Q’s With UTA’s David Zedeck On Midem Live Summit And The Rise Of International

(Courtesy of UTA) –
David Zedeck

David Zedeck, the head of UTA Music, is an ideal panelist for this year’s inaugural Midem Live Summit (which is being presented in association with Pollstar). Having worked for five years as Live Nation’s EVP and president of Global Talent and Artist Development and as an agent at CAA with a power roster that included Justin Timberlake, One Direction, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Ciara, Il Divo and the Jonas Brothers, there are few with as much experience with and perspective on the international touring market .

Pollstar: How important is the international live market to your business and why?
David Zedeck: As an agency, the international live market is vital to extending our clients’ touring cycles and growing their careers. Introducing artists to new markets gives them a chance to build a global fan base and performing allows them to build an emotional bond with fans beyond songs, video or social media. As an artist grows their audience around the world, they become increasingly relevant in areas outside of touring such as film and TV, brand partnerships, books, among others.
 
How have you seen the international live market change over your career?
The rising number of tour markets that exist around the world, for one thing. It’s been fueled by technology and social media and made international touring a priority and an integral part of an artist’s strategy as opposed to just an opportunity.  Technology has revolutionized how quickly music is distributed around the world with digital and streaming having an immediate and simultaneous global impact. What would have taken months or years to develop can now take weeks. Now with the increased amount of international markets available and the growth of the festival business, a tour cycle can now extend up to two years and can easily include 125-150 shows.

What do you consider to be some of your biggest successes in the international market?
Having worked with The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, among others – I’ve been fortunate to watch these artists develop from clubs to arenas to amphitheaters and in some cases stadiums on a global basis. Developing clients is the lifeline of our business. We booked breakout boy band Why Don’t We on their first UK/Europe tour this spring followed by their Southeast Asia debut in summer.  I’m excited to help them grow into global superstars. Throughout my career I’ve traveled artists in multiple genres around the world including pop, hip-hop / R&B, classical crossover, and rock.
 
What challenges do you face in the international live market and what are the solutions?  
Being involved in international means navigating different political climates, currency fluctuations and infrastructure and venue challenges.  As markets grow and develop, infrastructure is becoming less of an issue.  There are also great vendors in staging, sound, lighting, video, and more that have opened across the world, allowing artists to use similar if not the same equipment wherever they go. A lack of venues exists in many markets but there are major players around the world investing in new options. In my experience it’s rare that an artist who wants to perform globally isn’t able to because of an insurmountable issue.

 
You’ll be on this week’s Midem Live Summit panel the “State of Global Touring Opportunities,” what are some of the specific international opportunities you see?
 Over the last three to five years we’ve seen an increase not only in the amount of opportunities and festivals in traditional touring markets, but also in the amount of shows taking place in what were once considered “developing markets.” As markets become more active, they inherently become part of tour planning. Traditional tour markets will remain but there are a number of countries where additional markets will come “on-line.” I look forward to seeing China open to where 6-10 markets become commonplace; major markets in India becoming regular tour stops; and growth in additional cities throughout Mexico, South America and the Middle East. Long term, I believe Africa will become a significant touring territory as many countries in Africa have strong domestic touring artists that will lead to opportunities for international artists. It’s an exciting time for international touring and I see no end to opening potential markets.
 
How has the rise of the international market and globalism impacted U.S. business dealings?
For various reasons that include limited venues in certain markets as well as many international markets going on sale further in advance than North America, we need to secure international routing and international festival offers ahead of a detailed North America routing. We plan, route and build our clients’ tours knowing there are various international anchor dates such as festivals, award shows and events that we want to include in a client’s tour cycle. Additionally, artists will sometimes add shows to their North American tour to extend the tour cycle in order to pick up certain territories or festivals. Some U.S. summer tour routings get compressed or split into legs to accommodate the June-July and/or August European festival season. With so many options available, we start planning these tours further in advance than we have in the past.
 
How does UTA approach the international market? Do you have regional partners or do you have employees in different regions or both?
We have six offices across five time zones from LA to Sweden, so international is relative to where our agents are based and where the client originate. We view music touring as a global business and that’s reflected in the way UTA’s music group works together. There is a great deal of collaboration between our agents in different offices including an office in Miami dedicated to Mexico, Central and South America. This collaborative culture gives our clients a team of agents guiding their touring business around the world.