Event organisers have said EPIC being used as a testing facility for COVID-19 has impacted on the ability to stage events at the location, despite the ACT having had few cases of coronavirus.
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Events such as Summernats and GammaCon have already been called off at the venue, slated for early next year, due to the lack of guarantee all of the venue would be available to hold a large convention.
ACT officials have said EPIC could still hold events at the site while the venue is used as a drive-thru testing clinic, but limitations would still be in place.
Michael Clarke, a project manager at event organising company SBX, said the closure of convention spaces at EPIC had significantly impacted the industry in Canberra, which had already been hit hard due to the pandemic.
"At the moment, Canberra shows are not going ahead," Mr Clarke said.
"There are several supply companies who are feeling it at the moment because EPIC is not in full swing."
Mr Clarke has been involved in the industry for more than 15 years and has been part of the organisation effort for large events such as Summernats, the Canberra Show and various conventions held at EPIC.
He said because the facility had largely been used for the past year as a testing facility, it had impacted what was able to go ahead, even with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
"Some events can take up to 12 months of planning. The Canberra Show would have bookings coming in all through the year," Mr Clarke said.
"At the moment, I'm not sure where EPIC goes to from here."
It comes as the organisers of Summernats moved the annual car-fest slated for next year from EPIC to Sydney. Organisers said the decision was due to a lack of a guarantee the event's home at EPIC would be able to be used during January because the drive-thru testing facility would still be in use.
Plans are still under way to use EPIC for a smaller version of Summernats over the Canberra Day long weekend in March, as well as the January 2022 event.
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"The ACT government is in contact with the organisers of Summernats about the scope of the March event and how that would impact on whether it could go ahead should the EPIC drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic remain in operation," a government spokesman said.
"The government is in regular talks with event organisers given the impact of the ongoing pandemic on major events.
"EPIC holds regular discussions with all stakeholders about opportunities to deliver events under the guidelines."
ACT health officials have not said how long the drive-thru clinic at EPIC will be in operation for.
Figures from ACT Health have shown the clinic at EPIC has been the most-used testing facility in the ACT for coronavirus.
The government spokesman said locations for testing services across Canberra were constantly being reviewed.
However, the government has asked organisers of future events at EPIC to take into account the drive-thru clinic.
Founder of Summernats Chic Henry said the decision to move the 2021 event to Sydney was the right move, given the situation with coronavirus.
However, he said the future of EPIC as a large events venue needed to be secured going forward.
"I hope that EPIC continues for a long time, Canberra must have a major exhibition facility," he said.
"It's inconceivable that any city, and certainly Canberra, would not have some sort of exhibition facility, for all sorts of things."
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
