October, there is now also reason for hope for the industry in terms of demand for events.

Anticipation for events is great

82.8 percent of all respondents agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement that they basically miss events. In the age category up to 35, the anticipation of the comeback of events is particularly high, with over 88 percent agreeing.

However, Swiss event-goers don't just miss the artists on stage (80,31%), the survey provides a surprising insight into the emotional motivations for attending an event: over 79 percent of respondents miss spending a good time with friends or family at events - 71 percent miss being able to switch off from everyday life thanks to an event. This underscores the importance of events for psychological well-being and a balance to everyday working life.

Respondents are even more reserved in their statements on the likelihood of whether they will attend an event again in the next 12 months. The proportion of undecideds for all genres - festivals, musicals & shows, comedy, sporting events, theater, cinema - is between 20 and just over 30 percent.

Nevertheless, the number of those for whom the probability is "rather high" or "high" predominates.

Safety is the be-all and end-all

Whether an event will be attended in the future depends heavily on the planned protective measures. For example, in the case of seats, around 80 percent of those affected would "very probably" or "rather probably" go to the event, a good 12 percent are still undecided and 8 percent would rather refrain. It is striking that the acceptance of unnumbered (standing) seats is around 5 percent higher among concertgoers than in the other genres surveyed (festivals, musicals & shows, comedy, sporting events, theater, cinema). In addition, women react more sensitively to the general conditions than men: For example, acceptance of numbered events with seat spacing between groups of people was 5 percent higher than for men.

In general, a clear picture emerges with regard to the desired protective measures: hygiene, namely the regular cleaning of event venues and the provision of disinfection facilities, has top priority. This is followed by measures to maintain minimum distances in all phases of the event.

At almost 73 percent, the demand for systematic recording of personal data also receives a high score. The question of whether an event takes place outdoors or indoors is somewhat less relevant. The much-discussed mandatory wearing of masks is viewed differently depending on age: Only 38.9 percent of survey participants under the age of 35 consider this protective measure to be "important" or "rather important," while participants over the age of 65 agree with a mask requirement at 58.30 percent.

Live streams: Not yet a substitute for live events

One in five participants in the survey said they had consumed live streams during the Corona phase. Around 17 percent think they are a good substitute for live events, but only 12 percent are prepared to pay for such formats in the future.

The approval rate for live streams is particularly high among those customers who, prior to Corona, attended less than one event per year on average. Regular concertgoers use live streams to bridge eventless time, but not as a substitute for the incomparable feeling of an event with friends and an audience. In this target group, live streams were considered a good substitute for live experiences by only 16.11 percent. As a conclusion, there are at best additional earning opportunities for the organizers if live concerts are also offered in parallel in streaming.