An events company has gone virtual in a bid to keep trading during the downturn.
Premier Events, in Leicester, has created a lockdown studio that clients can use to produce films or do live broadcasts.
It can be used for anything from board meetings to AGMs, training sessions, awards ceremonies, product launches and even fashion shows.
And as restrictions ease the business hopes to be able to open up the studio to the public to make Tik Tok videos or even play computer games in an immersive setting.
Ben McCarthy, who owns the business with wife Claire, said the Hybrid Event Studio, in Thurmaston on the edge of Leicester, has enough socially distanced space for 20 people and only needs two people to operate.
In all it has around 1,500 sq ft of space and enough room on stage for five people.
The set-up has a 10m backdrop with a video wall and the business has also invested in new camera equipment.
Ben said pre-lockdown, Premier was doing production and event management for global brands, including car launches, conferences and awards dinners for up to 1,300 people.
The business, which furloughed most of its 24 staff at the start of the outbreak, has even done sound and lighting for big wrestling shows.
He said: 鈥淪ome months it would be lots of jobs, but lower value, and some months a few jobs but high value. But that鈥檚 all gone or postponed.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had things moved to September and October but until we get a bit closer we won鈥檛 really know.
鈥淗opefully work will come back this year and we have people talking about Christmas parties already.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got all the kit and because venues are not open we decided to build our own venue 鈥 it allows clients to come to us.
鈥淭here are separate entrances and exits and we鈥檝e put in hand sanitisers.
鈥淎nyone who uses it will be able to do a bit of live and a bit of recording, and then use that to cut some videos.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kitted out with really good audio-visual equipment and people can safely come in and present their awards or other events. We鈥檝e even had a DJ booked in to do a live festival.鈥
Ben said despite his best efforts to stay afloat, they were still finding it hard to get support under the Government鈥檚 retail, leisure and hospitality grant.
He said they had failed to qualify for help 鈥 potentially worth almost 拢100,000 鈥 because they had not made it onto an approved list.
He said: 鈥淲e would have got 拢25,000 for three units and 拢10,000 for one unit and no business rates for 12 months, and we鈥檙e not going to get anything because we don鈥檛 meet the guidelines.
鈥淭he irony is that people like funeral homes and takeaways do qualify.鈥
