Irving Azoff, Tim Leiweke Welcome The Industry To Pollstar Live!

Pollstar Live! kicked off its first edition under the banner of Oak View Group founders Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, who welcomed conference-goers to the annual confab Feb. 7 by sharing their vision for  the event and hailing Pollstar founders Gary Bongiovanni and Gary Smith. 

Michael Guilbert – Irving Azoff
Irving Azoff speaks at Pollstar Live! 2018

Azoff set the tone by informing the Wilshire Grand Ballrooms of the InternContinental Downtown Los Angeles conference hotel audience that the event drew a “tremendous standing-room-only turnout,” joking that “unlike the Grammys, we will not disappoint!”

In a gray sports coat and white sneakers, Azoff proceeded to regale the crowd with his love of the live music business. “There’s something magical about a live show that cannot be duplicate,” Azoff said, adding the only thing he loves more than the live show are the artists he works with.

And he explained the vision for OVG and why it acquired Pollstar and its signature event last year.

“When Tim [Leiweke] came to me and said we were going to acquire Pollstar, we set out to build this conference in every way while understanding that ‘live’ is the most important segment of the music business,” Azoff continued.

He pointed out that keynote speaker Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, with his own love and respect for artists, is one of the most important figures in the biz, with Apple Music taking the lead in music distribution platforms.

Azoff also informed the crowd that “for all practical purposes” Pollstar Live! was sold out, with  more than 2,000 registered “people who make magic happen.” He reported that in addition to attendance, sponsorships are up – all reflective of sharp increases in concert attendance. 

Michael Guilbert – Tim Leiweke
Tim Leiweke speaks at Pollstar Live! 2018

He noted that the Top 100 tours totaled 67 million in tickets sold, up 10.4 percent over 2016, and ticked off Pollstar data showing revenue increases across the board in the world of live before introducing Leiweke, “the man I call the force of nature.”

Leiweke opened his remarks paying homage to “the Garys” – Bongiovanni and Smith – and thanked them for “30 years worth of brilliant entrepreneurship on making this a relevent event in our business, which is a relevant industry.”

He explained his vision for Pollstar and Oak View Group in his first address as an ownership party, noting the “this industry doesn’t understand how relevant and important it is.”

He said the concert industry this year will generate more revenue than the movie business, and Pollstar Live! will be a relevant place where the movers and shakers will listen as well as discuss and celebrate the business.

“People are born by music, they live by music and they die by music,” he said. “We are the industry that protects that and brings it to the fans. We predict our best years are directly ahead of us; we have the grand ambition.”

Evidence of that is the booking of Cue to speak, as well as an appearance from Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, Ticketmaster’s Jared Smith, artist Garth Brooks, and the largest gathering of agents, managers, entrepreneurs and leaders on the live side.

“Having relevant artists, entrepreneurs and leaders on the live side at this conference will inform, educate, challenge and inspire,” Leiweke said.

And again, addressing Bongiovanni and Smith, “Thank you all for allowing Irving and myself to acquire your company. You worked so hard create it, and this is the beginning of a very good run for Pollstar, which is tops in the industry. This is an important conference and our industry is one of the most import industries there is. And we’re going to start acting like that. It’s as important as the Grammy Awards, or the Oscars.

“And we’re happy and proud and excited to have you here.”