Coronavirus

Event Employees Say Their Skills Are Just The Ticket For Vaccine Work

Event workers say their skills with crowds, ticketing and scheduling should be used in massive vaccination efforts.

Event Employees Say Their Skills Are Just The Ticket For Vaccine Work
AP
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Convention centers, stadiums, concert halls and theme parks around the country have had to readjust due to the restraints of the pandemic. Now, several are opening back up as COVID vaccine centers. 

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett: "The real purpose here of using the Wisconsin Center is we are going to see dramatic increases in the number of dosages that we receive."

Disneyland vaccinated 3,000 patients on its first day as a "super" site in Anaheim, California. And Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles averaged more than 6,000 vaccinations a day in its first nine days of operation

As the nationwide effort continues, more live entertainment venues are reopening as vaccine centers — and even those that haven't yet are offering their spaces and their organizing expertise to help. 

Rev. Moose, Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Association: "We would really want to be able to help put these people back to work, put them in a place where they're able to help their communities. And of course, you know, it would really be nice to be able to turn the lights on in some of these rooms that have sat dark for the majority of the last year as well." 

In an open letter to President Biden, live events organizations like the National Independent Venue Association, The Broadway League and Live Nation are offering up their venues, workers and refrigeration systems to strengthen the vaccine infrastructure. 

Moose: "These are professionals that are used to being able to get a massive amount of people into a space … We're used to having the different ticketing services and protocols that come with that, checking people's identification, all of the different elements." 

As more states work to pick up the pace of vaccinations, live events organizers hope it means more venues can reopen soon. 

"We were the first to close, and we will be the last to open. And this is a step in the direction of us to be able to reopen again," said Moose.