With the return of live entertainment and sporting events, it appeared to be the beginning of the road to recovery for many in August.
Arguably the biggest news of the month emerged at the unlikely time of 5.30pm on a Friday evening, when the UK Government slipped out the news that large events could be conducted safely, citing National Health Service Test and Trace data via the Events Research Programme (ERP).
The information was collated after the Government allowed 37 trial events in different circumstances to go ahead earlier in the year. Highlighting specific examples from the ERP, the Government said that a total of just 585 cases were recorded at the time of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which hosted the largest crowd in the UK in over 18 months, with over 350,000 people in attendance across three days.
However, there was further disappointment for another major summer event, and specifically Paralympics ticket-holders, as the organising committee in Tokyo confirmed that members of the public would not be allowed to attend the event after months of speculation.
This decision came after spectators were banned from competition venues during the Olympic Games, which began in late July amidst a state of emergency in Tokyo. However, many ticket-holders have struggled to secure refunds for the Games, despite assurances from organisers.
Elsewhere, growth was on the minds of CTS Eventim, which announced its intention to expand in the Asian market as part of its recovery plans, after revealing a 67.1% year-on-year decline in revenue for the first half of its 2021 financial year. Consolidated revenue fell to €65.3m in the six months to June 30, down from €198.5m in the corresponding period of 2020.
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