EPISODE 4 OVERVIEW
This week on Open For Business, we take a look at events & attractions in Ireland and how these businesses are coping with the impact of COVID. Despite our unpredictable weather, summer in Ireland is traditionally a season of festivals, concerts & outdoor events. And for those days that we absolutely can’t be outside, there is always a myriad of fantastic indoor attractions to occupy those long summer days. But summer 2020 is very, very different. The events industry has been one of the hardest hit, and could be one of the last sectors to make a return to normality, with many promoters suggesting that it will be Autumn 2021 at the earliest. It’s believed that the events industry here contributes €3.5bn to the Irish Economy and €850m towards exports, and also employs 45,000 workers (EIAI). We look at how the industry is doing, hear some of the struggles & worries on the ground – from musicians to small events industry companies, and also talk to some of businesses trying new things to just try and survive.
Each week we will also talk to reporter Tadhg Enright in London as he focuses on how other countries and international companies are faring in the face of this self-imposed, economic crisis.
Later in the show, we take a closer look at family-owned & run businesses at the heart of Irish SMEs, who have all felt the impact of Covid-19 and just want to get back to business. Though the economy reopened a number of weeks ago, and a new stimulus support package has been announced, the struggle is far from over. We hear from businesses who have been operating from 1 year to over 100 years to find out if, and how, they are keeping the lights on. We talk to a bus company in Kilkenny founded by the current owner’s grandfather 101 years ago, but is currently only operating 10% of his fleet. And a Croatian cafe owner in Finglas, who had fulfilled their dream of running their own business, tells us why they had to shut their doors for good.