Response to Provincial Health Office Easing of Restrictions on Gatherings and Events
As an association representing the wedding and event industry, we are very pleased with the easing of restrictions on indoor gatherings and events announced this week. As an entire industry, our expectations were set low given the level of shutdown we were currently under. Being able to operate our events at full capacity while allowing dancing and mingling will kickstart the critical recovery needed for our industry right now.
With that said, we are cautiously optimistic about this recent progress. We have been in this position more than once over the past two years, leaving our confidence in the provincial government shaken.
Open Letter — Urgent economic recovery and safe reopening plan needed for BC weddings and events
Dear Minister Kahlon,
I appreciate the work you've done alongside our federal government over the past two years to support our fragile economy throughout the pandemic response.
Even with your best intentions, the event industry has suffered disproportionately to a degree I don't believe your ministry is aware of. This has become especially evident to the members of our industry given the recent exclusion of access to the COVID Closure Relief Grant introduced in response to the December 22, 2021 PHO on gatherings and events, which was later extended as of January 18, 2022. The PHO explicitly placed the wedding and event industry under lockdown with no clear plan or indication of what our future holds.
Open Letter — Urgent need for safe reopening plan for BC weddings and events
Dear Minister Dix, Minister Kahlon, Minister Farnworth, Minister Robinson, Minister Mark, and Dr. Bonnie Henry,
The BC wedding and event industry has been working tirelessly to petition our provincial government to allow our sector to re-open under specific safety guidelines and protocols. Unfortunately, as an industry made up of small-medium sized businesses, our voices have not been heard over the past two years, and continue to not be heard.
According to BC Vital Statistics, there were nearly 24,000 weddings in BC in 2019. An average wedding in BC costs about $50,000. That's $1.2 billion dollars per year generated by our industry from weddings alone. This doesn’t take into account any other types of personal celebrations. Nor does it take into account corporate events, community events, or charity events. The business meetings and events industry estimates their operations generate $4.5 billion per year in the province.