Skiddle has announced it will hand out £50K of bursaries to kickstart the events industry, as part of a new ongoing partnership with the Night Time Industries Association.
Skiddle’s Events Revival Fund, in partnership with the NTIA which promotes the unique contribution of the night time industry to the UK, will be awarded to events organisers in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to help rebuild the industry in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money will support events organisers and promoters who plan to put on events in bars and nightclubs in a bid to revitalise the events industry with much needed financial support after a considerable loss of earnings for many promoters and venues in the last eighteen months.
Skiddle and the NTIA is calling out for new and experienced event organisers to apply now, to win the funds to put on the very best live experiences around the country, giving a much needed boost to the industry, and reigniting the public’s love for live events.
New figures released by Skiddle show that consumers are indeed ready to enjoy live events again, with the company reporting an extra £1.4m in ticket sales to live events in the last six months as lockdown began to lift, with an increase of 400% in comparison to the same period last year (March to August). Overall Skiddle has seen a huge increase of 442% in ticket sales in 2021 vs 2020, with plans from the Government to scrap Covid passports for nightclubs and live events expected to push the trend even further.
Skiddle CTO, Ben Sebborn said: “We know firsthand how hard the industry has been hit in the last eighteen months, and now we are able to host and attend events once more. We want to make them the best we possibly can. We hope that the bursaries enable promoters and event organisers to put on an amazing series of events around the UK that may not have been possible without this financial support.”
NTIA CEO, Michael Kill added: “The Night Time Economy and Events sector has continually been at the sharp end of the pandemic. We are now able to plan for the future, with the removal of challenging mitigations we are able to really focus on supporting grassroots promoters in building back and re-establishing a world leading industry across the UK. We hope this bursary will help grassroots promoters to re-invigorate their commitment and inspire new entrepreneurs to invest in the future of the events industry . ”
The bursaries in Skiddle’s Events Revival Fund are available to promoters, events or venues which are planning events this autumn, and can show that the additional funds will create an incredible experience for guests. Promoters, event organisers, and venue teams will be able to apply for the bursary via the Skiddle website, with applications remaining open from 1 to 31 October 2021. Bursaries will be awarded to successful applicants on a weekly basis, so that organisers can focus on the important bit – welcoming the UK back to live events.
Those who are interested in applying for the fund can register their interest here.
As part of a new, ongoing partnership Skiddle, the leading Events & What’s On Guide website in the UK and the NTIA plan to help the industry get back on track after the pandemic, with the two businesses working together to provide a support package for NTIA members and Skiddle promoters.
The two businesses will focus on initiatives such as discussions and networking opportunities for promoters in monthly socials, workshops and one-to-one mentoring for young people looking to get into the events industry and promoter focus groups run by the NTIA.
In addition to this, NTIA will offer all Skiddle promoters a free membership and Skiddle is working with the NTIA on creating bespoke ticketing and marketing packages for all their current members.
Sebborn added: “The NTIA have done amazing work campaigning and supporting the hospitality and nightlife industries, especially in the past year, and so we’re really pleased to be an official partner going forward. Throughout the pandemic, Skiddle has put its promoters front and centre to accommodate their events amidst the changing rules, so this partnership is a natural coming together of shared values.”
“We’re confident this new partnership with NTIA will rebuild the events industry through our joint initiatives such as promoter networking opportunities and roundtables. We’re also passionate about building up the next generation of promoters which is why we’re planning to launch workshops and mentoring for young people.”
