Getting To Know Your Pollstar Live! Panelists: Amy Mendonca

Pollstar Live!, the world’s largest gathering of live entertainment professionals, returns to the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, Feb. 21-23. The three-day conference is a flagship event for Pollstar magazine with compelling keynotes, panels, roundtables and the Pollstar Awards, celebrating the best in the business, along with plenty of opportunities to network and engage in insightful discussions.

Pollstar Live! kicks off with Production Live!, the one-day companion conference that features panels on all topics related to staging live events including lighting, video, stage management, sound technique, concert production, video, regulations, security and more.

Click these links for the Production Live! schedule and the Pollstar Live! schedule. Register for Pollstar Live! here.

Getting To Know Your Pollstar Live! Panelists

Amy Mendonca
Artist Relations at Planet Bluegrass
Panel: Big In Peoria — The Boutique Boom & the Power of Secondary Market Festivals
Date/Time: Wednesday l Feb. 22 l 11:30 a.m.

Why must everyone go to your panel?
The same reason I’m going: Let’s learn from each other.

What story will you tell during the panel?
My realization that planning a 50th lineup is more complex than one might think. Representing 50 years of history and legacy, as well as showcasing fresh new artists, doesn’t leave you with much to work with. Evolving and honoring go hand in hand with Planet Bluegrass. We’re always dancing on a thin line and I bet other folks have similar constraints to work within.

What’s the story you won’t tell?
When and how some of our best brainstorming sessions come about.

What may cause tempers to flare?
My inability to be dishonest and hide my sarcasm. Sometimes I think I’m funnier than I really am.

What was the best part of your 2022?
Planning and strategizing the lineup for RockyGrass 50. So much intent and creativity went into this. We’re really proud of it. And sitting where we do now, now that it was pulled off, I feel really grateful to have been a part of it.

Your predictions for 2023’s live industry highlights?
It’s a fool’s errand to try to predict. We listen to our audiences and artists a good amount. That helps us make educated operational and programming decisions.

Career tentpoles you are most proud of?
Being part of a team that sells out a festival in less than two hours without releasing the lineup. And being part of an independent festival team. Both are rare.