First timers won’t want to miss this casual, yet informative, welcome to the EVMC! Receive practical advice about what to expect during the conference, meet other first time attendees and hear personal comments directly from some of the Board Members about EVMC 2018 and the days ahead.
Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, will have a conversation with Jim Delaney about MGM’s increased focus on sports and entertainment, and the impact it has had on Las Vegas as well as properties worldwide.
For his bio in its entirety, please click here.
Moderator: Jim Delaney (Activate Sports & Entertainment)
Rehan Choudhry, the founder and CEO of A Beautiful Perspective, is an inspirational speaker, writer, and storyteller. Prior to creating the socially conscious media & live events platform A Beautiful Perspective, he founded Life is Beautiful, was the Director of Entertainment & Special Events for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Regional Director of Marketing & Development for Caesars Entertainment.
Whether you are a first time attendee or a veteran of the conference, participating in the EVMC team building session helps kick-off the conference with a great networking opportunity and, most importantly, a lot of fun.
Welcome to Las Vegas from T-Mobile Arena
Sponsor Awards Recognition
All country fans wear cowboy hats and all hip-hop fans are 21 years old: FALSE.
The evolution of live entertainment has resulted in blurred lines and fans of particular genres can no longer be classified or treated as a homogenous group. Experts agree that live entertainment is now mainstream generally beginning with the rise of NWA/dawn of gangsta rap in 1988. Join our industry experts for a candid conversation on implicit bias & the resulting implications. Specifically, we will focus on how personal bias affects Guest Services, Marketing, Security, Booking, F & B, etc. and ultimately the bottom line, your venue reputation and ability to attract future shows. Regardless of venue size or geographic location, EVMC attendees will benefit from a no-holds barred session on topics including:
- Guest Services & Security (how do we treat people – do we have preconceived notions on arrival times, behavior, spending, etc.)
- Marketing (who do you think purchases tickets for Drake, Bruno Mars, J. Cole, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, etc. – and who REALLY purchases the tickets)
- Food & Beverage (preconceived notions about menu offerings)
- Future Trends (if your building is purposely not booking EDM/hip hop, ask why?)
Panelists: Gerrick Kennedy (Los Angeles Times), Rosie Selle (KeyArena) and Liz Roca (AmericanAirlines Arena)
Moderator: Shani Tate (Sprint Center)
Hear from the power players of Las Vegas entertainment on what it’s like booking in the Entertainment Capital of the World. What does it take to to be successful in Vegas? How has the entertainment landscape evolved over the past years and come to be more important to tourism than gaming? What events are successful here and which events fall flat? How do all these entities work together in such a competitive environment?
Panelists: Bobby Reynolds (AEG Presents), Pat Christenson (Las Vegas Events), Sid Greenfeig (MGM Resorts International), Kurt Melien (Live Nation) and Jason Gastwirth (Caesars Entertainment)
Moderator: Rachel Smith (FOX5 Vegas)
Radio Promotions - How to Be Successful
What does it take to have successful promotions? What do radio promotions staff need and what don’t they need when getting requests for proposals? How else can they help you (such as label requests, 3rd parties, charity tie-ins, etc.)? How else can you work together? How do you improve these relationships? Hear about some of the successes and failures and learn from both!
Panelists: Kyle Helmick (Entercom), Joanna DiNatale (iHeartMedia), Marc Moore (Lotus Broadcasting) and Shayla Martinez (Beasley Media Group)
Moderator: Suzanne Richardson (Marketing Consultant)
Promoting With Influence
This panel will examine how social media influencers and Instagram celebrities can help boost awareness and engagement for your events. Our team of experts will discuss how to identify, engage and negotiate with influencers, from providing credentials for coverage to budgeting and paying (how much do they cost?) for promotion.
Panelists: Lisaann Dupont (Opry Entertainment Group), Daniel Ryan Kinney (APA Agency) and Sarah Early (United Talent Agency)
Moderator: Dave Brooks (Billboard/Amplify)
Premium Seating & Ancillaries Magic
What are the different strategies venues use to market premium areas and how are they tracking inventory if it’s not available online? There’s more to sell than tickets; make a profit through upgrades, parking, merchandise and F+B. Boost your venue’s per cap.
Panelists: Gabrielle Beneditis (Wells Fargo Center) and Nick Zombolas (T-Mobile Arena)
Moderator: Carl Manteau (Milwaukee Bucks)
How to Facebook & Instagram, Taught by Facebook
Hear directly from Facebook how venues and promoters are successfully leveraging these platforms today and what new features and capabilities we should be on the lookout for next.
Panelist: William Morris (Facebook)
Moderator: Heather Cohen (Blue Digital)
Don’t miss the 4th Annual EVMC Awards Luncheon, honoring some of the most creative ideas and innovative individuals in live entertainment marketing. Find out the 2018 winners of the Marketing Campaign of the Year and Publicity Campaign of the Year along with winners of two new categories: Artist Gift of the Year and Artist Welcome of the Year. Plus, we will announce the winner of the 2018 EVMC Gigi and Hall of Fame Awards!
The safety of guests, artists, athletes and staff is every venue’s number one priority as new threats and challenges to event security continue to emerge. This timely discussion will offer resources and takeaway items to help safeguard against the unimaginable and tips to prepare your venue. Hear from two award-winning venue security directors and a corporate communications veteran who will discuss crisis communications plans, working together with communications and marketing departments and also how you can be personally prepared.
Panelists: Michael Roth (AEG), Russell Gordon (Microsoft Theater) and David Born (STAPLES Center)
Moderator: Cara Vanderhook (STAPLES Center)
Speaker: Shawn Kellogg (Independent Digital Marketing Consultant)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Mahiri Wise (T-Mobile Arena)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Michael Amster (Ticketmaster)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Lewis Smith (MGM Resorts International)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Sheila Francis (Communications Consultant)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Brian Bauer (Bauer Entertainment Marketing)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Megan Morgan (Groupmatics)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Chelsey Scalese (Wells Fargo Center)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: John Platillero (EventBooking)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Jason Fahlstrom (Google)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Lindsay Gjerde (Live Nation)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Brandon Lucas (carbonhouse)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Tonya Coldiron (Ticketmaster)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Lewis Smith (MGM Resorts International)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Sheila Francis (Communications Consultant)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Tonya Coldiron (Ticketmaster)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Shawn Kellogg (Independent Digital Marketing Consultant)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Michael Amster (Ticketmaster)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Lindsay Gjerde (Live Nation)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Mahiri Wise (T-Mobile Arena)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Jason Fahlstrom (Google)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: John Platillero (EventBooking)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Chelsey Scalese (Wells Fargo Center)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Brian Bauer (Bauer Entertainment Marketing)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Megan Morgan (Groupmatics)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Brandon Lucas (carbonhouse)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Lindsay Gjerde (Live Nation)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Shawn Kellogg (Independent Digital Marketing Consultant)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Michael Amster (Ticketmaster)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Lewis Smith (MGM Resorts International)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Sheila Francis (Communications Consultant)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Tonya Coldiron (Ticketmaster)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Jason Fahlstrom (Google)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: John Platillero (EventBooking)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Chelsey Scalese (Wells Fargo Center)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Megan Morgan (Groupmatics)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Brian Bauer (Bauer Entertainment Marketing)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Brandon Lucas (carbonhouse)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Speaker: Mahiri Wise (T-Mobile Arena)
Each session will be 35 minutes with a 5-minute break to change tables.
Sponsor Awards Recognition
Discussion on what the other side can/should be doing to make each other’s lives easier. Learn to anticipate challenges & avoid problems. Also: How to market multiple venues.
Panelists: Brian Baptista (Nederlander Concerts), Adam Armit (MLSE/Air Canada Centre) and Carrie Steen (Goldenvoice)
Moderator: Vanessa Kromer (Nederlander Concerts)
Turning online competition into a big-draw arena spectator sport is here and you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate the massive popularity of this blossoming industry. This session will help you understand the scope of eSports, clear up some misconceptions and shed some light on its future.
Panelists: Tobias Sherman (Foundry IV), Robert Rippee (International Gaming Institute) and Sid Greenfeig (MGM Resorts International)
Moderator: Kirk Wingerson (Amway Center)
Hear from conference sponsors about their latest technologies, learn about current trends in the industry and/or catch up with current partners.
Site for EVMC 2019 to be announced.
Large Market Track
Large venues charge their sales teams to make an impact both on the team and family show side. Are we equipping our team with the right tools, knowledge and resources to do so? Join in on the discussion lead by industry stars to idea share, ask questions and hear what is new in the world of large market group sales.
Panelists: Lauren Kalinosky (Detroit Red Wings/Olympia Entertainment) and Mike Ramos (Sacramento Kings)
Moderator: Paul Bee (Milwaukee Bucks)
Getting Personal with Your Patrons
Custom email communications – like 1-to-1 messaging automation – personalize the interaction with ticket buyers. Join the discussion of behavior campaigns, dynamic content, cart abandonment and what generally works.
Panelists: Brady Hartman (Ticketmaster) and Rosie Selle (KeyArena)
Moderator: Melissa Cunningham (Wells Fargo Center)
Ways to Leverage Customer Data
In today's digital world we now have access to more fan data than ever before. Join us for this discussion to hear directly from leaders in the space and how they're leveraging data to get results. Learn valuable tips and tactics you can apply that will have a real impact in how you're approaching marketing campaigns, personalized marketing messages, in-event communications/promotions and more.
Panelists: Chris Gallager (Orlando City SC), Camille Tapia (Blue Digital / Ticketmaster) and Jenn Adams (C3 Presents)
Moderator: Jessica Runyon Hartwig (Ticketmaster)
Small Market Track
In the group sales world, putting butts in seats is priority number one. Limited resources, small sales staff size and more can make for stressful sales seasons. How is your team staying above water and hitting your goals? Hear from some of our industry's finest with some keys to success on how to make an impact in your market.
Panelists: Gabrielle Beneditis (Wells Fargo Center) and Bryan Watson (KeyArena)
Moderator: Karen Swan (Target Center)
Getting accurate and reliable information disseminated is harder than ever thanks to social media and a relentless news-cycle. This session will offer insight on how to be heard, squash the trolls and learn when to say something versus laying low.
Panelists: Tammy Koolbeck (Iowa State Center), Hilarie Szarowicz (Van Andel Arena) and Dave Brooks (Billboard/Amplify)
Moderator: Greg Terlizzi (Nitro Circus)
The Las Vegas chapter of Women in Sports and Events, the leading voice and resource for women in the business of sports, will discuss ways for women to enhance their professional growth, what it takes to succeed in male-dominated industries and offer valuable insight.
Panelists: Brette Sadler (UFC), Lisa Motley (LVCVA), Rushia Brown (WNBA Las Vegas Aces) and Melissa Harkavy (Las Vegas 51s Triple-A Baseball)
Moderator: Stephanie MacKenzie (KXPT Point 97.1)
All items must be claimed by 6PM
Explore Las Vegas on your own! Here are a few suggestions:
Since opening in 2012, the Neon Museum showcases a nearly two-acre campus featuring an outdoor exhibition space, known as the Boneyard, with more than 200 signs, 11 of which are restored, a visitors' center housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby and the Neon Boneyard North Gallery which houses additional rescued signs and is used for weddings, special events, photo shoots and educational programs. Hour long interpreter-guided tours of the Neon Boneyard are available. The Museum collection also includes nine restored signs which can be viewed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Located approximately 25 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, Red Rock Canyon is an area of worldwide geologic interest and beauty. Here you’ll find a maze of canyons and peaks, ledges and chimneys along with chutes and gullies among the 26 different hikes and trails to explore. Or, if you prefer, climbing, biking and camping are all available as well. Red Rock Canyon also features a one-way 13-mile scenic drive, a visitor center which offers information about recreation opportunities, wildlife, vegetation, geology and cultural resources, a selection of outdoor picnic areas and much more. The visitor center is open daily from 8:00am - 4:30pm and the scenic drive is open from 6:00am - 8:00pm.
Located 35 miles south of Las Vegas on US 93 and attracting more than a million visitors annually, the Hoover Dam remains one of the greatest engineering achievements more than 80 years after its creation. This National Historic Landmark is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. Two tours are offered for a fee: the Power Plant Tour and the Dam Tour. The Hoover Dam is open daily from 9:00am - 5:00pm.