IAG’s Jarred Arfa, WME’s Rob Markus, Live Nation’s Lesley Olenik & More Confirmed For Pollstar Live! Panel ‘So 2026 Is Booked: What Does ’27(!) Look Like?’

Jarred Arfa of Independent Artist Group, Zack Borson of CAA, Paul Davis of MGM Resorts International, Mike Luba of LIve Nation / Forest Hills Stadium, Rob Markus of WME and Lesley Olenik of Live Nation will offer their perspective on what’s next in touring by taking part in the Pollstar Live! panel “So 2026 is Booked: What Does ’27(!) Look Like?”

After several years of content overload—and demand to match—touring traffic showed its first signs of resistance in 2025, and stories are surfacing about similar market conditions in 2026. So what’s the story for 2027?

In this panel, presented by Gila River Resorts & Casino, experienced agents and bookers already planning ahead will discuss which acts plan on working in the year ahead, who is on the bubble and bears watching, what venues are in the sweet spot, and whether the stadium trend will continue.

The 2026 edition of Pollstar Live! takes place at Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles April 14-16, marking a return to the spring timeslot and an expansion to a third full day. This is in response to demand for more sessions, conversations, and opportunities to learn, connect, and grow – with the first day of Pollstar Live! running alongside the powerhouse Production Live!

Pollstar Live! is the world’s largest gathering of live entertainment professionals and the flagship event for Pollstar. The conference once again promises visionary speakers, unparalleled networking and standout panels covering talent booking, ticketing, sponsorships, sustainability, marketing and fan engagement. The event also includes the 37th annual Pollstar Awards, the only peer-voted live entertainment industry awards. 

Scheduled April 14, Production Live! features one day of panels and keynote conversations dedicated to lighting, rigging, audio, tech, transportation, staging and other topics related to how production brings the magic of live shows to life, led by the industry pros who dominate the scene backstage.

The 2026 conference is scheduled in between the two Coachella weekends taking place April 10-12 and 17-19.

Last week CAA’s Allison McGregor, WME’s Sara Williams, Live Nation’s Fabi Kulick, The•Team’s Sam Alpert, Legends Global’s Brittany Herndon and NS2’s Sarah Madalinski were confirmed as speakers for the Pollstar Live! panel “Marketing to Today’s Live Music Fans.” These speakers are some of the industry’s top marketers and are all nominees for Pollstar’s Marketing Executive of the Year Award.

Saumil Mehta, Global President at Ticketmaster, was also announced as the keynote speaker for a discussion examining AI’s next chapter in live, “From Big Tech to Box Office.”

Peter Shapiro will take part in a Rainmaker conversation with Oak View Group Chief Content Director Ray Waddell. Shapiro is the visionary behind the Wetlands, Brooklyn Bowl, Lockn’ Festival, Fare Thee Well, the Rock and Roll Playhouse and the rebirth of the Capitol Theatre.

Charles Attal, partner in C3 Presents, and Kevin Shivers, EVP & Managing Executive, Wasserman Music, were previously confirmed to take part in a Rainmakers conversation called “Austin To Arenas” in which they’ll share stories from the trenches and the lessons learned along the way, breaking down the forces reshaping dealmaking and artist development across the global touring ecosystem. The duo will also discuss how mentorship has shaped their own paths and why investing in the next generation of live-music professionals is essential to the industry’s future.
 
Danny Wimmer Presents’ Chamie McCurry, WME’s Josh Kurfirst, C3 Presents’ Huston Powell, CAA’s Allyna Sanchez, Sixthman’s Darby Moeller and Capital One City Parks Foundation Summerstage’s Erika Elliott were announced as speakers for the panel “From Headliners to Fine Print: Putting the Festival Puzzle Together.”

Additional confirmed speakers include First Avenue Productions’ Dayna Frank, Ineffable Music Group’s Thomas Cussins, Independent Artist Group’s Nick Storch, Entourage Talent Associates’ Wayne Forte, High Road Touring’s Frank Riley, CAA’s Lindsey Myers, MGM Grand Garden Arena’s Scott Preston, and Soundcheck Live’s Ben Ikwuagwu.

The 2026 Pollstar Awards, which will be held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel on April 15, honor the top tours, venues, live music executives, agencies, production companies and more in over 40 categories. Renowned iHeartRadio personality Valentine will return as the evening’s host, as iHeartRadio continues its partnership with the Pollstar Awards, bringing its vast reach and deep connection to music fans to the esteemed industry event.

The 2025 Pollstar Awards included appearances from an array of top artists, including Stevie Nicks, Missy Elliott, Jelly Roll, Eddie Vedder, Bob Weir, John Mayer, The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr. and Ryan Ray and Rusty Anderson of Sir Paul McCartney’s band.

Registration is open for Pollstar Live!, here. Registration options include registering for Production Live! only ($565.00) or the three-day Pollstar Live! ($1,550), which includes a ticket to the 37th Annual Pollstar Awards.  A subscription bundle is also available.