From the Publisher

Published by Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd, 102 Taiyul Road, North Narrabeen, NSW 2101 (PO Box 478, Collaroy, NSW 2097) AUSTRALIA

ABN 32 092 549 721 Tel: 02 9970 8322 Fax: 02 9970 8355 E-mail: leisure@ausleisure.com.au www.ausleisure.com.au Twitter: @AusLeisure Facebook: www.facebook.com/AusLeisure Editor Karen Sweaney Publisher Nigel Benton Design Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd Administration Bill Gillies

Advertising Inquiries Nigel Benton Tel: 02 9970 8322 Email: nigel@ausleisure.com.au James Croll Tel: 0488 090 904 Email: jcroll@ausleisure.com.au

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The annual subscription cost is AUS $90 (inclusive of GST) in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the Rest of the World. Members of AALARA, ALFA, ASSA, EVANZ, Exercise Association of New Zealand, Sports and Play Industry Association and the VMA receive the magazine as a membership benefit.

The views contained in Australasian Leisure Management are not necessarily those of Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd or the Editor. While every care is taken with advice given, Australian Leisure Media Pty Ltd and the Editor can take no responsibility for effects arising therefrom. Views expressed by contributors may be personal and are not necessarily the views of their employers or professional associations.

© Australasian Leisure Management, 2020. ISSN 1446-1374

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Australasian Leisure Management is an Australian product, Australian owned and printed in Australia. It is welcome to see that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is seemingly passing in Australia and New Zealand with easing measures coming into place, society moving toward the ‘new normal’ of the potentially post COVD-19 world and parts of the leisure industry reopening in this new environment.

At the time of writing, it’s remarkable that people are already able to visit sporting fixtures in many areas, and pretty much without restriction in New Zealand; that aquatic, fitness and sport facilities are reopening and that people can again participate in community sport.

Another remarkable fact is that some suppliers to the leisure economy have been busier than ever during the lockdown as facilities, particularly in local government, have used lockdown closures to undertake and bring forward projects and work.

Yet for some sectors, particularly in the arts, entertainment and events, being able to open does not immediately mean that income will return.

Major events, performances and tours are generally planned between one to two years in advance, with box offices and ticket selling a process undertaken months before an event. As a result, major promoters along with the likes of global entertainment giant Live Nation is not planning to resume concerts at “full scale” until 2021.

Similarly, while the tourism and the attractions sector can now look forward to day and short-term visits, the planning of anything beyond intrastate excursions requires lengthy lead-in times.

One of several terms pretty much unheard of at the turn of the year - ‘flattening the curve’ and ‘social distancing’ being two other notable examples - the ‘new normal’ is being widely used to describe how our routines are changing in the wake of the upheaval brought on by COVID-19.

As research conducted by Twitter suggests, the new normal shouldn’t be seen as a marketing opportunity. Rather, the critical thing for industries to do right now (and leisure is no exception) is to engage with consumers in order to offer solutions to meet their needs, backed by support, service and positivity.

However, beyond reopening, the big test is likely to come in the last quarter of the year and beyond as the ‘new normal’ may very well see big changes in consumer spending habits, with resulting impacts on the industry.

For all sectors of the leisure industry in Australia, this underlines why the Federal Government needs to consider extending its JobKeeper program - currently scheduled to end in September - into 2021 and beyond its planned end-date.

At the time of Writing

With issues relating to the Coronavirus pandemic changing daily and, at times hourly, it can be a challenge to keep what we publish entirely on point.

Information published one day can be contradicted the next and, particularly in the area of governments’ easing of Coronavirus restrictions, timetables can’t always be adhered to.

Here, we have to say with all the content in this magazine, it is correct at the time of writing.

Nigel Benton, Publisher

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