2023 Women of Live: Maureen Valker-Barlow

EVP of Partnerships | Danny Wimmer Presents
President | BrandMark Agency

Danny Wimmer Presents came back strong in 2022 and this year is looking even better as the indie festival producer has announced spectacular lineups for its popular events such as Bourbon & Beyond and Aftershock, and Maureen Valker-Barlow has had a hand in the success of the company.

“We worked hard to define our post-COVID culture, and the result has been a team that has focused clarity on both company and career goals,” Valker-Barlow, executive vice president of partnerships for Danny Wimmer Presents and president of BrandMark Agency, tells Pollstar. “We recently came back from a three-day corporate retreat that really set the tempo for 2023 and provided great motivation for the team to work together to win for our fans.”

Valker-Barlow is known for creating original experiential marketing activations that resonate with fans and create lasting brand loyalty, and she expects to continue building relationships with partner companies to develop unique experiences for fans.

“Specifically in sponsorship, we developed a multi-faceted partnership marketing campaign for our client, Zelle, at our festival Bourbon & Beyond last September,” says Varlker-Barlow. “The partnership featured an on-site restaurant complete with intimate artist performances, bourbon tastings and other exclusive offerings to fans who unlocked the perks through a pre-festival promotional lead in campaign.”

She says that she’s thrilled to be a part of DWP’s growth and hopes the company continues to promote equality and diversity.

“At DWP, the department heads are 50% females and committed to continue to support this growth and equality inside of the business,” she says. “I’ve been really impressed with the strong pool of female talent that continues to make great achievements in the live industry.”

With a leadership role, Valker-Barlow takes the lessons from her aunt Sue, an executive in the food industry, and passes them on to her team.

“The quality of the other senior leadership here really pushes each of us to excel and to support one another,” she says. “The best advice I can give is if you work hard and find joy in the process, the career growth will take care of itself.”