POLLSTAR’S ‘IMPACT 50’ LIST RECOGNIZING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT’S MOST INFLUENTIAL EXECUTIVES TO DEBUT ON MAY 20
Honorees Will Be Celebrated at a Reception in Los Angeles on May 16
Los Angeles, CA – (March 22, 2019) – Pollstar’s May 20 issue will debut the inaugural “Impact 50,” a list conceived to acknowledge the 50 live entertainment executives who will most impact the touring industry in the coming year. The reveal of the debut Impact 50 will be celebrated at a May 16 reception in Los Angeles to coincide with the issue’s street date.
The list will be compiled by the Pollstar editorial team with input from the industry and will take into account such criteria as creativity, innovation, strategic management, financial success, leadership, artist development/career longevity, vision, fan engagement, consistency and commitment to excellence. The list will also be informed by, but not tethered to, Pollstar’s industry-leading live entertainment data and extensive database of touring histories.
“Everybody has an opinion on industry ‘lists,’ but we believe that Pollstar is in a unique position to acknowledge the most impactful people in live entertainment, based on a wide range of criteria and a working definition of what ‘impact’ means in this world,” said Ray Waddell, president of media and conferences for Pollstar parent Oak View Group. “We are confident the list will be both relevant and accurate, but also are more than aware that limiting this list to 50 people in an industry as dynamic and creative as is live entertainment is beyond daunting. As we go through this exercise, we’re already talking about the Impact 75 for next year!”
Although Pollstar is a global brand featuring editorial coverage and data from around the world, the first Impact 50 will be North America-centric, while still taking into account those executives who have global impact. Plans are already underway for an international take on the Impact 50, as well as live-focused lists drilling down on different sectors, including technology, NextGen, Women In Touring, and different genres and disciplines.
Beyond these Pollstar projects, the team at its sister publication VenuesNow will debut the first Venue AllStars/Best Of… editorial package and reception, to be revealed at the VenuesNow Conference in New York in September. The VenuesNow focus will zero in on executives in the venue industry and the various businesses that serve them. Additionally, VenuesNow’s Women Of Influence will return to the annual IAVM Conference set for Chicago in July.
In February, the annual Pollstar Live! Conference broke records for the largest live music conference in history. A conversation between 16-time Grammy-winner Dave Grohl and Live Nation Entertainment President/CEO Michael Rapino was among the standing room only sessions, while numerous industry executives, superstar artists and touring musicians took the stage over the conference’s three days, culminating in the Pollstar Live! Awards. Ed Sheeran Foo Fighters, Beyoncé & Jay-Z and Taylor Swift were among the Award winners at the Beverly Hilton.
“We continue to position Pollstar and VenuesNow, and their various platforms and conferences, as the symbolic ‘town hall’ of the global live entertainment industry, and that includes recognizing the top achievers and innovators in the business at our conferences, awards, and in our pages,” said Waddell. “We are only limited by the boundless creativity, intellect and energy of our readers, which means we have no limits.”
Nominations for the Pollstar Impact 50 are being accepted at https://www.pollstar.com/impact50
ABOUT POLLSTAR
Since its founding in 1981, Pollstar has been the only dedicated trade publication covering the worldwide concert industry. Pollstar data is the leading resource for the touring industry encompassing box office numbers, routing and directories. Pollstar produces a weekly print magazine, publishes daily content to Pollstar.com and its "Daily Pulse” e-newsletter, and executes the world largest gathering of live music industry professionals Pollstar Live! which in 2019 celebrated its 30th anniversary. The annual conference features the industry's most important executives and thought leaders on a variety of panels, keynotes and networking opportunities. The conference culminates with the Pollstar Awards! which highlight the most impactful companies, executives, tours, and achievements over the past year.
ABOUT OAK VIEW GROUP:
Oak View Group (OVG), Pollstar’s parent company, is a global advisory, development and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industries. Based in Los Angeles, OVG is helmed by its CEO Tim Leiweke and backed by The Azoff Company. OVG comprises of a sponsorship/partnership company, a consulting division, a venue security company, a media division, a venture fund/equity division and an Arena Alliance. The Arena Alliance is designed to serve a select group of leading facilities with access to unprecedented scale and resources through sponsorship optimization, untapped revenue streams, insights and access to premier sports and live entertainment content.
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CONTACT:
Scoop Marketing for Pollstar
Larry Solters, solters@solters.com, 818-761-6100
Erik Stein, estein@solters.com, 818-761-4645
