Live From The Concert Industry Consortium

CIC 2006 opened Monday with a sold-out crowd at Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas.

Panels were packed the first day and set the tone for the days to come. Whether the topic was technology or talent buying, the focus was decidedly on the future. Here’s a taste of the goings-on.

The sponsorship panel, moderated by Kathy Armistead of William Morris Agency, centered on a new way to use text messaging during concerts, where audience members can communicate with each other on a video screen. The panel featured an interactive text messaging demo that illustrated how sponsors can deliver their brands directly to the audience.

Does the band/promoter history stay with the venue, the individual promoter, or the concert company? High Road Touring agent Matt Hickey led a panel of New York City promoters in a lively discussion during the History is History But Nobody Pays to See the Promoter panel.

The crowded NYC market provided some particularly pointed examples of how the new generation of promoters is working to invigorate and evolve their side of the business.

The day’s sessions wrapped with Live Nation chief Michael Rapino’s keynote address, “Fan Obsessed.” It turns out that he is, in fact, obsessed with learning everything possible about the fan and using that information to grow the live entertainment industry.

Tuesday’s activities feature round table discussions, the inaugural Bookers Bowl hosted by Seth Hurwitz, and the Ian Copeland Invitational Poker Tournament, which has already attracted Alex Hodges, Sting, Randy Phillips, Jon Stoll, Marc Geiger, Seth Hurwitz, Danny Zelisko, Arny Granat, Andy Somers, John Huie, Buck Williams, Rob Light, Michael Rapino, Gregg Perloff, Michael Chugg Mike McGinley, Larry Vallon, James L. Nederlander, Michael Gudinski, Phil Rodriguez, John Dittmar, Jon Stoll, Steve Ferguson, Ron Delsner, Andy Hewitt and Brent Smith.