The organizers of the Jamming Festival 2022, a musical event that was expected to be attended by more than 150,000 people from various countries of the continent at the facilities of Playa Hawaii, in the city of Ibagué, announced on the morning of this Friday, March 18, a few hours after its opening, the postponement of the event, arguing reasons for force majeure; however, the development of this story has been marked by few certainties and clarity on the part of entrepreneurs with users, suppliers and authorities.
Since day 1 of the festival's announcement, there had been rumors and news regarding the organization of the event, as well as doubts in the confirmation of its poster, which gathered some of the most renowned artists on the continent: Velveteen, Vincentico, Caifanes, La Mosca, Los Prisioneros, Damian Marley, Orishas, Caligaris, Maldita Vecindad, Molotov, Vilma Palma, Rococo Pantheon, Green Dwarfs, White Rat, Bersuit Bergarabat and The Invisible Friends, along with world figures such as UB40
From an early age, comments were raised about artist cancellations and inconveniences related to the production scheme, which was very important in a huge call like this one, in an area that, apparently, did not have the necessary infrastructure according to an agglomeration such as the one being projected.
The development of an event of this magnitude presents an enormous complexity that requires a team trained to attend to every detail and eventuality, including aspects such as the layout of the land where the festival will take place, access, network coverage in the area and medical care, among others.
The change of logistics operator within days of the start of the event revealed for some the lack of certainty in the minimum conditions for the attendees, as well as the development of the work of the production and assistance, transport and security team, which aroused new rumors and speculations just a few hours before the start of the presentations, which generated concern among future attendees, who understood that a change in production plans in such decisive aspects meant an alarm.
According to sources from the organization, consulted by Infobae, who asked for anonymity, the organization did not deliver the corresponding advances to many of the artists, who mostly accounted for 50% of the total amount of the cost of the performances, which was cancelled only to some of the figures leading the poster; this was the reason for cancellations to accumulate, even, since the previous attempt, which was canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic. At that time, many artists were obliged to return part of their advances; in others, the terms of the contracts were ambiguous and informal, without legal support in their contracts, as was the case of local artists who were invited to participate without payment, even without the minimum conditions for having the support of its work team.
The budget for the event was considerably reduced, after confirming the largest number of “great” artists, they did not, however, have the guarantee of the presentation of the entire lineup they announced, which was evident with the gradual announcement of names that were withdrawing, before which the team remained silent organizer, who merely continued to promote the festival without taking into account the requests of users requesting clarity on the subject in order to continue their plans to attend, which, for most of the public, both inside and outside Colombia, meant a deployment of transport, lodging, medical care, food, among other costs.
Added to all this was the change of location of the event, from Paraíso Estudios, in Ricaurte (Cundinamarca), near Bogotá, to Playa Hawai, in the middle city of Ibagué, a place with smaller capacity and cheaper, but which, according to some people related to the organization of concerts consulted by Infobae, did not have the conditions for to host a festival of this magnitude in an optimal way and under the appropriate guidelines.
Tickets for the Festival continued to be promoted and sold, even at the risk of exceeding capacity. The goal was to keep the event going, even if it were hypothetically, since the poster that had everyone as much in love as they were worried, was not confirmed.
Fuentes confirmed to Infobae that both the logistics of the event and those in charge of the assembly, who had received an advance, realized the situation in the field, when the potholes in the planning began to appear: a land without the locative arrangement with a single income for the public, production and artists. “From no point of view was it possible that in an event with the call represented by Jamming I could maneuver with an influx of public like this, without having a scheme to meet the mobility requirements of the production, the arrival of artists, of their teams; that does not happen even in an event within the urban area, that tripled the costs of logistics operation, because it is a large piece of land and the organization aimed to reduce expenses at all levels, even if this meant neglecting principles that are absolutely decisive to ensure proper development of activities and, above all, the well-being of the attendees,” commented a source specializing in production of events consulted by Infobae.
Among the testimonies of renowned members of the live entertainment sector in Colombia who were called to work at the Festival and who asked not to reveal their identities, it is assured that the contact on the part of the organizers and team leaders in the production was at all times informal, ambiguous, carefree, without rigor professional. Economic proposals were made well below average, there were no guarantees of transportation or lodging for those in charge of accompanying the artists, who had, in most cases, to cover most of the expenses autonomously and who were only offered food, hydration and support while they were in the perimeter of the festival, not on the routes, nor in the artists' hotel, nor at the airport. “I really didn't want to work with them because I consulted with other colleagues and the situation was discouraging, they were never transparent with me as a worker, they didn't want to tell me how long I should be with the band, from the beginning I wrote to them offering my work in this edition because in 2020 I was going to work with them, I just they talked about the economic offer and that I should work until March 22, without details about my working conditions, about a serious work schedule, I wrote to them explaining my concerns and after days of silence I decided to write to them telling them that I had another commitment and that I should decline their proposal”, another confirmed with Infobae of the professionals summoned to work.
Less than a week after the big day, Event Production 911, the logistics operator confirmed for the event, withdrew its participation as part of the Jamming Festival team, according to close sources, because they had not received the full agreed payment, nor did they have the guarantees for the timely development of their work at the event. Similarly, with the team in charge of installing platforms and infrastructure, artists continued to cancel, as well as members of the administrative team, tour managers and collaborators. This situation was replicated in many of the organization's roles over the previous weeks, until on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the rumor confirmed by members of the festival and the operating firm anonymously, in the middle of countless social media accounts that reported the incident.
From Infobae we consulted the Festival's press office which would announce in due course an official communication from the organizers accompanied by documentation that would give context to the situation, at the end of the afternoon they issued a statement:
“March 16th, 2022.
JAMMING FESTIVAL IS NOT ALTERED
Buena Vibra Eventos is allowed to inform you that: Despite the fact that there are statements on social networks about the possible cancellation of the Jamming Festival, we confirm that so far there is a normal development of concert activities scheduled for Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 of this month. The entire assembly process is taking place within the established schedule and parameters. We also confirm that we have more than 1,300 logisticians from the following companies: Open, GSP, VIP and Black and Red which are in the field working for the Festival and have great national recognition. We take advantage of this statement to inform that the festival has been the subject of multiple attacks on social networks that aim to sow uncertainty in public opinion and attendees. Our artists are ready and waiting for you this festive weekend in Playa Hawaii, we thank the Mayor's Office of Ibagué and the Government of Tolima, the Red Cross, Civil Defense, Firefighters, the National Army and the police who will accompany us for the three days to ensure safety during the show.
Cordially,
GOOD VIBE EVENTS”
The documentation they anticipated to give context to the statement was not delivered at the moment, only in the instagram stories did the publication of a resolution issued by the mayor's office of Ibagué on March 16, authorizing the holding of the event from March 19 to 21, highlighting that they owned the entire of the necessary documentation for this purpose offered by Buena Vibra Producciones, represented by Alejandro Casallas Rodríguez, the firm in charge of the organization, to be held in Playa Hawaii - Eventos. Hours later the resolution would be sent from the press office, presenting such a resolution as the official permission to hold the event.
From the Festival's social networks, as well as from the personal profiles of members of the various work teams, the publications were made noticeable, giving parts of tranquility, showing the progress of the editing, however rumors continued to flood the internet and the silence of the festival organization was a constant in the concerning clarification of users' doubts within days of the start of activities with the public.
On the morning of March 18, an official announcement was made by the organization of the Jamming Festival confirming the postponement of the festival for “reasons of force majeure”
“ March 18 of 2022
EXTRAORDINARY PRESS RELEASE JAMMING FESTIVAL 2022
POSTPONEMENT OF THE 2022 JAMMING FESTIVAL
The organization of the 2022 Jamming Festival informs the authorities, the public, the media, allies, suppliers, the general public and artists that the event scheduled for March 19, 20 and 21, 2022 at the Playa Hawaii facilities in the city of Ibagué will be postponed for reasons of force majeure. In the next few hours we will expand this information”
Sources close to Infobae reported that from early Friday morning, the assembly teams and new logistics operators were ordered to dismantle the infrastructure prepared for the event, which initially consisted of 8 stages and which would have been reduced given the conditions of recent days in terms of cancellations and rearrangement of the terrain at the event.
In conversation with W Radio Colombia, Grace Cifuentes, from the Ministry of Culture of Ibagué, stated that “From the Mayor's Office we regret this decision, we were prepared to receive approximately 150,000 people over the weekend, but for reasons other than that, as it is a private event, they decide to postpone it”, within the reasons argued for the cancellation were the cancellation of artists due to force majeure, also the intention of some not to be vaccinated and the suffering of Covid-19 by others.”
It should be noted that the planning of the new edition of the Festival was done within the framework of the pandemic, subjecting the new plans to the protocols established for the care of this health emergency that have been gradually transformed, however, it is evident that the confirmations of the poster were given in an environment, or ignorance, or neglect of these guidelines, since the artists who declared that they did not want to be vaccinated could well do so from the moment of separation of the dates of their shows at the festival at the beginning of the negotiations and not one day before the event. Who omitted information? What was the priority? To hold the figure of an event without guarantees? Or the safety and compliance for the public and team of Festival collaborators who did not have any kind of support?
As reported on its Twitter account, the Cultural Station of Tolima, with the publication of a video by Andrés Fabián Hurtado, Mayor of Ibagué, confirming his dissatisfaction with this situation and confirming the Festival's responsibility in this case “according to the statement just released by the businessman of the Jamming Festival canceling this event, we allowed ourselves to request and demand that the businessman return the money to each of the people who had already paid their ballot, but who not only that, they had also made reservations in hotels and restaurants in the city of Ibagué, they had the plan already ready for the weekend, we demanded that each of the businessmen who are part of this Jamming Festival that immediately pronounce themselves seriously and responsibly and not with that statement that only generates expectations and anxiety. We demand that the businessman return the money immediately and make an official statement and not with these derisory press releases that do not, of course, respond to the great expectation that had been generated by this great event in the city of Ibague.”
It is known that the first president of the city of Ibagué was aware of the postponement through Juan Raúl Solórzano, owner of Playa Hawaii, the location where the festival would take place, not directly and that so far he has not received any response to the businessman's calls.
In the vicinity of Casa Babylon, the venue of the event's organization in Bogotá, users and providers of the Jamming Festival have crowded in recent hours demanding a refund of their money “help us get Casa Babylon an answer, there are people who keep coming with their tickets from the airport, it is absurd that they cancel a festival of this magnitude, the impact of the people who paid stands there, came a lady who had paid 50 million pesos with her son, went into debt in the bank for having a food business and was crying because her son is picking up there. That is something outrageous and goes against all human rights, seriously, please help us,” said one of the affected women at the headquarters premises.
For its part, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce in the last few hours ratified through its digital channels its position towards the Festival, announcing its opinion as authority after technical visits and investigations, giving an ultimatum prior to the possible fines that entrepreneurs could face for the handling that was given to it. Throughout the development of this juncture where there was never any transparency with users and the circumstances arose in an atmosphere of uncertainty and the absence of adequate communication protocols with users, likewise, the administrative body announced that in the event of not receiving the required media since March 16 on your requirements:
Superindustry monitors the development of the `Jamming Festival 2022'
Bogota D.C., March 18, 2022. The Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, in its role as the national consumer protection authority, is rigorously monitoring the development of the 'JAMMING FESTIVAL 2022'. In the framework of a preliminary investigation carried out by the producer BUENA VIBRA EVENTOS E.U., the Authority demonstrated through administrative inspection visits and information requests, that the conditions initially informed about the event, the artists and the order of their presentations, had apparently varied, without that consumers were allegedly informed in a clear, truthful, sufficient, timely, verifiable, understandable, accurate and appropriate manner.
Likewise, this Authority showed, in a preliminary manner, that the solutions proposed during the modification of the conditions initially announced and the procedure for accessing them would not be informed.
Thus, in exercise of the administrative powers available to the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, and in order to prevent harm or harm to consumers due to ignorance of consumer protection regulations, BUENA VIBRA EVENTOS E.U. was ordered to:
INFORM, from March 16, 2022 and until the start date of the event, on the official website and social networks of the event in a clear, sufficient and timely manner, the following: i) the artists confirmed by March 19, 2022, indicating the order of presentation of each one and the scenario in case there are several locations, ii) the artists confirmed for March 20, 2022, indicating the order of presentation of each one and the stage, if there are several locations and iii) the artists confirmed for March 21, 2022, indicating the order of presentation of each one and the stage in case there are several locations.
INFORM, on March 16, 2022, via email, text message or other direct and personalized means of communication, to each person who purchased tickets to attend the event on the affected days with any variation of the conditions initially announced, the solution alternatives offered and the procedure for accessing the themselves.
PUBLISH, from March 16, 2022 and until the start date of the event, on the main screen of the official website and social networks of the event a statement indicating to the people who purchased tickets to attend the event, the days affected with any variation of the conditions initially announced, the alternative solutions offered and the procedure for accessing them.
Compliance with the orders issued must be accredited to the Department of Consumer Protection Investigations with the respective media, no later than Friday, March 18, two thousand and twenty-two (2022).
Finally, in the event of the failure to comply with the orders issued, as well as the violation of consumer protection regulations, fines of up to 2,000 SMMLV may be imposed. “
This “postponement” and possible cancellation of the organizing team of the event, registers a great blow to the entertainment, live music and musical culture industry in Colombia, in no way represents a cause for joy, since enormous efforts are made every day to generate advances in the production of large shows in the country, with several success stories of top-notch events that become reality in the country thanks to local talent certified around the world thanks to their high standards of quality and responsibility, understanding that the essential principle of producing events of this magnitude is not the media buzz of a brand of shows, but the integrity of hundreds of thousands of people whose lives depend 100% on the seriousness with which the protocols established for this purpose are addressed, since within the framework of the global contingency for the Covid-19 pandemic, which has not yet ended, it should be noted that the protocols would be intensified and should be be sure of plans for weeks and not a day before the start of the event.
News in development.