Pollstar Live! Unveils Panels Covering Outdoor Stage Production & The Next Generation Of Road Warriors

Screenshot 20240130 120644 Gmail 1

The first day of Pollstar Live!, the world’s largest gathering of live entertainment professionals, is set with the announcement of two panels that focus on the production side of the industry.

Production Live!, which kicks off Pollstar Live!, taking place Feb. 6-8 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, bolstered its schedule with the addition of “Outdoor Operations: Stage, Managing, Layout & Production” and “The Next Generation of Road Warriors Lead The Way” panels.

The “Outdoor Operations” discussion will cover the challenges of producing a show in an outdoor setting such as an amphitheater, stadium or festival and will be moderated by Justin Dragoo, a partner at Bottlerock Napa and Latitude 38 Entertainment. Other speakers on the panel include Steven Q. Evans of Show Imaging, Inc., Silent Partner Management’s Dave Frey, Noah Kessler of AREA15 and 313 Presents’ Elmer Straub.

Closing out the first day of panels will be “The Next Generation of Road Warriors,” a conversation led by women working in the industry about the changing of the guard taking place in live entertainment following the shutdowns from 2020. With many titans of the road opting not to return to the industry, a younger and more diverse generation of talent has risen to the occasion to innovate production with new ideas and a “can-do” work ethic. Nurit Smith, executive director of Music Forward Foundation, will moderate the panel, which also features Haley Binder (chief brand officer for KultureCity who works with HAIM and Brandi Carlile), LoBO Productions’ Loreen Bohannon, Meg Miller (Lainey Wilson’s tour manager), independent tour manager Misty Roberts and Jaki Van Hoose of SGPS ShowRig.

Screenshot 20240130 120552 Gmail

Production Live! will also have a keynote Q&A, “A Matter of Trust: The Artist/Crew Dynamic in Tedeschi Trucks Band,” that will be moderated by Ray Waddell, Oak View Group’s president of media and conferences, and features Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of the band, Tour Manager Skip Richman and Production Manager Brian Speiser.

Pollstar Live!, which includes panels, keynote conversations and network opportunities, will tackle issues affecting the opportunities and challenges currently facing live entertainment, including the economy, ticketing, sustainability and technology. Panels announced include “Golden Era 3.0: How Long Will This Boom Last (And What Can We Do to Sustain)?,” “The Role of Artists & The Live Thing in an Election Year,” “The Venue’s Role in Booking, Marketing & Maximizing Concerts,” “The Most Impactful Show Possible: Savannah Hosts Dave Matthews Band,” “Where To Go & When: Developing the Global Touring Strategy,” “How Will AI Change Live for Booking, Marketing, Operations & Risk Management” and “Sphere: Redefining the Future of Live Entertainment.”

On Feb. 7, the Pollstar Awards will take place at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles. The ceremony honors the most successful artists, executives, tours, venues, companies and more from the live industry.

Registration for Pollstar Live! is now open. For more information about the conference, visit pollstar.live.