Arthur Fogel, Chairman of Global Music and President of Global Touring, Live Nation

– Arthur Fogel

The Maestros

Executives who have a concept and vision and turn it into a brilliant show or event.

Arthur Fogel,

Chairman of Global Music and President of Global Touring, Live Nation

There may be no touring exec geared up for a bigger 2019 than Arthur Fogel, starting with Madonna’s just-announced “Madame X” tour.

The Queen of Pop is taking a novel approach with theatre underplays and multiples at venues like L.A.’s Wiltern, The Chicago Theatre and Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. Then there’s Sting’s summer European run, Phil Collins’ return to the road and another superstar act he works with – an Irish quartet that owns the record for the highest-grossing tour of all time, one you too may know.

When asked about them, Fogel demures. “I can’t go there on that one,” he says.

But where the head of global touring for the world’s largest promoter can go is how the business has “changed dramatically” since he worked The Rolling Stones’ 1989 Steel Wheels Tour while at Canada’s Concert Productions International with Michael Cohl (this came after stints working at Toronto nightclub the Edge and tour managing Martha & the Muffins).

“Thirty years ago, there were 15 to 18 territories that were part of a routing,” says Fogel.

“Today, a global tour is much closer to that definition because it’s probably 60 countries that come into play. That’s certainly part of the driver to the incredible growth of live in the last 10 to 15 years.”

Fogel’s 2018 was at another level: Jay-Z and Beyonce’s

“On The Run II Tour” grossed a massive $254 million, Justin Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods” tour banked $141 million and U2’s “eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE” run nabbed $126 million, good enough for the third, seventh and ninth highest-grossing worldwide tours of 2018, respectively.

After discussing other touring successes and approaches by artists that include Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott and another of his clients, Lady Gaga, Fogel encapsulates much of his success

and, really, what belies much of this year’s Impact 50. “It really is a great time to be on the live side of the business,” he says. “There’s a whole big world out there.”

Hot Takes

Best/worst career advice:

“Don’t count the other guy’s money.”

Where you can be found during a show:

“Hiding until there is a problem – then I am right there.”

Pet Peeves:

“Not going harder chasing a deal because I let personalities influence my enthusiam.”