Logistical Limits: How Global Stars Overcome Challenges Of International Touring

With music crossing borders at a faster rate than ever before thanks to social media and streaming platforms, artists from all genres are in high demand for concerts and festival appearances across the globe, especially in the Latin American markets.

And it’s not just Latin music stars like Shakira and Rauw Alejandro. Acts like System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold, Hozier and Katy Perry are making their way to South America and Mexico, selling out stadiums and arenas in the process, which is no easy feat with elaborate productions being transported on the road, by sea or by air — or sometimes all of the above.

Latin America can be a lucrative venture for live music acts, but each country brings unique challenges that could quickly inflate the budget of a tour. That’s where entertainment logistics companies come into play and, when it comes to hitting the road in South America, there are few companies with more experience than Rock-it Cargo.

“We’ve had a storied history in Latin America since Rock In Rio in 1985,” Justin Carbone, executive vice president of live touring at Rock-It Cargo, told Pollstar. “That’s the famous show, the first Rock in Rio where Queen and a number of other bands played. It was highlighted in the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ movie.It is a huge market for what our clients do.”

That first edition of the festival is one for the record books with AC/DC, James Taylor, George Benson, Rod Stewart, The Go-Go’s and many more, and it was in Rio where Rock-it Cargo laid its foundation to become a premier logistics company in the region.

Since then, Rock-it has worked on major international tours in the region, and its parent company, Global Critical Logistics, expanded its reach by acquiring businesses such as Magusa Global Cargo, a Miami-based logistics provider that mainly works with Latin artists.

Having such experience and resources is key to navigating LATAM, specifically South America, which has 12 countries and notable markets like Santiago, Chile; Bogotá, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Some artists hit as many as six markets in a short period of time, and each country has its own set of customs and requirements. South American nations aren’t among those that utilize the ATA Carnet, which facilitates temporary imports such as band and production equipment into foreign countries.

“Everything is done on temporary importation versus a lot of the other territories in the world like Australia, New Zealand, mainland Europe,” Carbone said. “In South America, it’s more temporary to import bonds, which are based on certain values and weights. There are lots of details that are based on that, so that is a challenge.”

Proper routing is key to keeping tour costs down in South America, especially one that allows cargo to be transported on trucks throughout most of the dates as opposed to air travel. There isn’t much commercial air freight availability in the region, Carbone said, forcing some artists to pay extra for private flights.

Having a buffer between dates can also be key because major artists utilize soccer stadiums, of which there are many in the region, for their shows, and unpredictable weather can possibly delay production and travel.

Tour manager Luis Soto, who has worked with The Rolling Stones, P!NK and many more, echoes Carbone, saying that good preparation is what ultimately helps tours go smoothly in Latin America. Many companies have invested in enhancing the experience for guests.

“It’s certainly improved,” he said. “From a tour manager standpoint, in terms of quality of hotels, vehicles and travel, and even the quality of people that make it work.”

 Carbone can attest to the quality of work upgrading.

“We believe that it’s only going to keep growing,” he said. “We made a significant investment in Magusa Logistics last year. They’re the leader in this region and in the genre of Latin music, and so bringing them on board as part of the group really shows our commitment to being the best of the best in the region.”