Stores, restaurants, cafes, and other physical businesses are not the only ones taking heat from the recent global crisis of COVID-19. Event organizers are also among those who are crippled by the quarantines and lockdowns. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were cancelled because of the outbreak. Why is this significant? Because the last time Olympics were cancelled, the world was engaged on WW1 and WW2.
Many other events were either cancelled or postponed to later dates, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Billboard Music Awards, and the Cannes Film Festival. Another festival which received blows from COVID-19 was the South by Southwest film festival. Nevertheless, if there is a will, there is a way!
While everyone across the globe is advised to #stayhome, many festivals are opting for the only platform that’s left to operate on: online. Amazon Prime Video and SXSW announced that they will be cooperating in bringing the beloved film festival to everyone online, using Amazon Prime video. The collaboration was announced by Amazon’s Jennifer Salke. Having an online event does not capture the same vibe, but at least it will give a chance to independent filmmakers to submit their work.
The event, titled Prime Video presents the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection is exclusive to Prime Video, but anyone can view it, including those who don’t have an Amazon membership.
As the situation progresses, we might be seeing more of such events and collaborations with online marketplaces. Many artists are already streaming studio concerts live and there are hauntingly beautiful live streams of orchestras performing in empty halls for an audience behind a computer screen. The event industry is definitely going to experience a great deal of changes, and eCommerce will definitely have a role to play in this industry in the future.