Top industry professionals in the field of promotion will share their experiences and advice in live entertainment marketing, as well as explore the connections between promotion and the ticketing industry, at “Backstage with Promoters”, a panel taking place at this week’s Ticket Summit, to be held at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City.
A number of speakers will share their unique perspectives at the promoters’s panel, including Amanda Pekoe, President of the Pekoe Group. Working in arts management and marketing for years, Pekoe started her own company less than a year ago, now offering her own brand of theatrical marketing and advertising services.
Pekoe recently shared with TicketNews some plans she has for the upcoming panel. “I plan on talking about marketing strategies for different types of theatrical events – how certain aspects of a marketing campaign tend to remain the same for theatre as a whole, while other shows require a different type of strategy for getting the word out.”
Also speaking at the panel will be Sean Healy, CEO of Sean Healy Presents, a talent booking agency based in Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA. While focused primarily on promoting talent local to the area, the company also has booked live performances by more well-known bands like the Psychedelic Furs and George Clinton & P Funk, often getting local bands in to open for these top acts. For his part in the upcoming panel, Healey will focus on the local scene: “I am going to speak about the infrastructure of local groups participating in non sell out national shows and their ability to presale tickets.”
Former promoter, now entertainment attorney Ashwood Kavanna will present as well at the promoters panel. In the fields of management and promotion for 40 years and in entertainment law for 25, Kavanna brings his considerable experience and informed perspective to the panel. He hopes to touch on a variety of areas during his talk, including “group sales, trends [and the] state of recent legislation, adding value, service, and the demise and rebirth of “outbound” sales.”
Also on the roster of speakers is Jeff Allen, co-owner of for Universal Attractions. Allen has been with the urban talent booker for the past 26 years, and as an agent there has represented such artists as James Brown. Chuck La Vallee, head of Music Business Management for StubHub, will speak from his experience in working to create partnerships between musical artists and the ticket reseller in the context of a larger effort to integrate the touring world with the secondary market.
Completing the line-up of industry professionals will be veteran producer Harley Medcalf, Managing Director of Duet Entertainment and Sports, currently lead producer for Broadway’s Burn the Floor, and the A-List Agency’s Jeremiah Younossi, who has managed tours for such artists as 50 Cent and Busta Rhymes, and who counts 2009’s Earth Day concert on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. among his bookings.
“Backstage with Promoters” will be held on Thursday, January 14 from 10 AM to Noon in the North Foyer of the Waldorf=Astoria.