Live music might feel like a thing of the past, but venues and event organizers are working on ideas to bring it back sooner rather than later in the age of COVID-19.
Ticketmaster says it has been working with event organizers and venues to navigate how they plan to admit fans to live sporting events and concerts once a vaccine is released.
On Wednesday, Pfizer updated its vaccine efficacy, saying it is 95 percent effective and is seeking clearance soon. Earlier in the week, Moderna announced its vaccine also was 95 percent effective.
Ticketmaster says it has discussed the idea of using a person’s vaccine status as a possible barometer of protection for admittance into events. In an email, the company said, “In short, we are not forcing anyone to do anything. Just exploring the ability to enhance our existing digital ticket capabilities to offer solutions for event organizers that could include testing and vaccine information with 3rd party health providers. Just a tool in the box for those that may want to use.”
Here is how Ticketmaster says it might work: People who wanted to attend an event would upload their vaccine status through an app that connects to a third-party health care provider. That company would store the information and keep all other details private, abiding by HIPAA laws, according to Ticketmaster. That provider would then mark that person’s status so they could present their digital ticket along with their vaccine status at the event.
Ticketmaster says this would not be mandatory, noting “Ticketmaster does not have the power to set policies around safety/entry requirements, which would include vaccines and/or testing protocols. That is up to the discretion of the event organizer. Ticketmaster continues to work with event organizers on all COVID safety measures and it will be up to each event organizer to set future requirements, based on their preferences and local health guidelines.”