Outback Presents Promotes Rachel Derosia to Senior Vice President of Comedy

Outback Presents has promoted staffer Rachel Derosia to the role of senior vice president of comedy, the Nashville-based promoter and talent buyer announced Oct. 8. 

The promotion follows news in September that Outback had hired Joel Bachkoff as SVP of Comedy. Today’s announcement notes that Derosia “will continue to work alongside Outback Presents Co-CEO Brian Dorfman” and will collaborate with Bachkoff “to continue growing the company’s wildly successful comedy business.” 

Outback Presents ranked No. 9 on Pollstar’s 2024 Q3 promoters chart with 2,928,409 tickets sold and a gross of $199,008,075.40.

Earlier this year President Mark Smardak was honored as part of Pollstar’s Impact 50 list, celebrating the most impactful executives in the live business. Fallon Nell, who was promoted to Vice President of Booking earlier this year, was named to Pollstar‘s Women Of Live list.

Derosia joined Outback Presents in 2020 as a show coordinator and then moved into the role of booking manager in July 2021. After moving to Nashville to complete her degree in music business from Belmont University, she began her career in publishing at Sony ATV. She then discovered her passion for comedy and joined Dorfman and Lucy Sinsheimer booking and operating Zanies Comedy Club.

“Rachel has been with me from Zanies to Outback, and I’ve had the privilege of witnessing her passion, dedication and ambition firsthand,” Dorfman said in a statement. “I couldn’t be prouder of her achievements, both personally and professionally.”

Derosia has managed and produced many tours during her time at Outback, ranging from the club to arena level. Today’s announcement notes that she’s especially passionate working with “acts moving from club to theater level and the work that goes into growing an artist’s career and tour history.”

Derosia said, “I appreciate Mike Smardak and Brian Dorfman who have championed the independent spirit that is so akin to the nature of comedy.”