Bigger audience numbers needed, says Adelaide major venues boss

Larger audience capacities and different COVID-safe measures are needed to secure future concerts and events, says the boss of major SA entertainment venues.

Adelaide Venues Management Corporation chief executive Anthony Kirchner outside the Entertainment Centre.

Adelaide’s major entertainment venues operator has said that larger, more viable audience capacities are required if major concert tours and events are to return to the state.

Convention and exhibition bookings were also being turned away because of fears that extra space may be required if current restrictions continue.

Anthony Kirchner, chief executive of the Adelaide Venue Management Corporation which manages the government-owned Entertainment Centre, Coopers Stadium and Convention Centre, said viable capacities needed to be put in place as soon as possible or South Australians would miss out.

The Adelaide Convention Centre is part of the Adelaide Venue Management Corporation.

“At the present time, we, and other major arenas around the country, have got promoters lining up to put concerts on-sale at 100 per cent capacity in the hope that restrictions may have lifted by the time their act visits Australia,” Mr Kirchner said.

“If viable capacities can’t be reached, then South Australians are going to miss out.

“AVM is expecting a record year at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre immediately following the lifting of international travel restrictions, whenever that may be.”

Mr Kirchner also said the lifting of international travel restrictions was particularly critical for the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

“Anyone who’s anyone is going to be coming out to Australia, because they know it’s a relatively safe place to tour and we’ve got an appetite for events given COVID restrictions have been in place for a considerable period now,” he said.

“Creating a credible ambience is also critical for contemporary live entertainment. Checkerboard seating is not going to work for the majority of these acts. The Adelaide 36ers and Adelaide United are impacted by the current restrictions.”

The inadequacy of current SA Health COVID-safe capacity limits was raised by Mr Kirchner in a regular staff newsletter which is sent to 1000 staff each fortnight.

AVM had proposed a range of COVID-safe measures with the aim of maximising approved capacities across its three venues, but these had not been approved, Mr Kirchner said.

These measures included wearing masks, separating venues into quarters with guests strictly assigned to a single quarter, airconditioning operating on 100 per cent fresh air intake mode, and foyers to be used strictly as transitional spaces to access designated toilet and food/beverage facilities.

Adelaide 36ers players Daniel Johnson, Jerome Randle and Daniel Dillon at the Entertainment Centre last year. Picture: Brad Fleet

SA Health’s approved capacities are below 50 per cent – and in some cases less than a third – of the venues’ usual audience numbers, in part because standing room was not counted.

“Checkerboard seating was the determining factor for the approved capacities. Standing up is not being entertained at this time for events of less than 1000,” Mr Kirchner said.

The Adelaide Convention Centre had been able to retain 85 per cent of its pre-COVID convention and exhibition bookings, which Mr Kirchner said was “a fantastic result”.

“Clients are looking for a period of stability in the COVID environment throughout Australia before they will be willing to lock-in new dates for their conventions and exhibitions,” he said.

“With Victoria turning the corner in recent times and showing a level of stability, some clients have recently begun to pick-up the phone to lock away dates which is encouraging.”

However, Mr Kirchner said capacity restrictions needed to be further lifted so that the Convention Centre could secure future events which it was having to turn down.

“South Australia is seen as one of the safest places in the world for business events right now, so it’s a great opportunity for the State if we can get it right,” he said.