CIC 2006 Update

The CIC has made alternate hotel arrangements for delegates who did not register in time to make reservations February 13-15 at the Green Valley Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

One bedroom suites at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, the new luxury hotel tower at the southern end of the Las Vegas strip, can be reserved at a rate of $249 to $259. The CIC also has rooms for $129 at the adjacent pyramid-shaped Luxor. A shuttle bus service will be provided between the hotels and Green Valley.

The conference program is being put together with an eye toward the issues we will all face in the future. We’ll leave it to others to rehash the same topics that were covered last year.

Among this year’s subjects will be the dramatic changes in the corporate landscape of the concert industry as we enter 2006. If you think it’s been a wild ride since Robert Sillerman rode into town, hold onto your hat because even bigger changes lie ahead.

Technology and the way it will change how everyone does business will be examined in two different sessions.

The cell phone alone has already had a huge impact on the live music business. Remember the days when cameras and recording devices were banned from shows? The industry didn’t discuss this operational change; technology just made it happen. And that’s the tip of the iceberg.

The rapid opening of China and other Asian markets to Western entertainment will be the subject of a panel. Some of the world’s biggest markets are up for grabs and major players like Clear Channel are already making moves.

The Gulf Coast hurricanes underlined the fact that when disaster strikes, venue operators and public event producers are thrust into the front lines. A major session on dealing with disasters, something we all know can happen anywhere, will be discussed with an eye toward the lessons learned from Katrina.

The hugely successful mentor sessions will be held again this year. Already confirmed are Rob Light, Peter Grosslight, Fred Bohlander, Larry Magid, Brian Murphy, Jon Stoll, Beckye Levin, Debra Rathwell and Michael Marion.

For more details and registration information, go to www.PollstarOnline.com/CIC2006.