Event Industry Alliance (Ireland): Background and Current Status

The Event Industry Alliance was established in Ireland in 2020 as a collaborative response to the unprecedented challenges facing the events sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bringing together a number of representative organisations and industry groups, the Alliance provided a collective voice at a time when events, entertainment, festivals, venues and the wider event-industry supply chain were facing prolonged closure and significant uncertainty. The Alliance is not currently operating as an active representative body, and its work is best understood in the context of the pandemic, reopening and recovery period.

The role of the Alliance

The Event Industry Alliance was created during an exceptional period for Ireland’s event sector. Its purpose was to bring together different parts of the industry so that common concerns could be communicated to Government and other stakeholders during the COVID-19 crisis. The Event Industry Association of Ireland (EIAI) participated in the Alliance alongside other representative organisations and industry groups.

During this period, the Alliance engaged with Government on the impact of restrictions, the survival and reopening of the sector, industry supports and the wider challenges facing event businesses, organisations and workers. Representatives associated with the Alliance also contributed to national discussions concerning the recovery of the arts, culture and live-event sectors.

Moving beyond the pandemic period

As the events sector reopened and moved beyond the immediate recovery period, the organisations involved in the Alliance returned to their own individual representative, policy and industry-development work. The Event Industry Alliance is therefore not currently operating as an active industry representative organisation. Historical references to the Alliance remain an important part of the record of how the Irish event industry responded collectively during the pandemic and recovery period.

Event Industry Association of Ireland

The Event Industry Association of Ireland is a separate organisation which existed before the formation of the Event Industry Alliance and continues to operate independently today. EIAI’s current work includes industry representation, policy engagement, research, submissions, professional development and engagement with Government, public bodies and other stakeholders on issues affecting the broader Irish event industry. Current EIAI policy positions and submissions are made in the name of the Event Industry Association of Ireland.

Historical references

Government publications, media coverage, industry websites and other material from 2020 and the subsequent recovery period may continue to refer to the Event Industry Alliance. These references remain valid as part of the historical record and reflect the collaborative role played by the Alliance during that period. Where current information about the Irish event industry, EIAI policy positions or the work of the Event Industry Association of Ireland is required, readers should refer to EIAI’s current website and publications.

A collaborative response at an exceptional time

The establishment of the Event Industry Alliance reflected the extraordinary circumstances facing the sector in 2020 and the value of industry organisations working together during a period of unprecedented disruption. EIAI is pleased to have contributed to that collective effort and continues to build on the relationships, experience and policy engagement developed during that period through its ongoing work on behalf of Ireland’s event industry.

Last updated: October 2026