The COVID19 pandemic, which was first detected in Zimbabwe in March, negatively affected the operations of players in the roadshows industry during the year. The lockdown, which was part of the measures that the Government to took to contain the pandemic, saw the roadshow sector’s corporate customers shelving their planned roadshow projects.
Speaking to Business Events recently, Chido Advertising Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Chidochemoyo Musasiwa indicated that the hiatus in corporate roadshow business was, however, somehow but not fully mitigated by increased jobs from the NGO sector customers pushing COVID-19 awareness messages.
“A lot of the work like with corporate brands was put to a complete halt and then what was increasing was the NGO work with information dissemination on COVID-19 such as how to avoid getting it and domestic violence,” Musasiwa said.
The strict lockdown situation especially at the beginning of the movement restriction period increased gender-based violence necessitating awareness campaigns on the vice. NGOs took up the challenge and hired the services of some roadshow companies to undertake awareness campaigns thereby creating some work for them.
“You’ll find that organisations dealing with gender-based violence were not only increasing the need for roadshows and increasing information dissemination but also inter-weaving it with the COVID-19 messaging,” said Musasiwa.
The corporate sector roadshows, however, remained frozen for the larger part of the year.
“So obviously in terms of your brands like your Delta Corporations and your AfDises and that commercial side of things came to a stop,” Musasiwa said.
Notwithstanding a tough year, Musasiwa was hopeful that next year would bring better fortunes for her industry. The value of the total business lost to COVID-19 by the sector could not be readily established.
