2024 Women of Live: Chamie McCurry

Chief Marketing Officer | Danny Wimmer Presents

To say Chamie McCurry rocks is redundant. The Chief Marketing Officer at Danny Wimmer Presents has been a narrative force for the major rock festivals across the flyover since landing the job of Regional Director, Marketing, at AEG Presents in 2003. Whether Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival (formerly Rock On The Range) at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Aftershock at Discovery Park in Sacramento, California, or the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, McCurry brings a zest for live to some of the largest independent roster of festivals in the U.S.

Indeed, Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond festivals in Louisville, Kentucky, attract fans from 50 states and 30 countries. With Louder’s 170,000 and Bourbon’s 140,000 attendance, the LA-based firm produces the largest rock and bourbon festivals in America.

“The fans have spoken,” McCurry says. “They value the live experience more than ever. The connectivity between artist and community is so strong; being able to provide events that service that relationship is incredibly special.

“In 2023, we saw great growth externally and internally. We set DWP attendance records at several festivals. We added some new consulting clients, and invested in key hires to keep DWP on the forefront of live events.”

While hard rock, metal and alternative are their trademark, DWP’s expanded their marriage of culture, local cuisine and well-curated line-ups into other genres, especially their GoldenSky Country Festival. The 2023 incarnation, featuring Eric Church, Wynonna, Lainey Wilson and Jordan Davis, was impactful. “Seeing GoldenSky double attendance from its inaugural year to the second year is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Cautious about the election year’s impact, McCurry says, “Not only is there the distraction of the day-to-day news cycle, but also in marketing dollars and results. Traditional marketing is almost non-affordable as the election gets nearer … trying to find a way to make your messaging stand out is incredibly tough.” Still, she believes, “Live events serve as a great space to provide a break from the noise.”