Experimental Environments
Pieter Lubberts | Backbone International
The complete closure of the events industry due to the outbreak of COVID (February 2020) is hitting hard: it is the reason for discussions between the events industry and various ministries and a joint ambition is being formulated to organize events, within the framework of health and safety, that can provide insight to achieve relaxation. Pieter Lubberts becomes co-initiator and program manager of Fieldlab Events: an umbrella initiative of the entire event sector (both business and sports & public events), and together with the government conduct research and take steps towards reopening the sector.
Studies are being carried out to find out whether, and under what circumstances, events can or cannot take place, and to realize a model that is economically feasible for the sector. Through these studies, Pieter Lubberts and Bas Kolen meet: Bas is affiliated with TU Delft and is a researcher specialized in research into risks related to climate and flooding, and has applied these models to COVID as well, amongst other things resulting in risk assessment models.
The research results of practical tests lead to the development of a matrix of measures. Concrete measures are proposed for each risk level, intended as a guideline for the cabinet. The possibilities of organizing events if the restrictions are released (February-May 2021), are also being investigated. However, the many stakeholders involved often have their own (political) agenda for the interpretation of the results.
Fieldlab Events was set up as a collaboration with scientists and knowledge institutions, the Top Sectors Creative Industry, Life, Sciences & Health and CLICKNL. The program is supported by the Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport, of Education, Culture and Science, of Economic Affairs and Climate and of Justice and Security.
Pieter Lubberts has been working in the organization of the music industry since 2000. Via Sony Music and Radio 538 he becomes involved in and interested in devising, organizing and producing events: at The Entertainment Group he focuses entirely on the production of (large-scale) events (2006-2009). Pieter then starts his own company Live Republic, which later merges with Backbone. After the merger in 2013, independent technical producer Backbone International was created, where Pieter has been shareholder and director Europe from the start. When covid presents itself, his first priority is to get the company healthy through the crisis and he is committed to the sector: in July 2020 he will be asked to lead the program team of Fieldlab Events.