Banquet owners, event organisers face trying time amid slew of cancelled bookings

Kolkata: Event management companies and banquet hall owners are in a fix as weddings and corporate conferences remained cancelled after social gathering was prohibited due to the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Our business has been hit hard and fast by the rapid escalation of the virus across the country and the globe. Our business is 100 percent down. We will die unnatural death if the lockdown continues like this," said Sajid Iqbal, an event manger who also runs Kohinoor Decorators.

As the pandemic has put brakes on banquets and halls conducting weddings across the state, the people who had pre-booked marriage destinations for April and May this year have started cancelling their programmes from the second week of March.

"Earlier in March, we sent a letter to those who had booked our hall for marriage or other purpose. The letter mentioned either to postpone the scheduled programme for March/April or defer it. Our clients have crossed their fingers for upcoming marriages in May, June and July," said Md. Azizul Haque, general secretary of Humayun Kabir Institute (a renowned marriage house in Park Circus).

February-March is the most preferred wedding season because of the mild climate during these months and as a result is the busiest time of the year for wedding planners.

"All the corporate meetings and marriages scheduled to be held in our banquet have remained cancelled. Usually if our client cancels without a valid reason, we don't repay the advance we take because of various operational costs. However, due to the COVID-19 scenario, we have to repay their advance. To be frank, this year would be the worst ever for the state when we talk about marriage management and destination weddings," said Wasim Akram, general manager of Mangalam Banquets in JBS Haldane Avenue.