Important statement from the OABA
By News Release | March 13, 2020
It goes without saying that the recent closure of events, large and small, in the last few days, and in the last few hours, are unprecedented. From the closing of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the middle of its run, to small local consumer shows and events, we have never experienced this type of widespread closure of events. The OABA certainly recognizes that COVID-19 is a legitimate health risk to our population, however, we are concerned about the financial and social ramifications these actions are causing to our members and the thousands of non-profits that our events financially support. We are hopeful that our political leaders are weighing the outcomes of their actions and the effects it will have on the economic and social vitality of our nation.
We must continue to follow the best practices of the CDC and WHO, and work with our fairs and event organizers to ensure that the outdoor amusement industry is in compliance with these practices. We as an industry, can comply with mitigation tools to prevent the spread of the virus. This is not the first pandemic we as a people, have encountered. It is difficult to decipher all the information that public health officials are putting forth. But it is obvious, even to the most casual of observers, that the COVID-19 health risk is greatest to the elderly with pre-existing conditions. Furthermore, it is not a hardy virus and is killed with simple sanitizing products. Many of our events have gone on for decades without interruption and our industry has always stood by the motto “the show must go on.” The closure of events may slow the spread of the virus but will not stop it.
The reality of the situation is that we are not in control of the decisions being made to close events. We can state that we are ready to do whatever is necessary to comply with governmental recommendations, but ultimately someone else is making the decision. What is most troubling is that we don’t know the fate of our next event. How can we justify traveling to our next event and set up only to be told the day before the event that it is cancelled? We need to ask officials canceling these events if they have funds to mitigate our losses because of their actions. The bottom line is that we have no control of what is going on, and the OABA has no hard answers to some very difficult questions.
The OABA will do everything within its power to assist our members through these difficult times and we will do our share to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We will explore and advocate for funding sources from the local, state and federal level to assist our members. We are here to listen to your thoughts and ideas, and will do our best to advocate on your behalf.
Thank you for your dedication and support of our industry.
