“The leisure trade had a really constructive 12 months in 2022 and a welcome restoration is certainly underway, however we’re not out of the woods but,” stated Michael Furtschegger, world head of leisure at AGCS. “Within the three years because the coronavirus first hit the headlines, the world has modified. The sector should proceed to evolve in keeping with new applied sciences, proliferating platforms, and seismic shifts in patterns of consumption, in addition to modifications within the public temper, notably amongst youthful generations.”
Regardless of the challenges confronted by the trade, customers are returning to their most popular leisure venues or platforms, AGCS stated. World field workplace receipts reached $25.9 billion final 12 months, a 27% rise from 2021, in response to Gower Avenue Analytics. Nevertheless, that quantity continues to be 35% beneath the common for the three years earlier than the pandemic.
Dwell music income is predicted to surpass pre-pandemic ranges subsequent 12 months, with digital music streaming subscriptions driving development in recorded music, the place revenues are predicted to achieve $45.6 billion in 2026, up from $36.1 billion in 2021.
Dwell theater can be seeing a comeback, with rising receipts and attendance. The worldwide sports activities trade can be proving resilient, supported by media rights, sponsorship offers, and a calendar of worldwide occasions and tournaments, AGCS stated.
Challenges stay
Nevertheless, the leisure trade just isn’t resistant to financial developments equivalent to workers shortages and rising prices, AGCS stated.
“Our leisure shoppers are feeling the results of inflation, with elevated manufacturing and live-event prices,” Furtschegger stated. “Staffing prices have risen following the abilities scarcity that occurred within the wake of the pandemic, when many left the trade. Venues are scarcer than they have been as a result of there are nonetheless many exhibits postponed from the pandemic that have to happen along with new occasions and festivals. Greater occasions could also be thriving, however smaller occasions are extra challenged by components equivalent to venue, transportation, and power prices. We count on to see extra consolidation within the trade, with smaller, struggling manufacturing firms and venues being purchased by bigger operators.”
High quality not amount
Know-how has lowered entry boundaries for content material creators, with nearly anybody in a position to add content material to TikTok or YouTube. In the meantime, the foremost studios and tech companies are launching their very own platforms. The quantity of content material now being distributed makes high quality a key differentiator in a crowded market, AGCS stated.
“We see a transfer in direction of high quality in movie manufacturing, however this doesn’t come low cost,” stated Wanda Phillips, head of North American leisure insurance coverage at AGCS. “Companies have to know they’ve enough insurance coverage cowl for classy productions. The place prices improve, so, too, do exposures as a result of the prices are greater with every day of capturing, and this could possibly be mirrored in any insurance coverage loss.
Sustainability issues
Environmental, social and governance points are having a rising affect on the leisure sector, AGCS stated.
This 12 months’s Oscars ceremony will function inexperienced clothes on the Crimson Carpet because the Academy encourages a extra sustainable method to awards trend. In dwell occasions, the British band Coldplay has promised to halve the carbon emissions related to its present world tour, in comparison with 2016-2017, and has made an array of sustainable commitments, together with paying a surcharge for aviation gasoline, sourcing moral and sustainable merchandise, and planting a tree for each ticket bought.
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“Youthful generations are notably involved about sustainability, and competition organizers are responding to this,” Furtschegger stated. “Increasingly more leisure organizations are committing themselves to sustainability targets to cut back the emissions related to dwell excursions.”
Digital future
With streaming now a basic a part of the leisure and media sector, digital conferences are a selected development space, AGCS stated. The worldwide digital occasions market was valued at greater than $114 billion in 2021 and is predicted to develop at a compound annual development fee of 21.4% between 2022 and 2030.
Even and not using a dwell viewers, digital occasions nonetheless face dangers, together with transmission failure because of climate or pure disaster, fireplace affecting the published unit, or community points impacting broadcasting infrastructure. Rented gear and studio area can be vulnerable to property and casualty liabilities.
Digital actuality is the fastest-growing leisure and media phase, with world development between 2021 and 2026 predicted to convey the phase to $7.6 billion. Gaming is forecast to account for 85% of whole VR income by 2026.
“Because the worlds of gaming, music and leisure proceed to converge, gaming platforms equivalent to Fortnite and Roblox are more and more serving as leisure and social hubs, whereas gaming content material is crossing over to social media and streaming platforms,” Furtschegger stated.
Rising dangers
Well being and security protocols, rising climate hazards and crowd security are among the high threat issues the leisure sector ought to monitor, AGCS stated.
“The COVID disaster and the latest tragic capturing incident on a movie set have proven that the trade wants to stay vigilant about well being and security protocols,” Furtschegger stated.
Local weather change is one other trigger for concern.
“We’re seeing extra irregular weather-related occasions – heavy storms and flooding in Europe and brushfires in California, for instance,” Furtscchegger stated. “These inevitably trigger havoc for dwell occasions, each by way of cancellation publicity but in addition damages and human security.”
“Crowds have at all times carried inherent dangers,” stated Kurt Miner, managing director of leisure at Allianz Danger Consulting, North America. “Occasion organizers at the moment are higher in a position to monitor giant teams of individuals and preserve them protected, in addition to artists, with the usage of real-time video monitoring. Security consultants can remotely monitor two or three occasions, which might every be going down over 15 acres or extra, recognizing threat issues equivalent to blocked exits or broken boundaries. They will additionally monitor social media to pre-empt gate-rushing and stop stampedes, sending a safety contingent to the placement earlier than the scenario will get out of hand.”
Slips and falls are the commonest reason behind claims from live-event insurance policies, so organizers ought to make sure that medical workers and transport to native medical amenities are on-site, AGCS stated.
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