2025 Impact 50 Honoree: Melissa Ormond

MELISSA ORMOND
COO Festivals | AEG Presents
COO | Goldenvoice

WORDS OF WISDOM: ”Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes, as long as you learn from them.”

Pollstar Women of Live Hall of Fame member Melissa Ormond has built an impressive career creating breathtaking moments for a wide range of artists, while making sure to lift up her fellow colleagues working behind the scenes.

Her trajectory in the live music business includes leadership roles at Madison Square Garden Entertainment and House of Blues Entertainment/Universal Concerts/MCA Concerts in Los Angeles before becoming chief operating officer of Goldenvoice.
Her first gig in the business was working at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., where she quickly ascended to GM.

Her advice to aspiring live professionals is sound and empowering.

“Learn as much as you can about every aspect of our business – don’t let yourself get siloed in a singular function,” she told Pollstar in March. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. Women bring different qualities and capabilities to the workplace than men and need to feel confident in their unique contributions.”

Ormond explains that DEI initiatives continue to be a big priority at AEG Presents and Goldenvoice in order to “create the most welcoming and supportive work environment for all our employees. I’m excited to note that 55 percent of all Goldenvoice employees are women and 50 percent of AEGP employees are women!”

Ormond names the February grand opening of AEG’s 4,500-capacity The Pinnacle in Nashville (which was headlined by Kacey Musgraves) as one of her favorite events of the year. “It sounds fantastic, has a beautiful design, great sightlines and amenities,” says Ormond. “We’ve also recently completed major renovations at both the Shrine Expo in Los Angeles and the Regency in San Francisco.”

Looking ahead, she is excited about the 2025 festival season, including seeing Sabrina Carpenter headline two shows at BST Hyde Park in London.