COVID-19 Update: Ten Days That Shook the Industry: Worldwide Sweep of Coronavirus Puts World on Hold

As the spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 swept the globe in early March, the entertainment technology industry has faced major interruptions in business activity that are certain to last at least for some weeks to come.

Following the earlier postponements of Prolight + Sound Guangzhou and MIR Tech came the news, on March 3, that Prolight + Sound Frankfurt would not take place March 31 - April 3 as scheduled. The decision came after several major exhibitors withdrew. The show was rescheduled for May 26 - 29, but later was cancelled.

On March 11, NAB announced that it would not take place in April. The USITT Conference and Stage Expo, scheduled for April 1 - 4, in Houston, was the next domino to fall, following an announcement on March 12. As we go to press, Lightfair has also postponed to unspecified dates later in the year.

By this point, the United States was faced with a growing challenge. (As of this writing, 3,771 cases have been diagnosed here, a number that more than doubled over the weekend.) Because of the shortage of testing kits in the us, the lack of effective treatment options, and fears that hospitals do not have enough verntilators to handle a pandemic outbreak -- and in lieu of a strong Federal response -- state and local governments have moved to put in place measures to ensure social distancing -- which, along with frequent hand-washing, appears to be the key defense against the disease. On March 12, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a ban on large gatherings, causing the Broadway League to suspend all performances until the week of April 13. Other institutions -- including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Park Avenue Armory, and the Shed -- followed suit, although some are only closed until the end of March. Virtually every Off and Off Off Broadway company has followed suit. Across the country, institutions large and small, including the Kennedy Center, Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and Old Globe in San Diego, have closed for three to four weeks. Canada's Stratford Festival has cancelled perfomances between April 11 and May 2.

Symphonies from Boston to Los Angeles are also closing temporarily. The Disney Parks and cruise line, as well as Universal Studios' theme parks, Knott's Berry Farm, and Six Flags America, are suspending operations. The NBA has cancelled the rest of the season and Major League Baseball has delayed opening for at least two weeks. Also affected are collegiate sports events such as March Madness.

Perhaps most problematic for this industry is the effect on music and concert touring. The Ultra Music Festival in Miami was cancelled, and the festivals Coachella and Stagecoach have been postponed. The former is now set for October 9 - 11 and 16 - 18; the latter will take place October 23 - 25. On March 11, Variety reported that concert touring producers AEG and Live Nation were suspending tours for the rest of March: Among the acts put on hold are Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, The Strokes, Post Malone, Michael Bublé, Maluma, Cher, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Trippie Redd, and Young M.A.

UPDATE: Since this story was written on Friday, New York City has announced the closure all restaurants, nightclubs, and small theatres. (Restaurants are allowed to handle take-out orders.) Cinemas in New York and Los Angeles have also been closed. In Las Vegas, the casinos owned by MGM Resorts International are closing as of Tuesday. These include the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Luxor, New York-New York, Excalibur, Park MGM, and CityCenter. These closings are until further notice. The two Wynn-named properties are closing for two weeks, at which time a re-evaluation will be made. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Caesars Entertainment Corp., Las Vegas Sands Corp, and Boyd Gaming Corp. have no plans to close casinos based in Nevada.

The CDC is now advising against meetings of groups of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

Obviously, this is a developing situation and these restrictions may very well lead to a faster resolution of the pandemic, but the consequences will play out over time. Check www.lightingandsoundamerica.com for further updates.