ASM Global prepares to reopen Australasian venues

ASM Global, the venue and event management giant, is preparing to its re-open its hundreds of venues worldwide, including its family of Australasian sites.

The announcement from the Los Angeles-based entertainment group is another sign the post-COVID era is approaching.

Just how fast this new phase in live entertainment is approaching, however, remains unclear.

According to a statement, ASM Global is planning to open the doors in accordance with best international practice, based on a successful trial of the VenueShield hygiene protocols at sporting events here and in the United States.

One of those tests was the NRL fixture at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on 28th May, in was the first live-audience Australian sport played since March (and a proper thumping for the hometown Broncos).

Qudos Bank Arena

The VenueShield program was announced in late April and combines a range of safety precautions, from personal protective equipment (PPE), to food safety measures and surface clearing, air quality control, physical distancing, temperature checks, contact-less transactions, daily monitoring systems and more.

ASM Global’s bulging portfolio numbers more than 325 arenas, stadia, convention centres and theatres across five continents, and includes Manchester Arena, Miami’s American Airlines Arena and Chicago’s Soldier Field.

ASM was formed following the completion last year of the merger of AEG Facilities and SMG.

Its Asia Pacific affiliate, previously known as AEG Ogden, operates ANZ Stadium, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Qudos Bank Arena, RAC Arena and more.

Australian audiences can look forward to a growing list of COVIDSafe concerts in the weeks and months ahead, including a round of dates next month at Brisbane’s The Zoo and a month-long campaign in NSW this November under the Great Southern Nights banner.

On June 9, the sports and music industries announced the formation of the Live Entertainment Industry Forum (LEIF), which moves forward with a mission to reactivate concerts, sports and events, and to get it right.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.