Tonight at 23:30 (or 9:30am if you’re in the U.S.) Pollstar Live! – successor to the Concert Industry Consortium annual conference – will be looking over our way to reconcile outsider perceptions of the ‘entertainment scene in the exploding Far East’ with professionals on the ground (including the “stray promoter” ahem…).
According to the synopsis the “standard ‘Welcome to China” expletive will be defined and expanded on, which basically means you’re in for more of the same bleeding obvious blanket statements along with a few novel case studies which support the fact that China’s entertainment market is still growing. And let’s keep it to “growing” and not “exploding”, “booming”, “mushrooming” or any other flowery adjectives that get the pulse racing.
Promoters are looking at the East like it’s a great Piñata of opportunity, taking brash swings that result in such things as the White Lies appearance in China, which takes place over the Tomb Sweeping public holiday. That’s right, the day when those that are alive pay their dues to the departed (fair enough, it’ll give the expats something to do, if they can navigate the horrendous congestion).
Speakers include:
(Moderator) Michael Enoch, Mercedes-Benz Arena – LIVE FROM CHINA!
Burke Allen, Allen Media Strategies
Eric Cuthbertson, AEG China – LIVE FROM CHINA!
Archie Hamilton, Split Works – LIVE FROM CHINA!
Ned Kelly, Urbanatomy Media
Jason C. Miller, Live Nation Asia
Michael (Mal) Collins, Production Manager
Steve Sybesma, Ato Ato Integrated Media – LIVE FROM CHINA!
Expect a bit of banter, some mild swearing and perhaps a bit of friction between the guys in shiny shoes n’ braces and “the strays” who aren’t utterly abstracted from the people they serve (oh yeh, notice that they’re all men?)