2025 Women Of Live: Sara Winter Banks

Sara Winter Banks
Senior Vice President | Messina Touring Group

WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN | “Whether it’s a small referral or words of praise, I will never turn down the chance to uplift a female colleague.”
BIZ ADVICE | “Cultivate confidence and push back against imposter syndrome.”

Messina Touring Group’s Sara Winter Banks is the marketing magician who helped Taylor Swift become the first to top $2 billion in a single tour, as well as spearheading marketing for several Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes and The Lumineers’ massive tours.

Bringing Messina Touring Group into the digital/social media age, she is always looking to maximize the connection between the artists and the people who love them.

“There hasn’t been a true solution in the betterment of how the data is understood and utilized for the artist,” she begins. “We have been working internally, in partnership with key stakeholders on ways to optimize use of fan data … not only in service to the artist, but in service to the fans, in service to the relationship between the artists and their fans. There is no stronger medium than that of the artist’s conversation with their fans. I think we have a responsibility to help artists to continue to foster that relationship.”

A strong focus on transparency and artist’s career goals have given her a compass to make decisions “for an artist’s long-term gains,” she says.

On the rise of female artists in the touring space, she says, in part, “There are so many platforms for artists to get their music across, and you can’t manufacture what resonates. One of my mentors was Barbara Hubbard. She always said, ‘The bottom line is always green.’ The industry will invest in what is profiting, and thankfully these new avenues I think have created the demand to do so.”

Having gone from a college internship with “Mother” Hubbard to working with powerhouse promoter Louis Messina, Winter Banks hit the ground at the speed of sound.

In that, she also learned the need for balance, “When you are passionate about something, it can be hard to not get lost in it. There is a time and a place for sacrifice as you are building your career, but the biggest thing is you must find a way to keep grounded and nurturing the important relationships in your life, especially the one with yourself. Make time. You will never get it back.”