Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to identify how mega-events that had been established in the official calendar of SPTuris (São Paulo Tourism Company) in 2020, of the Municipality of São Paulo, Brazil, have adapted to the coronavirus pandemic. The study verified the impacts and obstacles caused in the event industry as well as the mitigation of such difficulties. A presentation was made on concepts, classifications of events, their history, and position in the market, including a description of actions by organizers not to stop all activities; the authors also included an interview with a representative of two companies in the event industry. The study conclusion was that most events opted for the internet and social media, in addition to drive-thru and delivery activities in the case of gastronomy; and that there have been gains in health safety and in the role of hybrid events in the future.
TopIntroduction
In general, events account for a significant portion of the Brazilian economy. According to the latest survey conducted by ABEOC (Brazilian Association of Companies and Events), in 2013, the sector generated R$ 209.2 billion and accounted for 4.3% of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product. Regarding mega-events, a very strong sector in São Paulo - Brazil, it is “a short-term event, with permanent results in the hosting cities and/or countries and is associated to the creation of infrastructure and facilities for the event” (Roche, 1994 as cited in Da Silva, Cabral and Romano 2016, p. 638). In addition, a mega-event has a large audience, stands out for having a defined target audience and causes political, economic, social and broad media impacts (Hall, 2006 as cited in Da Silva; Braga; Romano 2016, p. 638). According to the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism Economic Performance Bulletin (2017) shows that the area of events had an increase of 6% in 2016, while in 2017 this percentage rose to 13%. However, in the year 2020, COVID-191 arrived in Brazil, strongly impacting the events market. A survey conducted by Sebrae (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service) in April 2020 shows that the pandemic affected 98% of the sector financially, causing events to be canceled or rescheduled. As preventive measures against the disease, the Brazilian Ministry of Health (2020) recommended that the population practice social distancing (avoiding crowds and being at least one meter away from each other), compliance with the respiratory etiquette (use of masks and, when coughing, covering mouth and nose), as well as hand hygiene and disinfection of environments.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Events: In general, they are events that bring people together on a common date, time, place and objective.
Coronavirus: A highly transmitted disease that started in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 and has spread across the world.
Digital Events: These are events that happen exclusively on the internet, using technology resources.
Tourism: A set of public or private services aimed at promoting and organizing tourism activities, which include, among others, the selection and classification of places and areas of tourist interest, the creation and implementation of tourist routes, the planning of events, organization and the control of establishments, institutions and service providers related to this activity
Mitigation: Act or effect of mitigating or relieving; comfort, soothing, smoothing.
Event Planning: It is the process of creating an event that can have different proposals and formats.
Mega-Events: These are events that happen on a large scale with a significant number of participants, causing major impacts on the economy and local development. Examples of these events are the World Cup or the Olympics.