President Zeidman - Pollstar News

Lee Zeidman, GM of all things L.A. Live, has been promoted to president of the complex by AEG CEO Dan Beckerman – and it’s far more than a change in title.

Zeidman, longtime GM of Los Angeles’ Staples Center, was put in charge of the surrounding entertainment center – the flashy L.A. Live campus – in 2009, but his reach was limited.

With the new title of president, Zeidman told Pollstar that L.A. Live has become a one-stop shop. Prior to his new title, it was unclear who to call when it came to entertainment, marketing or other issues involving L.A. Live, including the Nokia Theatre, home to many fancy shows like “American Idol,” the BET Awards or the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.

The question of “who you gonna call” is now simplified: it’s Zeidman’s office-slash-people. For instance, for entertainment booking, the best bet is Christy Castillo-Butcher, who was already a popular choice.

Zeidman stressed this was not a euphemism for staff reduction, just a streamlined approach to the complex.