#109

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NIVA, the organization behind the #SaveOurStages act and the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund for independent venues and promoters, hosts its first conference this week, officially marking its shift towards a post-COVID future.

Michael Rapino Is Here To StayWith a $3 million annual guarantee and a combination of performance-based potential and stock value that could equate to $30 million annually, Rapino has locked in a 5-year extension to remain CEO of Live Nation. Wouldn’t that be a nice day rate. You can read the filing here.

Guess Who's Expanding In Thailand?Live Nation (insert surprised face here). With hopes of the live event industry’s continued growth in Thailand, LN went all-in with Tero C&E by expanding on its JV - Live Nation Tero - by officially acquiring the concerts and entertainment division of the company. 

LimeWire's NFT MarketplaceA place where fans can trade limited-edition assets, buy merchandise, tune into behind-the-scenes footage, buy digital artwork, and so much more, LimeWire launches its marketplace.

Mental Health BreakShawn Mendes is the latest celebrity to speak publicly about his mental health. The popstar announced he’s taking a three week break from his Wonder tour, commenting, “the pressure has caught up to [him] and [he’s] hit a breaking point”.

NIVA ConferenceThe first annual NIVA '22 Conference is happening now in Cleveland, OH (July 11-12, 2022). Taking place at the start of Independent Venue Week, the NIVA '22 conference is a place for NIVA members to discuss the state of the industry. Topics include: safety, technology, inclusion, diversity, equality, accessibility, booking, ticketing, and marketing, among others. You can livestream with a pass here.

Spotify x FC BarcelonaThe partnership that was announced in March has begun. Knowing Spotify, the $300 MM deal will be way more than just a logo on a jersey. But for now, what we do know is this strategic partnership is at its core in an effort to promote global artists to Barcelona’s global community of fans.

Wimbledon Considers Virtual QueueWimbledon is one of the few major sporting events to still allow fans an opportunity to acquire incredible seats on the day of events, due to holding tickets for sale at walk-up. But due to recent low attendance, organizers are considering moving to a virtual queue, where technology can help increase revenue. Think mobile alerts that allow you to upgrade seats during the match and access special deals. We'll follow as this unfolds and see if this can be implemented at music venues with similar seating systems.

Booking Mad CoolFrom highlighting local talent, to working through multiple pandemic cancellations, and redefining the festival itself, Mad Cool’s organizers take us through their journey. 

The Companies Behind Event InfrastructureIQ breaks down how “Companies responsible for event infrastructure discuss the multiple challenges they are facing as the live music industry returns to business.” Read about how things have changed, from what the focus was in the downtime, how staffing has affected taking on work, war in Europe, and how there are new focuses in business operations, like tech and sustainability.

NASCAR in LANASCAR will be returning to Los Angeles for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, February 5, 2023. Last year’s inaugural event drew more than 50,000 fans to see the debut of NASCAR’s Next Gen cars, the NASCAR Fan Fest, and live musical performances by DJ Skee, Pitbull, and Ice Cube! Check out more here.   

BearCom is hiring a Live Event Manager (Video Surveillance) who will be responsible for technical leadership of the video surveillance deployment at live events.

Outback Presents is looking to bring on an Exhibit Manager to play a key role in the success of a unique exhibit in Charleston, South Carolina at the Charleston Convention Center. The Charleston exhibit will run from approximately June 19 - October 10.

1iota is seeking an experienced Event Production Manager to support the planning and execution of multiple 1iota events across the country.

Last Week's Results:

41% of BOH readers 

have worked between 1-5 of Billboard's best 50 festivals of 2022.

A massive Rogers cell, internet, and cable outage last Friday across Canada not only sent 11 million users “back to the stone age” for 15 hours, but it also ruined Weeknd plans for thousands in downtown Toronto. With the internet down at the (ironically named) Rogers Centre, and the inability for fans to access their Ticketmaster tickets, the venue was forced to cancel The Weeknd’s show just 30 minutes before it was scheduled to start. 

Other venues throughout the city encouraged fans to print their tickets in advance or save them to their Apple or Google wallets when they have wifi. With the country’s debit card system also down due to the outage, cashless venues like The Budweiser Stage reminded guests that they would only be accepting credit cards for Friday’s Keith Urban show.

Monkeypox...

Just when we thought we had seen the worst of it, here’s our sign to always keep an eye out. The World Health Organization has “told summer events organizers across Europe to issue guidance to attendees amid rising monkeypox cases. That’s because the cousin of the smallpox virus, one largely confined to Africa, has spread across Europe and the US in recent weeks.” Similar to COVID, it’s speculated that large mass gatherings will result in a rapid spread in cases and thus, event organizers need to instill preventive measures, promote hygiene practices that will prevent spread, and manage post-event communications.

On Sunday night, the Australian festival Splendour In The Grass informed their fans that “all patrons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times whilst at the event and campgrounds” at their upcoming event.

"This is not Splendour’s decision”, they stated. “These new rules have been imposed on us by NSW Police…we are very unhappy about these major changes being forced on the festival at such a late stage. We understand the impact it will have on many of our patrons. We also don’t want you to walk away with a fine. So we want you all to be aware that Police will be present at the event, roaming throughout the crowd checking that underage minors are with a responsible adult. Considerable fines may apply if not compliant. Splendour will also be in breach of our liquor license, which will have major consequences.

More information can be found in our FAQs and our Youth Policy.

The ONLY place you can purchase tickets for accompanying responsible adults is via the resale facility, where all monies go to the previous ticket holder.

To register as a responsible adult accompanying a minor, please fill out this FORM.”

While outside of their control, this is quite the change in festival policies for being less than two weeks out from their event. As a festival organizer, what would you have done if local police changed policies on you this late in the game?

 Because we were all wondering…here’s how to say “I am the king of the chickens” in 50+ languages.

BizBash breaks down why storytelling is so important in events today, and how to improve event design by thinking like an attendee.

 One-of-a-kind Bob Dylan record sells for $1.7 MM.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers will tour Australia and New Zealand with…Post Malone?

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