2026 Impact INTL: Australia/New Zealand Honoree: Jae Butler Evans

Jae Butler Evans
COO & PARTNER
TEAMWRK TOURING / LUCKY GROUP

Activity Outside Of Work That Keeps Him Sane: “Swing trading. It makes the volatility of the music industry look like child’s play.

2026 was a year of growth for Teamwrk Touring and Lucky Group, with new hires in its touring and management divisions bolstering its ranks and adding to its already strong momentum.
Teamwrk Touring also became profitable in three years, says Jae Butler-Evans, COO and partner of the entity.

The company launched Pillar Talent Agency, representing EDM, hip hop, indie-rock and comedy diversifying its talent portfolio. It was headed by Liam Saunders who also began overseeing Lucky Agency.

For Butler-Evans, one milestone that stands out is the combined reach of the broader Lucky Group.
“More than half a million people have bought a ticket to a tour or festival we have promoted or owned, seen an artist we manage or book, or attended a venue we own or operate,” Butler-Evans says.

What marks the markets Down Under as different from the rest is “the intensity of the competition. Independent promoters are competing against large, well-capitalised and often private equity-backed businesses with multiple ancillary revenue streams and the ability to absorb losses to protect market share,” Butler-Evans says.

“For an independent company, it can be a genuine David versus Goliath environment. You have to remain disciplined, make smart decisions and avoid risks that can quickly put the wider business under pressure. But if you do not like a challenge, you are in the wrong industry.”

His words to live by are “pressure is a privilege,” which may go hand in hand with his stock-trading hobby (see above). The best advice received is to “improvise, adapt and overcome,” while he counts Sidney Myer Music Bowl as his favorite non-affiliated place to see a show, crediting the picturesque Melbourne landscape in the background.

Coming up are metal tours including Clutch, an arena level live podcast with Dan Does Footy, the AFROSOUL festival alongside UFC champion Israel Adesanya, the return of Ultra Australia after three sold-out shows this year, and events across electronic, hip-hop, rock and live entertainment.