Schedule Tuesday | VenuesNow Conference 2019

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

8:00am- 5:00pm
2nd Floor West Pre-function
Registration

9:00am-9:15am
Opening Remarks
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor
Irving Azoff, Chairman/CEO, The Azoff Company
Tim Leiweke, Co-Founder and CEO, Oak View Group

9:15am-10:00am
Jim Dolan + Irving Azoff: One On One
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

In a VenuesNow Conference exclusive, Executive Chairman/CEO, The Madison Square Garden Company, James Dolan and Chairman/CEO, The Azoff Company, Irving Azoff, two of the most visionary and influential figures in the history of sports and live entertainment, will sit down and discuss MSG’s revolutionary Sphere venues and their transformative impact on the future of the global live events industry.

Irving Azoff, Chairman/CEO, The Azoff Company
James Dolan, Executive Chairman/CEO, The Madison Square Garden Company

10:00am-10:15am
Sponsorship Spotlight: Think Like A Brand, Act Like an Agency – Scout Sports and Entertainment
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

There’s a shift in the property/sponsorship dynamic; a transformational approach to understanding your brand partner’s KPI’s and your fans, are paramount to enhanced measurement and insights capabilities

Michael A. Neuman, Founder, EVP and Managing Partner Scout Sports and Entertainment, a division of Horizon Media
Sheri Roder, EVP, Chief of WHY, Horizon Media

10:15am-11:00am
Taking Action: The Future of In-Venue Sports Wagering
Sponsored by Delaware North
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

Polarizing as it may be, the smart money seems to be on ever more tolerance for legalized and in-venue betting at professional league sporting events. From venue-approved mobile betting to dedicated space for sports books integrated into the design of the venue, political and consumer views are shifting and the industry is examining how best to meet fan demand when it comes to betting on pro sports. The question becomes which business model makes the most sense for teams to implement at their facilities, with the choice primarily being between mobile/digital and brick-and-mortar. The answer to that questions depends on whom you ask, with individual state regulations and league restrictions also playing a critical role in how gaming ultimately looks. In addition, where do the sponsorship opportunities lie for teams and venues and what’s the value of these gaming deals? What role will be the role of the big casino players? How will cultural and legal considerations figure in? It’s still early, but executives with skin in the game will discuss where is it all headed as the sports and entertainment industry grabs hold of pent-up demand in the gambling space.

Moderator:
Marcus DiNitto, Managing Editor, BetIndiana

Speakers:
Scott Butera, President, Interactive Gaming, MGM Resorts International
Jason Carmello, Architect and Principal, Populous
Madelaine Moeke, Return on DesignTM Lead + Strategic Growth Analyst, ROSSETTI
David O’Rourke, President & CEO, New York Racing Association
Sara Slane, Founder, Slane Advisory
Jim Van Stone, President of Operations, Monumental Sports & Entertainment

11:00am-11:30am
Innovation Spotlight/Venues 2030: CONTENT
feat. Darren Pfeffer, Executive Vice President, MSG Live
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

The core of sustained artist development today is centered around the live business. Artists that focus on their touring out of the gate, savvily navigating the plays in terms of capacities, markets, and events through strategic partnerships with promoters and venues, can ensure a robust live careers for years to come. Darren Pfeffer, executive VP for MSG Live, who steers content for the Madison Square Garden portfolio of venues, will discuss how venues can partner with artists to develop touring careers and foster artist development.

Interviewed by: Ray Waddell, President, Media & Conferences, Oak View Group
Darren Pfeffer, Executive Vice President, MSG Live, The Madison Square Garden Company

11:30am-12:15pm
Capital Ideas: Private Placement In Sports & Live Entertainment Venues
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

With a global ramp-up in project development from small venues to arena and stadium level, many with vast retail/entertainment footprints, developers are seeking creative financing and innovative partnerships. This panel will explore the various options on the table for venue developers, sports franchises and others funding projects and raising capital, including private placement versus traditional financing, private equity, and/or public and public/private partnerships. Whether private placement is a piece of the finance puzzle, capital for an entire project, or a compliment to existing financing, given a general reticence toward using public money for sports and entertainment venues, private placement has become an increasingly viable option. Topics covered will include the advantages and risks of various funding strategies, typical term structures, regulations concerns, and the impact of market conditions on raising capital and how it’s used. Hear informed finance professionals weigh in on the opportunities and potential challenges in the world of raising capital for sports and live entertainment venue development.

Moderator:
Alan Hoffman, Co-Chair of Project Finance, Winston & Strawn

Speakers:
Larry Cyrlin, Head of Infrastructure Finance, Americas, Citi
Peter Dorfman, Managing Director, Sports & Entertainment Specialty Group, SunTrust
Hannah Gordon, Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel, San Francisco 49ers
Jerry Parisi, Managing Director, Sports Finance Group, MUFG

11:30am-12:15pm
E-Sports: Where Do We Go From Here?
West Ballroom, 2nd Floor

With a global audience of 300 million and revenues estimated to be in the $1 billion range and growing (less than half of which is based in the U.S. according to game market researcher Newzoo), the debate over the viability of esports as a live attraction and driver of fan passion is beyond settled. Even so, the global esports market still has plenty of runway in terms of growth for branding/sponsorships, as well as presenting compelling events that consumers beyond hard-core gamers want to attend, in venues that add value to the experience. While there are challenges, esports remains very much on an upward trajectory, with some reports putting capital investment in the sports’ broad ecosystem and diverse business models nearing $5 billion in 2018. A panel of stakeholders in the burgeoning world of esports will discuss where the sport is headed as a major league attraction, including the value of sponsorships and franchises, the evolution of the venues and presentations, and how venues can secure esports events amid the shifting dynamics of competitive gaming as a spectator sport.

Moderator:
Bob Jordan CVE, CEO/Founder, Facilities LLC/Venue Road LLC

Speakers:
Tyler Endres, CEO, ESports Arena
Craig Levine, Global Chief Strategy Officer, ESL
Todd Merry, CMO, Delaware North
Brian Mirakian, Director of Brand Activation & Senior Principal, Populous

12:15pm-12:45pm
Innovation Spotlight/Venues 2030: The Promise of 5G
feat. Dave Macdonald, Director of Strategy, AT&T
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

Everybody’s talking about 5G—the fifth generation of wireless networks—but what does it really mean to venues and the sports and live entertainment industry? The answer: potentially everything. Faster data speeds, ultra-low latency and supercharged connectivity will impact virtually all aspects of the live experience at some level. But that’s only if venues and producers of live are fully invested and prepared to maximize the potential of 5G. Dave Macdonald, director of strategy at AT&T, will tell us how to truly fulfill the promise of 5G.

Interviewed by Elinor Klavens, Senior Research Analyst, Sports Innovation Lab

12:45pm-2:00pm
Lunch
Sponsored by Oak View Group Arena Alliance
West Pre-Function, 2nd Floor & Gallery Pre- Function, 4th Floor

2:00pm-2:45pm
City Planning & Entertainment Districts + The Venue Footprint in 2030
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

Design and strategic planning for new venue developments have blown past just the look, costs and functionality of the brick and mortar building to take into account a vast venue footprint that takes into account city planning, retail and entertainment districts, added attractions, and myriad partners and stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including teams, architects, municipalities, retail and dining brands, and multiple finance partners all weighing in. Experienced experts in all phases of the sorts of development will discuss how these projects can be strategically developed, from blueprints to opening day and beyond.

Moderated by:
Don Muret, VenuesNow

Speakers:
John Shreve, Senior Urban Planner and Senior Principal, Populous
Peter Feigin, President, Milwaukee Bucks/Fiserv Forum
Eric Nordness, SVP, Hickory Street Capital and Marquee Development
Kirk Safford, Director, City Partnerships, Lyft
Dana Warg, 313 Presents

2:00pm-2:45pm
The State of the Art in Brand Partnerships
West Ballroom (2nd Floor)

Sports and live entertainment venues and events continue to be one of the most robust sectors for blue chip sponsors and brand partnerships, with the industry now focusing on creative activations and innovative strategies that brands bring to the table in venue and team partnerships. This panel will discuss what it takes to bring brands to life in the venue space, and the creative partnerships that differentiate the brands, provide value to the venue partner and its tenants, and bring excitement and engagement to fans, benefitting all parties in visible and quantifiable ways. Experts in this vital sector will discuss the evolution of the branding partners space, how stakeholders differ, and the goal to create moments that are truly memorable and that resonate with fans via positive impressions.
Moderated by: Chris Allphin, Senior Vice President, Team Advisory, Van Wagner

Speakers:
Jeff Alpen, CEO, Hornall Anderson
Monica Fee, Global Sponsorship Sales, CAA
Alex Seyferth, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, Marquee Sports & Entertainment

2:45pm-3:30pm
Dynamic Pricing: How Yield Management is Changing Ticketing
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

It has been said that the live entertainment industry does not have a secondary market problem, it has a pricing problem. While that maybe a vast oversimplification, the truth that many of the live industry’s challenges—a predatory reselling market, unsold or under-sold inventory, less-than-maximized box office revenue, and price sensitivity included—are related to pricing and properly scaling the tickets. Enter the concept of dynamic pricing and yield management, a variable pricing strategy based on multiple factors including understanding consumers, anticipating demand, and influencing behaviors with the ultimate goal of maximizing revenue from inventory of a time-sensitive product—the ticket. Experts in selling for the right price at the right time will break down the state-of-the-art in yield management for an informative and actionable session.
Moderated by: Matt Galle, Senior Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency

David Marcus, EVP, Head of Music, Ticketmaster
Mike Newquist, Vice President, Event Marketing, UFC
Amy Graca, Vice President, National Ticketing, Caesars Entertainment
Andrew Rentmeester, Chief Revenue Officer, LaneOne

2:45pm-3:30pm
How to Create Successful Collegiate Events That Benefit All Parties
West Ballroom, 2nd Floor

As major college conferences increase the number of games in their league schedules, every game remaining within a school’s control becomes more and more important. Concurrently, as college content continues to increase in value, opportunities arise for high-profile, neutral, television-ready events across the country and, increasingly, internationally. How can all stakeholders benefit? What are the priorities to the various stakeholders, including financial interests, the student athlete experience, recruiting benefits, exposure for universities, and value to fans, and how is it all balanced? Greg Procino, who manages a large portfolio of successful college events, St. John’s University Athletic Director Mike Cragg, who formerly oversaw men’s basketball at Duke University, and Dan Shell, President of OVG Collegiate, which manages OVG’s owned and operated series of events, will discuss how to create, promote, execute, sponsor, partner, host, and broadcast successful collegiate events that work for all parties.

Moderated by:
Dan Shell, President, OVG Collegiate

Speakers:
Michael Cragg, Director of Athletics, St. John’s University
Greg Procino, TK, TK

3:30pm-3:45pm
Coffee Break
Sponsored by Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Gallery Pre-Function, 4th Floor

3:45pm-4:15pm
Innovation Spotlight/Venues 2030: Premium
feat. Al Guido, Co-Managing Partner/CEO, Elevate Sports Ventures, President, San Francisco 49ers
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

Given the sophisticated nature of enhanced experiences at today’s sports and live entertainment venues, it’s safe to say that this is not your father’s premium. The evolution of fan engagement and the live experience has led to significantly increased consumer expectations for innovative, unique and memorable experiences that are profitable for the hosts, particularly at the suite and premium level. Innovative sports executive Al Guido will walk us through the architecture of the premium experience of the future, including sales and marketing, partnerships, consumer insight, the financial picture, and how venues can maximize their premium offerings.

Interviewed by Don Muret, Senior Editor, VenuesNow

4:15pm-5:15pm
View From the Top: The Commissioners Weigh In
Gallery Ballroom, 4th Floor

Given the breadth of influence and scope of concerns for contemporary major league sports commissioners, the skill set possessed must be multifaceted, and the level of diplomacy must be high. Among the issues faced: player relations, media/broadcast rights, brand partnerships, potential expansion, fan engagement, the impact of technology, safety and security, legal and political issues, philanthropy, and community involvement, the looming potential of league-supported sports gaming, and the overall role that sports play in the American cultural psyche. Also high on any list of commissioner responsibilities for every team and league is a keen perspective on the actual places where fans gather and the action takes place: the venues, primarily stadiums and arenas. For the first time at the VNC, three of the most dynamic, respected commissioners in all of professional sports will gather for a candid discussion of the myriad issues facing professional sports today, with the role of the venues as the backdrop. What do the commissioners think would be the dream venue for their sport? Find out on what is sure to be an illuminating session.

Moderated by: Tod Leiweke, CEO, New Seattle Arena & NHL Partners

Speakers:
Cathy Engelbert, Commissioner, WNBA
Don Garber, Commissioner, MLS
Adam Silver, Commissioner, NBA

5:15pm-7:00pm
Opening Night Reception
Sponsored by Lyft & Perkins Coie
Gallery Pre-Function, 4th Floor

Wednesday

Carly James is an agent at Paradigm Talent Agency based in New York City. She began as an assistant at The Agency Group in 2012, working alongside agent Dave Kaplan, moving over to Paradigm in 2015. She represents a diverse roster of exciting artists which includes IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Julia Jacklin and girl in red.

Robert Cordova currently serves as Chief Technology & Strategy Officer for the Milwaukee Bucks. In his role, Robert is responsible for all technology infrastructure, business analytics, and information systems enabling the Milwaukee Bucks and its ancillary businesses, including Fiserv Forum, Wisconsin Herd G-League team, Bucks Gaming eSports, and Deer District real estate.

Robert has taken a unique approach in forming separate but collaborative Operation Technology and Information Technology teams and best practices in order to serve the distinct natures of the venue businesses and the professional sports businesses. Robert has been responsible for implementing scalable and extensible technologies to accommodate innovations and advancements in area such as business intelligence, performance analytics, wireless communications, video broadcast, and digital marketing. Fiserv Forum, opened in the summer of 2018 showcases many of these making it one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the world. Robert joined the Milwaukee Bucks in April 2018.

Robert is an innovative technology leader with more than 30 years of IT enterprise experience. Prior to his current role, Robert was the Principal Architect and Regional Chief Technology Officer for AT&T, where he was responsible for aligning the business goals of AT&T’s enterprise customers with AT&T solutions. Throughout his 30-plus-year career, Robert has held high-level technology positions at Sara Lee Corporation, CenturyLink and Northrop Grumman.

Robert has been a keynote speaker and panel member at several industry conferences, including the CGT Sales and Marketing Forum, Venues Now Conference, and the Future Guest Experiences conference. Robert received a 2019 Chief Information Officer of the Year award from the Milwaukee Business Journal for his work at the Bucks and in the community.

He graduated from Yale College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and was a member of the Yale Lightweight Rowing team. He is married with three children and enjoys hiking and biking.

Sean Striegelhas been a professional concert promoter for over 2 decades and is currently Senior Vice President of the Club and Theatre Division at Live Nation. Sean’s responsibilities are overseeing the Club and Theatre business for the New York and New Jersey markets. Beginning his career in Southern California working with such venues as the Coach House and the Galaxy Concert Theater and in 2001 moving to the House of Blues Anaheim. In 2005 Sean received Pollstar’s Nightclub Talent Buyer of the Year award. 2007 Sean moved to New York as VP of Talent on the New York Booking Team. Sean’sprofessional interests focus on the NY/NJ venues as well as promoting National Tours with artists he is personally passionate about.

As Executive Vice President of Entertainment at Prudential Center, Sean Saadeh oversees the direction and strategy of growing the entertainment and events business. Saadeh has been working in the arena and entertainment business for 23 years and has been a senior executive at Harris Blizter Sports and Entertainment for over four years.

Under Saadeh’s direction, Prudential Center has risen to a top ten arena worldwide. With more than 175 events annually, Saadeh’s focus has been to partner with strong content providers to grow Prudential Center’s business. In 2018, Prudential Center produced 50 concerts, which has doubled since 2015, when Saadeh took over Entertainment operations.

Prudential Center concerts consistently are some of the most diverse programming in the tri-state area. KPOP, Latin, Urban and Indian concerts have seen amazing growth over the last four years, under Saadeh’s strategic plan. In the last three months, Prudential Center hosted their first eSports event, the 2019 Rocket League World Championships, and the 2019 MTV VMAs.

Saadeh began his career in entertainment at San Diego Sports Arena in booking and marketing, where he held various during his nine-year tenure. He spent five years booking the Gila River Arena (formerly Glendale Arena), the home of the Phoenix Coyotes (now Arizona Coyotes) and doubled their concert business during his time there. In 2011, Saadeh was hired to open the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and develop their brand-new entertainment and booking strategy. During his time in Brooklyn, Saadeh produced over 500 events including, JayZ, Barbra Streisand and over 60 concerts annually, while also growing the boxing and college basketball programs.

During his free time, Saadeh enjoys golfing, traveling, reading, watching movies, playing his guitar and walking his dog, Goose. He currently resides in Westfield, NJ with his wife, Kenna and his twin daughters Quincy and Taylor.

Rick Giles founded the Gazelle Group in 1994 after spending eight years at International Management Group. Giles is a graduate of Princeton University and the Stern School of Business at New York University.

The Gazelle Group creates, represents, and consults across sports and entertainment events. Since its inception, Gazelle has formed relationships with corporate sponsors, teams, venues, and television networks to produce and stage successful events throughout the country in a variety of sports. Gazelle also represents college basketball coaches – facilitating career movement and negotiating their contracts.

Gazelle has many areas of expertise and experience. However, Gazelle’s core business has evolved around the sport of college basketball.

Mary Haskett is the CEO and co-founder of Blink Identity, a venture backed company based in Austin, Texas that has developed face recognition products that can identify people at a full walking speed and in any lighting condition. Haskett drives the business strategy and marketing direction, as well as manages the day-to-day operations of the company.

Her first startup was a skydiving school she got involved with when she was a college student. The skydiving school was bootstrapped into a profitable business that owned multiple airplanes, taught thousands of students how to skydive and hosted skydiving competitions broadcast on ESPN.

Haskett next founded a training company that built dozens of online courses for Fortune 500 companies. After that company was acquired by a defense contractor, she stayed on as a VP to lead biometric systems development in the US and overseas. She deployed frequently to Iraq and Afghanistan, and was responsible for deploying the Afghanistan National biometric database. Haskett holds a M.Ed. in Educational Technology from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics awarded by the University of Texas at Dallas.

FiveEleven Productions was founded in 2006 by David Weil to provide expert production and technical management solutions to corporate clients worldwide. A degree in Audio Engineering from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music began a career that has spanned the globe. With over 30 years’ experience in both recording and live events, David has in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the event industry.

James L. Dolan is Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), a leading live entertainment company renowned for its world-famous arena complex, professional sports teams, entertainment properties and historic showplaces. Mr. Dolan also serves as Executive Chairman of MSG Networks Inc., which includes two award-winning regional sports and entertainment networks.

In his role at MSG, Mr. Dolan is responsible for the Company’s overall growth strategy and oversight of its operations. He also serves as governor to the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League on behalf of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Throughout his tenure, Mr. Dolan has spearheaded an ambitious vision to ensure the Company continues to set the standard for live sports and entertainment. This includes the Company’s plans to build state-of-the-art venues in Las Vegas and London, called MSG Sphere, that will pioneer the next generation of immersive experiences. Mr. Dolan first introduced his strategy for a large-scale music and entertainment focused venue in January 2014 with the successful re-opening of the legendary Forum arena in Inglewood, California. Mr. Dolan was also the catalyst for the restoration of the Company’s cherished national landmark, Radio City Music Hall, in 1999, as well as the famed Beacon Theatre in early 2009. This was followed by the three-year, top-to-bottom transformation of the Madison Square Garden Arena, which was completed in October 2013. MSG’s venues also include The Chicago Theatre, which was built in 1921 as one of the country’s most opulent motion picture houses.

In addition to its portfolio of landmark venues, MSG owns and operates professional sports teams, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, as well as entertainment properties, including the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes. MSG has expanded its live offerings through investments in Boston Calling Events, which produces the Boston Calling Music Festival; TAO Group, a hospitality group with globally-recognized entertainment dining and nightlife brands; and Counter Logic Gaming, a leading North American esports organization.

Mr. Dolan has led MSG’s response to local and national tragedies. He played a principal role in organizing several extraordinary benefit concerts, including “12-12-12,” which raised more than $50 million for the victims of Hurricane Sandy; “The Concert For New York City,” which generated more than $35 million in aid for 9/11 victims and heroes; and “From The Big Apple to The Big Easy,” which raised nearly $9 million for Hurricane Katrina relief. Mr. Dolan also supports both MSG’s and MSG Networks Inc.’s ongoing commitment to the community, particularly through the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit charity that works with both companies to help children throughout the New York metropolitan area.

In addition to his oversight of MSG, Mr. Dolan also serves as Executive Chairman of MSG Networks Inc., which became a standalone media company following the 2015 spin-off of The Madison Square Garden Company. MSG Networks Inc. is comprised of MSG Network and MSG+, which together annually telecast more than 450 live professional games, along with a comprehensive lineup of other sporting events, as well as critically-acclaimed original programming.

Mr. Dolan served as Chief Executive Officer of Cablevision Systems Corporation from 1995 until June 2016, when the leading media and telecommunications company, which served as MSG’s parent company until 2010, was sold to Altice. Prior to his role as Cablevision CEO, Mr. Dolan was Chief Executive Officer of Rainbow Media Holdings, the former Cablevision programming subsidiary now known as AMC Networks Inc. Mr. Dolan began his career with Cablevision in the 1970s and held a variety of executive positions before overseeing Rainbow Media.

Mr. Dolan serves on the board of directors for MSG, MSG Networks Inc., and AMC Networks Inc. He is also on the board of The Lustgarten Foundation, an organization he helped found in 1998, which today is the nation’s largest private supporter of pancreatic cancer research. Since its inception, the Foundation has directed more than $165 million to research and assembled the best scientific minds to help find a cure.

As executive vice president of MSG Live, Darren Pfeffer oversees The Madison Square Garden Company’s (MSG) live entertainment events and sets the strategic direction for MSG’s bookings, which includes exploring opportunities to develop new signature events, artist relationships and unique experiences for MSG’s customers. MSG’s entertainment portfolio includes an array of concerts, family shows, performing arts and special events that are presented or hosted in the Company’s diverse collection of venues. Those venues are: Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum and The Chicago Theatre. MSG also produces outdoor festivals through Boston Calling Events, the entertainment production company responsible for New England’s premier music festival – Boston Calling. Since joining MSG in 2017, Mr. Pfeffer has overseen a period of growth within MSG’s live business – including a record-setting number of events across the Company’s venues. With a focus on multi-night and multi-market engagements, notable recent bookings have included: the continuation of Billy Joel’s historic residency at The Garden; Jerry Seinfeld’s residency at the Beacon Theatre; Tedeschi Trucks Band’s multi-year, dual-city residency at the Beacon Theatre and The Chicago Theatre; and Sebastian Maniscalco’s four sold-out shows at MSG. Mr. Pfeffer also focuses on developing relationships with artists and their teams, driving an “artist first” approach that attracts the industry’s top talent across all MSG venues.

Prior to joining MSG, Mr. Pfeffer spent more than two decades at iHeartMedia, a leading media and entertainment company, in roles of increasing responsibility. Before joining MSG, he served as senior vice president of Music and Entertainment Marketing, where he was responsible for overseeing all strategic, operational and promotional aspects of more than 160 iHeartMedia events, including high-profile properties such as the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, the iHeartCountry Festival and the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina. Starting in 2006, Mr. Pfeffer served as executive producer of Z100’s Jingle Ball, turning the annual holiday concert into an iconic New York City event that is nationally televised on The CW Network. He also oversaw the multi-market iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, which included stops in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Miami. His experience at iHeartMedia also included spearheading the Company’s B2B event strategy and creating exceptional live experiences at key industry events around the world for leading brands. Mr. Pfeffer began his career at iHeartMedia in 1995 as an intern.

Mr. Pfeffer serves on the board of directors of TAO Group, Boston Calling Events and Musicians On Call, which brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.

Michael Martin — a recovering Wall Street Investment Banker — is the Founder and CEO of Effect Partners and r.Cup. He has been an innovator in sustainability and social change marketing almost 30 years, starting with the non-profit, Concerts for the Environment.

Michael developed the first-ever, national global warming campaign and produced multiple Earth Day events on the National Mall. He introduced many of the greening practices currently being used in the music industry today. He has worked with over 200 of the music industry’s leading artists including Jack Johnson, U2, Dave Matthews Band, and Mumford & Sons. He has developed sustainability & marketing strategies for brands including Apple, Toyota, UPS, Target, Clif Bar and Live Nation.

Effect Partners is a social change enterprise, inspiring impactful business solutions powered by music, art and culture. His latest venture, r.Cup, disrupts the wasteful single-use plastic cup at live events. r.Cup reduces the environmental impact of live events with a reusable, recyclable, rental cup program.