Music Venue Trust celebrates ASM Global backing

Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) campaign to assist the UK’s grassroots music industry has been given a significant boost after ASM Global became the first major arena operator to back its work.

The charity, which represents and seeks to protect almost 1,000 grassroots music venues (GMVs), will benefit from donations, training and marketing support, with programmes that will roll out on a local level across ASM Global’s portfolio of UK venues which includes AO Arena in Manchester and OVO Arena Wembley.

ASM said donations to MVT will include one-off initiatives, and announced that OVO Arena Wembley will match Enter Shikari’s £1 per ticket sold donation to the fund when they play in February 2024

Mark Davyd, chief executive of MVT, said the collaboration with ASM and other potential partners could be crucial in the organisation’s drive to support music venues around the country.

He said: “We want to thank ASM Global for being the first arena operators to respond to our call for support from the live music industry to deal with the crisis engulfing grassroots music venues. This is an incredibly important first step towards ensuring that when an artist emerges from the grassroots sector, everyone shares in the success they generate once they reach the very top of the industry. We look forward to developing this important relationship.”

ASM said there will be opportunities for additional fundraising activity for GMVs via tickets for events at its venues. ASM will also make equipment and furniture in need of a new home available to grassroots music venues that need it.

ASM will also offer access to training across areas such as health and safety, food safety, hygiene and cybersecurity. Through marketing, and to make GMVs as visible as possible in their local markets, ASM support will include inclusion in newsletters, linking to venue websites with event and ticketing information.

Tom Lynch, commercial director and SVP Europe at ASM Global, said: “At ASM Global, we are very aware and concerned about the unprecedented cost pressures facing Grassroots Music Venues, and in turn, the knock-on pressures placed on the pipeline of talent for the rest of the live music industry. Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of our cultural fabric and where much of society truly falls in love with music for the first time.

“As a team, we have always admired the passion and hard work of Music Venue Trust, in providing a voice to GMVs and creating a framework for vital support to keep the music playing.”