Pollstar Live! 2019

Schedule

Monday, February 11

5:30pm-7:00pm

Pollstar Live! 2019 Opening Reception

Wilshire Ballroom & Gardens

Sponsored by UT – Austin Arena

Tuesday, February 12

International Ballroom

WELCOME REMARKS

Irving Azoff, Co-Founder, Oak View Group
Tim Leiweke, CEO & Co-Founder, Oak View Group

9:45am-10:30am

International Ballroom

I’M WITH THE BAND: The Trials and Tribulations of a Touring Musician

They say they don’t get paid to perform, they get paid to travel. The life of a touring musician is unique in entertainment culture. Their names don’t reside at the top of the marquee, they often don’t reap the fame and fortune bestowed upon the “stars” of the show, and they frequently spend much of their evenings laboring away from the spotlight. Yet, few stakeholders in the touring equation have as much to do with the relative success or failure of a show as the touring musicians who make magic on stage. Despite this, those in the live music industry rarely hear their perspective—until now. Pollstar Live! 2019 proudly welcomes some of live music’s most skilled and creative musicians for a candid roundtable about what it’s like to be with the band.

Moderator:
Tamara Conniff, Executive Vice President, Roc Nation Music Publishing

Speakers:
Brendan Buckley, Shakira
Steve Ferrone, The Heartbreakers
David Lindley, Jackson Browne Band
Crystal Taliefero, Vocalist/Percussionist/Producer, Billy Joel band, Bruce Springsteen Band
Brett Tuggle, Award-winning Composer, Multi-instrumentalist, Fleetwood Mac

10:30am-11:00am

International Ballroom

The Rainmakers: The Next 30 Years I

Intimate, candid Q&A with visionary executives that could have a profound impact on the live entertainment industry in the next decade.

Interviewed by: Nikki Sixx

With: Alissa Pollack, EVP, Global Music Marketing, iHeartMedia

11:00am-11:15am
Coffee Break
Sponsored by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

11:15am-12:00pm

International Ballroom

Whither The 360?

A decade ago, 360 deals, also known as “multi-rights,” were the talk of the industry, as artists ranging from Madonna to Jay-Z to U2 and beyond had locked into long-term touring agreements that included rights well beyond the box office, and labels began routinely signing acts to contracts that included a piece of merch, touring, and other revenue streams. In the years hence, most all label contracts at least begin with the inclusion of rights beyond recorded content, and multi-“360” deals rarely draw much attention. So what is the current status of the 360 phenomenon? Have labels learned enough about the live business to add value and warrant a cut? And have artists and managers found ways to navigate the multi rights landscape that lead to career growth and economic development? We will come at this from various perspectives in what is sure to be a fascinating discussion.

Moderator:
Elliot Groffman, Partner, Carroll Guido Groffman Cohen Bar & Karalian, LLP

Speakers:
Denise Colletta , Senior Vice President/Team Leader, Entertainment Division, City National Bank
Bruce Eskowitz, COO, Red Light Management
Harlan Frey, SVP Touring & Artist Development, Atlantic Records
Natalia Nastaskin, General Manager, Global Music Group, UTA
Lillian Williams, Principal, O’Neil Hagaman, LLC

11:15am-12:00pm

Beverly Hills Ballroom

Boutique Festivals & The Rise of Artist Curation

As the headliner-driven major destination festival market comes to terms with maturity and fierce competition for both acts and fans in the post-boom marketplace, creative festival producers, artists, and the fans themselves have found a sweet spot in the world of boutique festivals and artist-branded live events. These events, typically with attendance of 30,000 or less, appeal to fans in a culture of music streaming, where curation is king and artist-endorsement is the seal of approval that fans trust. While risk is inherent in producing live events, these smaller events provide an opportunity for independent producers and allows artists to pursue creative vision beyond the studio and stage, benefitting artist development in the process. Agents, promoters and artists immersed in this world will discuss where the market is headed in a world where new artist-curated events increasingly dot the landscape.

Sponsored by L-Acoustics

Moderator:
Sophie Lobl, Global Festival Talent Buyer, C3 Presents

Speakers:
Dan Berkowitz, CEO, CID Entertainment
Steve Gordon, United Talent Agency
Kevin Griffin, Partner & Co-Founder, Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
Seth Kallen, Manager, X Ambassadors
Cheryl Pagliani, United Talent Agency
Heather Vantress, General Manager, Synergy Global Entertainment

11:15am-12:00pm

Wilshire Ballroom—International Track in association with Midem

How Best to Navigate Fluctuating Economies, Political Minefields & Diverse Cultures

The opportunities for artists to develop globally have never been more abundant, as emerging markets around the world join established territories in South America, Western Europe, and the Pacific Rim. In this age of global pop superstars, social media-driven international breakouts, world-wide accessibility of DJs, and music unhampered by language barriers or borders, Western artists account for the entire globe when setting up album/tour cycles. Even so, the international market is rocked by uncertainty. Is there a chance that political unrest, economic instability, travel restrictions, and dangerous security issues could chill what should be the best of times for international touring career development. The world’s leading global touring minds and career stakeholders will break down the complex puzzle of international touring and ways to navigate the myriad security issues, political hurdles, censorship, and effective global touring models in this uncertain era.

Speakers:
Carl Breau, CEO, Saimen Entertainment
Tony Goldring, Partner, WME
John Reid, President, Live Nation Europe-Concerts
Chistoph Scholz, Director, Non-Traditional Touring & Exhibitions, Semmel Concerts
David Zedeck, Global Head of Music, UTA

12:00pm-1:30pm
LUNCH

Wilshire Gardens & Oasis Gardens 

12:00pm-1:15pm

International Networking Session

Executive Meeting Center

Sponsored by Semmel Concerts

1:30pm-2:15pm

International Ballroom

Voting in Concert: How Promoters, Artists, and You Can Make Political & Social Change

The political landscape is wilder than ever. One can often wonder what we can do in the live industry to get involved. This panel will inform you on just that. From registering and encouraging fans to vote, to raising funds for social causes through a simple ticket add-on, #iVoted Founder Emily White will lead us through the great work accomplished by these artists and promoters during the 2018 Election. Hear what they made happen to learn how you can activate audiences by engaging fans for 2020 and beyond

Moderator:
Emily White, #iVoted & Collective Entertainment

SPEAKERS:
Jim James, My Morning Jacket
Marika Shaw, Former Member, Arcade Fire, CEO/Founder, PLUS1
Andy Bernstein, HeadCount
Margaret Galton, C3 Presents

2:15pm-2:45pm

International Ballroom

A Conversation with George Clinton

2:45pm-3:15pm

International Ballroom

The Rainmakers: The Next 30 Years II
Intimate, candid Q&A with visionary executives that could have a profound impact on the live entertainment industry in the next decade.

Interviewed by: Ryan Borba, Manging Editor, Pollstar
With: Matt Urmy, CEO, Artist Growth

3:15pm-3:30pm
Coffee Break

Sponsored by: Gibson Dunn

3:30pm-4:15pm

International Ballroom

Crafting The Perfect Deal: The Next Era in Venue/Content Relations

When it comes to venue/promoter/agent relations, not much is as it was. The days of handing over the keys and slicing the pie consistently are long gone. Everything is negotiable. Adding to the complexity, music business sectors, including PROs, labels, and other areas not traditionally associated with the live business, are attempting to tap into the live boom by making moves to cash in or grow their piece. Previously untouchable caches are now part of the discussion, the question is who has to live with a smaller piece? Pros in the deal-making trenches will take on premium and suites, sponsorships, performance rights, merch fees, licensing, rental agreements and other deal points in a music business geek-out.

Moderator:
Ray Waddell, President, Media & Conferences, Oak View Group

Speakers:
Tony Castañeda, Director of Touring, CMN
Kate Dordick, Director, Arena Booking, Spectrum Center
Ken Fermaglich, UTA
Greg Oswald, William Morris Endeavor
Beth Paul, General Manager, Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Emily Simonitsch, Senior Vice President Talent, Live Nation North American Concerts

3:30pm-4:15pm

Beverly Hills Ballroom

Living in a Post-Warped World: What’s Next?

For over 20 years, the Vans Warped Tour was the summer home of punk rock and all its various incarnations, turning thousands of kids on to not only the legends of the genre but also the hottest new bans in the scene. With Warped announcing that it was logging its last run in 2018, what becomes of the scene? Labels, managers and promoter/producers, including Warped founder Kevin Lyman, will take on the subject of indie rock’s next chapter in terms of artist development, branding/sponsorships, multi-act tours, and a void in the marketplace.

Moderated by:
Mike Marquis, Paradigm Talent Agency

Speakers:
Kevin Lyman, CEO, Kevin Lyman Group
Evangelia Livanos, Owner, Synergy Artist Management , Co-Founder, Public Consumption Recording Company
Barbara (Babz) Szabo, Co-Founder, Emo Nite
Andy Serrao, GM, Fearless Records

3:30pm-4:15pm

Wilshire Ballroom- International Track in association with Midem

International Festivals: Juicing Up a Mature Marketplace

Long the mainstay of the global summer concert season, many established festivals are entering their third and fourth decades and are faced with the challenge of staying relevant and vital in the consciousness of live music consumers and a constantly-changing musical landscape. Agents and fest producers take a look at mature and developing festival markets and thriving music territories for each genre in an overview of the global festival economy.

Moderator:
Greg Parmley, Managing Director, ILMC

Speakers:
John Boyle, President, Live Nation Japan
Thomas Dürr, CEO, ACT Entertainment
Stuart Galbraith, Kilimanjaro Live!
Leca Guimarães, International Director, C3 presents
Jan Quiel, Wacken Open Air
Beatrice Stirnimann, CEO, Baloise Session

4:15pm-5:00pm
“The Great Slump of ’09” — What We Learned 10 Years On (And How Do We Stop it from Happening Again?)

International Ballroom

Driven by an overall economic downturn and no small degree of fan revolt, the Great Slump of ’09 interrupted a string of record years for the global touring industry with double digit declines in both concert attendance and box office revenue. The industry was caught off guard, leading to a stream of cancellations, postponements, “reconfigurations,” and massive discounting. Seared now into the collective consciousness of those in the game, the industry-wide downturn led to a reboot of ticket pricing, marketing, value propositions, and decentralization that empowered local promoter offices and zeroed in on the consumer. Out of the rubble the industry moved into to what is now nothing short of a golden era for live entertainment, causing some to worry if the lessons learned a decade ago are being forgotten or ignored. Industry stakeholders who lived through the bloodbath of the late 2000s will discuss the warning signs, what we learned, and how we make sure history does not repeat itself.

Moderated by:
Joey “Vendetta” Scoleri, Head of Industry Relations, Live Nation Canada

Speakers:
Michele Bernstein, Partner, WME
Marty Diamond, Paradigm
Alex Hodges, Nederlander Concerts
Rob Prinz, ICM Partners
Bob Roux, President, U.S. Concerts, Live Nation
Andrew Simon, Music Agent, CAA

5:00pm-5:45pm

The Conversation

With:
Dave Grohl, 16x Grammy-winning Musician
Michael Rapino, President & CEO, Live Nation Entertainment

Wednesday, February 13

9:30am-10:00am
The Rainmakers: The Next 30 Years III

International Ballroom

Intimate, candid Q&A with visionary executives that could have a profound impact on the live entertainment industry in the next decade.

Interviewed by:
Pam Matthews, Executive Director, IEBA
With:
Justin Burleigh, Chief Product Officer, Ticketmaster

10:00am- 10:45am

International Ballroom

Diversity & Inclusion: What Inclusion Riders Mean for the Touring Community

As the entertainment industry at large increasingly strives to become more inclusive as a whole, the live music sector is grappling with how to become more diverse across the board, from tour personnel to those who promote, market, produce and present live entertainment. Though improved from the white-male-dominated days of its formative years, most would agree that the concert industry still has a long way to go towards being a truly diverse business in terms of opportunity, leadership and its overall makeup.  On this session we’ll hear from live music professionals who are focusing time, energy and resources on making live a more diverse and inclusive industry, including best practices and implementation of inclusion riders.

MODERATOR:
Corrie Christopher Martin, Paradigm Talent Agency

Speakers:
Rosa Asciolla, Head of North America Artist & Label Marketing, Spotify
Christy Castillo Butcher
Kevin Shivers, Partner Agent, WME
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Founder & Director, Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

10:00am -10:45am

Beverly Hills Ballroom

Mobile Marketing for Live Events: The Best and the Worst Tactics & Strategy

Today’s concert-goers consider their mobile device another appendage. For most, the device is where they find news, learn about events, find and communicate with their friends through social media and, for many, watch the show. Yet, venues, promoters, sponsors and the live entertainment community at large have still yet to fully activate the golden opportunity these devices present in regard to engaging fans, maximizing revenue, and selling tickets. A panel of mobile-savvy execs will discuss ways to communicate with fans in effective ways before, during, and after live events, with an emphasis more on marketing than on tech.

Moderated By:
Gogi Gupta, Gupta Media

Speakers:

John Bollen, Chief Digital Officer, Mobilitie
Mark DiMaurizio, VP, Strategic Consulting, KPI
Kat Frederick, Executive VP, Ticketmaster
Julia Heiser, Live Nation
Brian Kaplan, VP, em.co
Fabrice Sergent, Managing Partner of Bandsintown

Wilshire Ballroom – International Track in association with Midem

Challenges Faced in Global Ticketing

A roundup of issues, challenges, opportunities, and innovation/development around the global ticketing sector, with emphasis on UK/Europe, and the Far East, and issues specific to international ticketing. The session will cover technological advances in ticketing distribution and on-sales, secondary and security issues, venue and promoter relations, and touch on fan clubs/VIP, pre-sales, and other topics related to the global ticketing sector.

Moderator:
Biasha Mitchell, Global Music Strategy, Eventbrite

Speakers:
David Goldberg, Senior Advisor, TPG
Ashish Hemrajani, CEO, BookMyShow, India (MUST CONFIRM)
Annika Monari, Co-Founder, Aventus
Andrew Parsons, Managing Director, Ticketmaster UK
Rob Wilmshurst, CEO, See Tickets / Digitick

With Coffee & Refreshments Sponsored by Barclays Center

10:45am-11:45am
Marketing 101 with MAC Presents
Featuring:
Marcie Allen, President & Founder, MAC Presents
Lizzie Daniel, EVP, Partnerships, MAC Presents
Kacie Lehman, SVP, Partnerships, MAC Presents

11:45am-1:15pm

Wilshire Gardens & Oasis Courtyard

Lunch

Sponsored by Scotiabank Arena

International Ballroom

So These Two Guys Walk Into A Stadium: A Conversation with Arthur Fogel & Louis Messina

Reputation meets eXPERIENCE + Innocence. Man of the Woods meets Songs for the Saints. Not Dead Yet meets On The Run II. You get the picture. Arthur Fogel, chairman of global music and president of global touring for Live Nation Entertainment, and Louis Messina, CEO of Messina Touring Group, are indisputably two of the most successful promoters in the history of live entertainment. In 2018, Messina and Fogel’s tours grossed a combined $1.2 billion according to Pollstar, which tops the annual GDP of 15 countries (according to World Bank stats). In 2018, Messina-produced tours by Ed Sheehan, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, and others, and Fogel-steered tours by U2, Beyonce/Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Phil Collins and Sting & Shaggy moved over 10 million tickets combined! In an unprecedented meeting of concert promotion titans, Messina and Fogel will sit down with OVG’s Ray Waddell for a can’t-miss Pollstar Live! exclusive.

MODERATOR:
Ray Waddell, president, Media & Conferences, OVG

With:
Arthur Fogel, Chairman of Global Music & President of Global Touring,
Live Nation Entertainment
Louis Messina, CEO, Messina Touring Group

Beverly Hills Ballroom

The Truth About Blockchain
As one of the industry’s most most-used buzzwords of the past year, “blockchain” is either the hype of the century, ticketing’s savior or, most likely, something in between. The promises made by blockchain-enthusiasts sound almost too good to be true: transparency, control to a degree that eliminates ticket fraud, as well as precise and swift remuneration of rights holders. Skeptics point to licensing issues, as well as the fact that the technology isn’t fast enough to handle the millions of transactions that customers make when buying tickets every day.

So which one is it? A nerdy tech innovation that promises disruption, but is unable to meet the ticketing industry’s technological demands? Or the answer to the prayers of those who think both the primary and secondary ticketing markets are in desperate need for change. We’ll dig in at Pollstar Live’s first panel on this fascinating technology.

Moderator: Waco Hoover, Co-Founder, XLIVE

Speakers:

Kevin Hartz, Chairman, Eventbrite
Sandy Khaund, VP Blockchain Products, Ticketmaster
Steve Machin, Fan Dragon
Shiv Madan, Block Party
Dan Teree, COO, Tari
Alan Vey,Co-Founder, Aventus

Wilshire Ballroom—International Track in association with Midem

Where are the New Venue Opportunities Around the World?

The math is simple: the number of artists that want to play the world, and fans that want to see them, outnumber the venues that can accommodate them. Global venue development to counter that devoid is at an all-time high, with new venues open for business, others scheduling their grand openings, and ever more on the drawing board. At the same time, existing venues around the globe are upping their game to increase competitive viability. Global live entertainment venue specialists will update global venue development, market potential, specific opportunities, and the challenges of getting these new venues their spot on the route book.

Moderator:
Paul Korzilius, Bon Jovi Management, Consultant, Oak View Group

Speakers:
Ron Kaplan, Senior Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
Helen Glengarry, Head of Performances, Venues Wellington, NZ (TSB Arena, Opera House, Michael Fowler Centre, Shed 6, St James Theatre)
Debbie McWilliams, SSE Hydro Arena
James Taylor, Senior Commercial Manager, Wembley Stadium

2:00pm-2:30pm

International Ballroom

Rainmakers: The Next 30 Years IV
Intimate, candid Q&A with visionary executives that could have a profound impact on the live entertainment industry in the next decade.

Interviewed by: Andrew Hampp, Founder, 1803 LLC
With: Bozoma Saint John, CMO Endeavor

2:30pm-2:45pm
Coffee Break

Sponsored by Barclays Center

International Ballroom

Keynote Q&A: How to Build a Superstar

Just 20 years-old, Grammy-nominated R&B phenom Khalid has already risen to the Coachella main stage and arena-level headliner, and his remarkable journey is just beginning. Since 2016, Khalid has appeared on 18 songs that reached Billboard’s Hot 100, including three that cracked the top 10. His debut album, 2017’s American Teen, was certified double platinum, and the artist was nominated for five Grammys, including Best New Artist, at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Khalid has also proven a formidable force on the road, claiming a spot on Pollstar’s Year End Top 200 North American Tours for his 2018 tour, which included a sold-out gig at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and led to a coveted spot at Coachella 2019. In his first-ever conference Q&A, Khalid with manager and Right Hand Music Group founder Courtney Stewart, will break down the creative process and strategic moves that have gotten the artist this far, and what’s next, examining the uber-talented young musician’s meteoric rise and Stewart’s role in his upward trajectory.

Interviewed by:
Gail Mitchell, Senior Editor, Billboard

Speakers:
Khalid, 4x Platinum Recording Artist
Courtney Stewart, Founder/ CEO, Right Hand Co., Co-Founder, Keep Cool

Stardust – 8th Floor

7:00pm-8:00pm

Oasis Lounge

30^th Annual Pollstar Live! Pre-Awards Reception

Must have a ticket to the award show or be a Pollstar Live! registrant to attend

International Ballroom