8:30am – 2:30pm
Pollstar | Google Demo Room
Le Chateau

Join Pollstar’s CTO Dan Martin, boxoffice editor Brad Rogers and the team from Google for an informal Q&A and overview of Pollstar Data. Attendees can learn how to report to Pollstar’s Boxoffice, Route Book and Directory Databases, and get a preview and demonstrations of Google DEMAND, Pollstar Data Cloud and other new developments in live entertainment analytics.

As co-founder of Rolling Loud, hip-hop’s largest music festival, Tariq Cherif has quickly made a mark on the North American live urban music scene. Always a fan first, Cherif’s music career began in 2009 as an artist, producer, and intern at a recording studio before realizing that being a creative was not his destiny. In October 2010, Cherif co-founded Dope Entertainment with partner Matt Zingler and quickly grew it to become Florida’s leading hip-hop concert promotions company, launching Rolling Loud in 2015. Cherif will discuss plans to expand the brand nationally and internationally, diversify ancillaries including merchandising and media, and venture into artist management.

Tariq Cherif, Co-founder, Rolling Loud Festival
Interviewed by: Ryan Borba, Managing Editor, Pollstar

Once upon a time, labels would dependably bankroll the touring efforts of developing artists to ensure they brought their sound (and new songs) to the people (recoupable, of course), and also provide whatever support needed to more established artists when they toured, all geared toward tapping into the energy and attention of live to stimulate album sales. While that’s an oversimplification of sorts, it is true that tours for contemporary artists were invariably scheduled around record releases; artists toured to support the new album. As the financial model for labels has been radically disrupted in the digital age, that traditional dynamic has, to a large degree, flipped, and touring has become the leading revenue producer for most artists today. Yet, while still on parallel courses, the agendas of labels and touring stakeholders remain the same: build an artist into a superstar. In a Pollstar Live! first, label executives (and a couple of touring guys) will discuss the evolving relationship between labels and live.

Moderator:
Sam Alpert, SVP, Marketing, Paradigm Talent Agency
Speakers:
Jonathan Eshak, Partner, Mick Management
Harlan Frey, SVP, Touring & Artist Development, Atlantic Records
Ethiopia Habtemariam, President, Motown Records
Michelle Jubelirer, COO, Capitol Music Group
Keith Sarkisian, Agent, WME
Brad Wavra, SVP, Touring, Live Nation

Someday soon, every sporting, music, e-sport, and live event will have cannabis concessions. Want to learn how to get a head start?

The integration of legal cannabis into the live events industry is one of the fastest growing partnerships currently developing. Cannabis is already legal at events in California and Michigan… and your state is bound to be next! In a conversation about this fascinating relationship, panelists from the live event, cannabis, and regulatory industries will discuss the current state and future of cannabis at events. Learn how to get ahead of the game and bring cannabis to your event.

Moderator:
Jim Lewi, Special Projects, Red Light Ventures
Speakers:
Lori Ajax, Chief, Bureau of Cannabis Control
Dustin Moore, Partner, Axiom Advisors, Inc.
Caroline Phillips, President, The High Street PR & Events
Steve Welkom, COO, Another Planet Entertainment

The global venue landscape evolves, adapts and expands every year, from the club to stadium level. Regulations, security, booking opportunities, and cultural dynamics shift, new venues come online, existing venues renovate, and new markets (and artists to play them) emerge with sparkling new venues but untested capabilities. For those in the business of routing tours, keeping abreast of the range and specifics of potential plays is a full-time job. A panel of international venue perspectives will weigh in on the state of the global venues industry for 2020 with takes on booking and programming, promotion, market conditions, sponsorships, and the global touring marketplace.

Moderator:
Brian Kabatznik, EVP, International Facilities, Oak View Group
Speakers:
Michael Brill, CEO, Dusseldorf LIVE
Ashish Hemrajani, CEO & BookMyShow (India)
Lucy Noble, Artistic and Commercial Director, Royal Albert Hall
James Taylor, Senior Commercial Manager, Wembley Arena
John Boyle, President, Live Nation Japan

Born in London, Sophie Lobl made her way to the United States following her Bachelor’s at Leeds University, launching her career in entertainment at Radio 1, where she worked as an assistant producer on shows such as Annie Mac, Zane Lowe and Mistajam, to name a few. Next up was William Morris Endeavor, where Lobl where advanced from reception to working with Endeavor’s Russell Warby, Ari Emanuel and, ultimately, World Music Head Marc Geiger in L.A. Following much persuasion to move to Texas, Lobl took her game to Austin to work for C3 Presents in the new role of Global Festival Buyer. She now works closely with Live Nation’s EU team, aggregating artist offers for 197 festivals domestically and abroad, including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza Stockholm, and the various international Lollapaloozas. Sophie is also Director of Campground experiences at Bonnaroo, where she curates and manages 12 stages in the campgrounds.

Sophie Lobl, Global Festival Buyer, C3 Presents
Interviewed by: Marc Geiger, Head of Music, William Morris Endeavor

11:15am-12:15pm
Roundtable Sessions
Whittier Room

Marketing/Promotion:
Safety & Security: Mary Haskett, Blink & James Brett, APPIX
The Future of Open Ticket Marketplaces: Jeff Poirer, GM, Music & Theatre North America, StubHub & Barry Rudin, Owner, Barry’s Tickets & Ant Taylor, CEO, Lyte
Venues (Arenas/Stadiums)
Venues (Clubs/Theaters)
Branding Sponsorship 101 (Separate Room): Marcie Allen, MAC Presents & Kacie Lehman, Senior Vice President of Partnerships, MAC Presents
What 5G Means to the Live Biz: Dave MacDonald, Director of Strategy, AT&T
Legal/Risk Management: Paul Bassman, President/CEO, Ascend Insurance Brockerage & Tim Epstein, Partner, Duggan Bertsch, LLC
Touring in an Election Year: Emily White, Founding Partner, Collective Entertainment, Inc. & Christopher Moon, 46 For 46
Merch/Concessions: Dan Goldberg, SVP, Artist Services, Warner Music Group & Dell Furano, Founder, Epic Rights
Fan Engagement Roundtable: Kate Lieberman, VP Guest Services, Live Nation & Don White, CEO & Co-Founder, Satisfi Labs
Sustainability Roundtable: Lucy August-Perna, Manager, Venue Sustainability, Live Nation & Michael Martin, Founder & CEO, RCup

*Coffee Sponsored by Barclays Center*

12:15pm-1:30pm
LUNCH
Wilshire Gardens & Oasis Courtyard

Moderator:
Billy Brill, CEO, Billy Alan Productions
Speakers:
Jay Byrd, Music Agent, CAA
Andrew Blank, Casino Division Director & Promoter, C3 Presents
Billy Conn, Talent Buyer, Live Nation
Paul Davis, VP, Entertainment/Booking & Development, MGM Resorts
Dan Pferschy, Director of Entertainment, Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage
Seth Shomes, Head of Casino Division, Music & Non-Traditional Touring, UTA

From South Korea’s BTS breaking box office records, BLACKPINK wowing fans at Coachella, to Japan’s Babymetal making headlines as the first Asian act to top the Rock Albums chart, K-pop and J-pop have never been hotter. The Pollstar data confirms the power, but some still question the depth and breadth of the appeal of K-Pop and J-Pop in terms of international and domestic markets. Can it work everywhere? What defines a potential hotbed? How is this music best marketed and promoted as a live attraction? What is the passion barometer for selling tickets? This panel will examine how K-pop and J-pop artists have risen from niche fan bases to worldwide sensations, and what other artists and their teams can learn from the fervor surrounding the genre’s superstars.

Moderator:
Sarah Pittman, Pollstar.com / Pollstar Daily Pulse Editor, Pollstar
Speakers:
Ashley Choi, Global Music Management Consulting, Kpop
Steve Dixon, Music Tour Management
David Zedeck, Global Head of Music, UTA

The popularity of live music is fully a global phenomenon in 2020, with artists owning global footprints and taking worldwide tours and album launches to market. At the same time, the live entertainment space remains one of the most robust and growing categories for brands to raise awareness, increase revenue and own a more global presence. So how do brands, events, artists, and tours, best tap into the opportunities presented by live music events, be they one-off concerts, tours passing through several countries and territories, or festivals, venues, etc. Topics to be discussed include what sort of opportunities are out there, how best to engage fans at these events, what is expected from both parties, how can brand messaging transcend cultural, language, political, and other boundaries, where is this space going, and what is the range of commitment required.

Moderator: Andrew Hampp, Founder, 1803 LLC
Speakers:
Marcie Allen, President, MAC Presents
Rob Beckham, CEO & President, The AMG
Nathan Gregory, Agent, Music Brand Partnerships, CAA
Robyn Eagle, Innovation Marketing, Acura

2:15pm-2:30pm
Coffee Break

Multi-platinum RCA Nashville singer/songwriter Chris Young belongs to some exclusive clubs, including the iconic Grand Ole Opry, as well as artists with 2 Billion on-demand streams, 12 million singles sold, 11 career No. 1 singles, 17 Gold/Platinum/Multi-Platinum certified projects, and multiple GRAMMY, CMA and ACM noms. As a consistent ticket-seller and headliner at amphitheaters, arenas and festivals, Young drew more than 400,000 fans in 2019. As he tees up his next tour in support of his 8th album, Young will discuss the arc of his increasingly global career with one of Nashville’s most successful and visionary executives, Rob Beckham, President/CEO of the fast-growing Nashville management firm The AMG (and former co-head of WME Nashville) for a session that will shed light on where country music is today, the art and craft of live performance, and where this powerful, instinctive artist and his music are bound.

Interviewed by: Rob Beckham, CEO & President, The AMG

3:15pm-5:15pm
Agents Live

8:00pm-10:00pm
31st Annual Pollstar Awards
International Ballroom

*Presented by Live Nation*
Hosted by Whitney Cummings