CAA has announced that Brent Weinstein is joining the agency’s senior leadership team, where he’ll be responsible for overseeing business areas including digital media, podcasts, games, talent business ventures, and speakers.

He will also be involved in the agency’s M&A and investment activities, with a specific focus on setting strategy for the business areas he oversees. In partnership with the Technology division, he’ll also co-manage the team behind CAA’s in-house data and analytics platform, Intell.

Weinstein joins from Candle Media, where he’s served as chief development officer since 2022. Prior to that, he spent more than two decades at UTA, where he helped build and led the agency’s digital talent, podcasting, ventures, live events, heartland, and emerging platforms businesses, rising to become partner and the agency’s first-ever chief innovation officer.

He also co-managed UTA’s Insights and News divisions, helped drive strategy and operations for its Global Music and Speakers businesses, and played a key role in the agency’s M&A initiatives.

Denmark’s Roskilde Festival has announced that Nikoline Skaarup will join the organisation as a booker

Australia-based global entertainment firm TEG has announced the promotion of Jessie Parker to festival director of Laneway Festival, following her tenure as general manager.

The Australasian touring festival recently wrapped the most successful festival run in its 20-year history, with 200,000 fans attending sold-out shows in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth to see performances from Charli XCX, Clairo, BICEP, Beabadoobee, Olivia Dean, Remi Wolf, Skegss, and more.

In her new role, Parker will lead the strategic and creative direction of Laneway Festival, overseeing all aspects of operations, partnerships, and audience development. She will work closely with Laneway’s co-founders, Danny Rogers & Jerome Borazio, who report to TEG’s global head of touring Tim McGregor.

Denmark’s Roskilde Festival has announced that Nikoline Skaarup will join the organisation as a booker, effective today (2 June).

Skaarup joins from DTD Concerts, where she primarily booked international and new domestic acts for Danish festivals NorthSide and Tinderbox.

The 2024 New Boss and ILMC Futures Forum regular has booked acts including The 1975, Pushq T, Vince Staples, Libianca, Yemi Alade, Lola Young, and Parcels.

Outback Presents has promoted Andrew Farwell to president

Skaarup will continue to book international acts in her new position at Roskilde, working alongside the festival’s head of music, Thomas Sønderby Jepsen.

Outback Presents, one of the leading indie North American promoters, has promoted Andrew Farwell to president.

Farwell previously served as vice president and worked with founder and co-CEO Mike Smardak in music, comedy and other spoken-word events, having had a hand in the thousands of shows in theatres and arenas across the US and Canada.

Former Eventim Netherlands CEO Henk Schuit has launched his own international consultancy firm for the live entertainment sector.

Louise Clark has started a new position as head of corporate affairs – sport and entertainment at Howden, the global insurance and reinsurance brokers, underwriters, risk consultants and employee benefits advisors.

Clark was previously a risk and relationships manager at Howden’s UK and Ireland branch, Howden Insurance Brokers Limited.

Former Eventim Netherlands CEO Henk Schuit has launched his own international consultancy firm

AHS – Adviesbureau Henk Schuit will offer “strategic advisory, interim management, and non-executive board support to organisations looking to grow, transform, or strengthen governance in a fast-changing industry landscape”.

“Now is the right time to work with organisations facing change,” says Schuit. “I help bridge the gap between vision and execution – whether in strategy, leadership or innovation.”

APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston is elected as chair of board of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the global network of authors’ societies.

Announced Thursday afternoon, May 29th, Ormston becomes just the second Australian ever elected to the helm of CISAC in its 99-year history. The other was his predecessor at APRA AMCOS, Brett Cottle, who held the CISAC role from 2006-2010.

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Ethical ticket resale platform Twickets has announced the appointment of Martin Fitzgerald as its first non-executive director.

Fitzgerald has extensive experience from senior leadership roles at See Tickets and Eventim UK, where he helped steer various commercial and strategic developments.

The appointment has been confirmed as the business prepares for its next phase of expansion in the live entertainment sector.

Twickets reported a 30% increase in revenue and a 25% rise in tickets sold in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The platform also welcomed over five million users in the first six months of the year.

“Twickets have managed to turn ticketing into a good news story and I’ve long admired their commitment to putting fans first and disrupting the inflated resale market,” says Fitzgerald. “I’m thrilled to join Richard and the team to support the next phase of growth.”

CAA has announced two hires in its marketing and brand partnerships divisions

CAA has announced two hires as the agency continues expanding its marketing and brand partnerships divisions.

Adrian Ayala has been added to Global Touring’s Marketing team and joins CAA from CHIVALR, an independent operator of music venues in Southern California.

During his time at the company Ayala led marketing strategy for some of Los Angeles iconic venues such as Catch One, El Cid, and Don Quixote.

His ten-year career in marketing also includes spearheading promotions for Live Nation’s North American tours including Bon Jovi, Ariana Grande, and Coldplay and negotiating brand partnerships with Tinder, 1-800-Flowers.com, & Urban Outfitters.

In the record industry, Ayala has experience with leading digital marketing at Warner Records for artists including Bebe Rexha and Kylie Minogue.

Swansea Building Society Arena has appointed Matt Blackhouse as venue director

Ben de Ayora has joined Global Touring’s brand partnerships team at CAA and will focus on the agency’s electronic and dance artists. Most recently at AEG, de Ayora has more than a decade of experience working in music, entertainment, and technology, while connecting “global brands with cultural moments and audiences.”

Last year, he founded BRAND/PRIX, a boutique brand partnerships collective that has “collaborated with more than 30 of the most influential music venues and festivals across the U.S.” He’s also worked at Discogs, DoStuff Media, and Viacom.

Swansea Building Society Arena, the Swansea Council-owned and ATG Entertainment-operated venue in Wales, has appointed Matt Blackhouse as venue director.

Blackhouse will take on the role from 2 June at the 3,500-capacity venue, which opened in March 2022. He takes over from Lisa Mart, who in March was hired by AEG Presents as regional general manager of indigo at The O2 and the Watford Colosseum.

Blackhouse was previously senior events project manager at YTL Arena Bristol, where he was involved in development plans for the yet-to-be-opened entertainment district. Other previous roles include deputy GM and senior events manager at Utilita Arena Cardiff (cap. 7,500).

Tickets for Good has announced a new global chief operating officer 

ATG said Swansea Building Society Arena has welcomed nearly 750,000 people through its doors since it opened. Artists to have performed there include Fontaines D.C., Manic Street Preachers and Katherine Ryan.

Tickets for Good, a social profit organisation that offers healthcare workers affordable access to music and sports events, has announced the appointment of Derek DeVeaux as Global Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Reporting to Tickets For Good CEO Steve Rimmer, U.S.-based DeVeaux is tasked with leading key partnerships, overseeing day-to-day operations, and the platform product delivery. With more than 20 years of experience in technology and operations, he previously served as Head of Technology at Sports Business Journal and worked at AmerisourceBergen, Passport, and Citibank. He is the Founder of Chasm Analytics, a consultancy enabling scalable technology and business solutions.

With this phase of significant international growth at Tickets For Good, further senior global appointments include Jess Nesbit in Ticketing Operations and Alex Deadman in Communications.

Additionally, the company has expanded its UK-based staff with hires in key roles: Aaron Taylor as New Business Lead, George Webb as Ticketing Operations & Customer Service Lead, and Laura Harmer as Community Partnerships Lead.

Former Live Nation exec Martin Alsop has joined Clay GBP/NFP

The announcement comes as the company reaches the one million milestone for tickets distributed and approaches 500,000 registered users on its platform across its UK, EU and US businesses.

Martin Alsop has joined Clay GBP, a full-service business management consultancy firm based in the UK, recently acquired by NFP.

Clay GBP is part of Ground Control Business Management (Ground Control), an NFP company providing a variety of business management solutions, including strategic tax services, for high net worth individuals, entertainment industry executives, entertainers and professional athletes, among others.

Ground Control recently expanded into the UK through NFP’s acquisition of Clay GBP, which will be integrated into Ground Control’s operations and ultimately rebranded as Ground Control.

Reporting to Chris Bucci, CEO of Ground Control, Martin Alsop will develop and manage the company’s UK music industry practice.

Alsop has over 20 years of experience advising UK and international touring artists and productions of varying scale. Prior to NFP, he worked at Live Nation Entertainment as vice president, Operations and Finance, EMEA region. He previously worked at Dales Evans & Co. Ltd., a leading UK accountancy firm, as a business manager.

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Brett Parker has been appointed chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the combined Legends and ASM Global business.

A seasoned executive with extensive experience in strategic finance and business operations, Parker joins Legends after more than two decades as an executive leader at Lucky Strike Entertainment, where he transformed the business from a single entertainment centre location into a public company with hundreds of locations across North America.

Dan Levy, CEO of Legends, said, “His track record in scaling businesses and driving strategic growth will be invaluable as we bring together Legends and ASM Global and expand our global impact.”

Parker arrives at Legends during a period of significant growth and opportunity following the August 2024 acquisition of ASM Global. As the companies integrate into a single entity, Parker will oversee all financial operations and planning while “playing a vital role in developing and driving company strategy to ensure long-term success,” according to a release.

Elsewhere, Marc Sousley joins Australia’s Frontier Touring as tour director. ​Previously a senior promoter at Live Nation-backed Secret Sounds, Sousley has delivered tours from artists such as The 1975, Tate McRae, Lizzy McAlpine, Father John Misty and more, as well as local artists, Ruel, Dope Lemon and Peach PRC. ​

Prior to working at Secret Sounds, he worked in Austin, Texas with US-based C3 Presents, producers of Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. He moved to Australia with C3 in 2012, when the company acquired a share of music festival Big Day Out. ​

“[Parker’s] track record in scaling businesses and driving strategic growth will be invaluable as we bring together Legends and ASM Global”

Susan Heymann, COO of Frontier Touring, says: “We are excited to have Marc join our team. He comes into the company with over two decades of experience, strong industry relationships and an approach that aligns perfectly with Frontier’s ‘artists and fans first’ philosophy.”

Also in Australia, TEG has announced that its head of commercial Simon Cahill and SXSW Sydney’s general manager Jono Whyman have been appointed co-managing directors for SXSW Sydney.

Cahill will also retain existing commercial responsibilities and has been appointed to TEG’s chief commercial officer.

These changes follow Colin Daniels’ decision to step down from the SXSW Sydney managing director position, a role he has held since the event’s inaugural year in Australia.

Daniels, who is a founding partner of Handsome Tours, remains in the TEG family, holding a position on the SXSW Sydney Board.

TEG Group CEO and SXSW Chair Geoff Jones comments: “First and foremost, I would like to personally thank Colin for his dedication and hard work over the years. Colin has done an outstanding job in building a passionate Team, successfully launching SXSW Sydney, and ensuring the vision for this world-leading Event is set for the future. His leadership has been instrumental, and I am grateful for his contributions.”

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Wizard Live is strengthening its management team with the introduction of Sascha Rippberger as head of new business.

The Frankfurt-based promoter says the newly created position emphasises its company’s strategic development and growth in new business areas.

Rippberger co-founded Monkeydrive Printing Factory GmbH in 2005 and ran the company as managing partner until 2020.

He built the former two-man start-up into one of Europe’s leading producers of merchandise, including its own production facility, particularly for live touring and sporting events.

In recent years, Rippberger, who is an active musician himself, has worked nationwide as an independent coach and supervisor, specializing in executive coaching, communication and diversity.

“Sascha Rippberger has exactly the right mix of experience and fresh ideas to take us forward”

Oliver Hoppe, managing director of Wizard Live, adds: “Sascha Rippberger has exactly the right mix of experience and fresh ideas to take us forward. He knows the business, knows how to set up structures and get people on board – and that’s exactly what we need. We are delighted that he is now part of the team and will be taking the next steps with us.”

Music Victoria, the peak body for contemporary music in the Australian state, has appointed a new CEO.

Fiona Duncan, an exec with 30 years of experience spanning artist management, event and tour management, publicity, and industry advisory roles, will lead the organisation from 25 March.

Duncan is thought to be one of the longest-serving artist managers in Australia, having taken acts like Spiderbait from an emerging band to national stars.

Her work with the City of Greater Geelong included the delivery of major arts and music events such as the award winning Mountain to Mouth, Geelong After Dark, and the creation of Surround Sounds.

“Since we have appeared on the scene, we have transformed and grown, adapted and developed”

The appointment of Music Victoria’s new CEO comes following the departure of Simone Schinkel in December, with Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO) general manager Kirsty Rivers stepping in as the Acting CEO during the interim.

She has also previously served on the board Music Victoria and continues to serve as board member with the Association of Artist Managers (AAM), contributing her expertise to support and strengthen the music sector.

Elsewhere, Belgian touring entertainment promoter MB Presents has rebranded as Stage Magic.

Since launching in 2015, the company has worked with brands such as Cirque du Soleil, Riverdance and Monster Jam.

“Our portfolio of clients has grown, new areas of development have seen the day: venue management, event and show production, large scale exhibition promotion and production and finally the expansion in our neighboring countries France and the Netherlands. Since we have appeared on the scene, we have transformed and grown, adapted and developed,” reads a release.

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Wasserman Music has announced the appointment of three senior executives from WME: Kevin Shivers, James Rubin, and Cristina Baxter.

Shivers and Rubin join Wasserman Music’s executive leadership team, marking the group’s biggest expansion since the company’s 2021 launch.

Los Angeles-based Shivers and New York-based Rubin join Wasserman as EVPs & managing executives, having been WME senior partners in the agency’s music division and co-directors of its hip-hop/R&B team.

At WME, Shivers represented stars including Tyler, The Creator, Kali Uchis, Snoop Dogg, Lil Baby, Kid Cudi, Summer Walker, Kevin Abstract, Solange, and Jimmy Butler, while Rubin represented world-renowned acts such as Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, Solange, Bryson Tiller and Wiz Khalifa.

Los Angeles-based Baxter joins Wasserman as senior vice president, having been a partner in WME’s music division and co-director of its pop and rock teams. Baxter represented acts including André 3000, Kygo, Carly Rae Jepsen, SOFI TUKKER and Kali Uchis.

“Kevin, James, and Cristina are highly respected leaders in the industry who exemplify the values on which our company is built”

All three executives join Wasserman Music effective today. Their rosters following the move have not been confirmed.

“Kevin, James and Cristina are highly respected leaders in the industry who exemplify the values on which our company is built,” says Casey Wasserman, chairman and CEO of Wasserman.
“We’re thrilled to have them join Team Wass during this exciting period of growth for our global music division.”

Wasserman Music president Lee Anderson adds: “I’ve long admired Kevin, James, and Cristina as both professionals and people. It’s gratifying to now refer to some of our toughest competition as our newest teammates and partners.”

Shivers comments: “Wasserman Music is creating an agency for the future – one focused equally on nurturing both the talent they represent and the talent they hire. I look forward to helping further Wasserman’s mission of championing artists like no other.”

Rubin adds: “I’m thrilled to join the very best team in our industry, bar none. With Wasserman’s unmatched resources and services, I look forward to helping my clients’ businesses grow exponentially.”

Baxter says: “Wasserman Music has built more than just an agency. It’s a new kind of artist representation company that is innovative, unwaveringly client-focused, and designed to expand opportunities for people of all backgrounds in our industry.”

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All Things Live has named Coen ter Wolbeek as Group Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective November 1 2024.

Wolbeek brings over 30 years of industry expertise, having co-founded Agents After All, one of the largest independent companies in the Dutch live entertainment market.

The Amsterdam-based promoter, which is involved in more than 1,500 concerts annually in the Netherlands, was acquired by All Things Live in December 2022.

Wolbeek will continue to co-manage the careers of several Dutch artists through Agents After All alongside his new role as Group COO at All Things Live.

“Exactly 20 years after founding Agents After All and growing it into the powerhouse as it is today, I am ready for the next chapter,” he says.

“Agents After All and All Things Live started their cooperation in 2022, and I’ve witnessed its rise as one of Europe’s most exciting independent live entertainment companies. The Group is well-positioned for further international expansion, and I am eager to contribute to its growth by creating more opportunities for the talented artists we represent and working alongside the ambitious team and co-owners.”

Gry Mølleskog, Group CEO of All Things Live, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Coen ter Wolbeek to our Management team. His extensive experience and proven track record in the live entertainment industry will be invaluable as we continue to expand our business across Europe. Coen’s strategic insight and passion for industry will help drive our growth and strengthen our position as a leading independent player.”

“Coen’s strategic insight and passion for industry will help drive our growth and strengthen our position as a leading independent player”

Since All Things Live was founded by Waterland Private Equity in 2018, it has expanded to 28 companies in eight countries. The company’s portfolio ranges from musical productions to music festivals and standup events to stadium concerts, with Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, The Rolling Stones, Eminem, and Rammstein among its clients.

Elsewhere, AEG Presents subsidiary Goldenvoice has announced a slate of promotions for several talent buyers across southern California.

Becky Rosen-Checa, talent buyer for Roxy Theatre and El Rey Theatre, will segue from those venues to oversee bookings for the Fox Theater Pomona in addition to one-off LA area shows for Goldenvoice. She will also be contributing to Goldenvoice’s catalogue of shows at Los Angeles State Historic Park and Brookside at the Rose Bowl, as well as festival properties Palm Springs Surf Club and Desert Air.

Henry Huerta, Rosen-Checa’s booking partner, will continue to handle booking duties at the Roxy and El Rey, alongside newly-promoted talent buyer Montreh Nariman-Hassanabadi. Nariman-Hassanbadi was most recently a talent buyer assistant at Goldenvoice.

Chavanté Flakes, who joined AEG Presents in 2022 and segued into the role of booking manager at Goldenvoice this year, has been promoted to talent buyer at The Novo, the Downtown LA club that is a key hip-hop and R&B destination in the city. Flakes joins current Novo talent buyer Gaston Leone in this role.

In addition, Candace Mandracia has joined the company to help book shows in the San Diego area. Mandracia, who worked most recently at AEG Presents’ Las Vegas office and Live Nation San Diego before that, will now book shows at such venues as Rady Shell, Humphreys, and the venues at Pechanga Casino. She joins the booking team of John Wojas, Lea Swanson and Jenn Liebelt.

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ASM Global has appointed Martin McGougan as the group’s regional director of business development for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) Region.

McGougan is a strategic events specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the business across the Middle East and Scotland.

For the last ten years, he has been based at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) helping to deliver the government’s Economic Vision 2030 through the development of core markets and the establishment of key business events.

Prior to moving to Abu Dhabi, McGougan was the business development manager for Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus, (SEC) the UK’s largest integrated conference and exhibition centre.

In his new role at ASM Global, he will be based in Riyadh and be tasked with identifying potential venue management opportunities and supporting the delivery of conference and exhibition growth across the region.

Zomato has hired BookMyShow’s former head of live events and intellectual property Kunal Khambhati

Elsewhere, Zomato has hired BookMyShow’s former head of live events and intellectual property, Kunal Khambhati, in a bid to grow its own live events business.

Khambhati’s appointment comes after Zomato acquired Paytm Insider, the fintech company’s entertainment ticketing business, in a deal worth $244.1m (€219m).

Khambhati worked with BookMyShow, one of India’s largest ticketing operators, for more than seven years on events such as Lollapalooza, which was staged in India for the first time last year.

Zomato’s ‘going out’ business will eventually include a separate app called District, which will feature restaurant bookings, event ticketing and holiday rentals.

The Indian company originally began as a restaurant aggregator and food delivery business.

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Talent agency UTA and live entertainment company Sphere Entertainment have each announced new chief operating officers.

UTA has appointed Bob Roback, a veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur and executive, as its new COO.

In joining the firm, Roback will also be a partner and join UTA’s board of directors. He takes over the COO role from Andrew Thau, who will continue as co-head of UTA Sports.

This week, Thau and Rich Paul, UTA Sports co-head and KLUTCH Sports founder, announced UTA’s acquisition of ROOF (Representatives Of Outstanding Footballers), a leading football agency representing top soccer players in Europe and beyond.

Roback will report to UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and president David Kramer. As COO, his responsibilities include overall business operations and overseeing growth, strategy and technology, with a focus on efficiency and innovation, the agency said.

Roback’s career spans content, digital consumer services and consumer products, as well as business-to-business platforms and marketplaces. He spent seven years as CEO of Ingrooves Music Group, a tech-led music and marketing business acquired by Universal Music Group in 2019. Prior to that, Roback served as president and a member of the board of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. He also co-founded several companies, including Dashbox, The Media Farm and Launch Media, which became Yahoo Music.

“Throughout his accomplished career, Bob has built and led multiple businesses at the intersection of entertainment and technology, and he will be a valued partner at UTA as we help our clients thrive in an increasingly global and complex marketplace,” says Zimmer.

Roback adds: “I’ve long admired UTA’s dedication to its clients and ability to lead the way in defining what it means to be a global agency during a time of tremendous change and opportunity. I’m thrilled to be joining the company at this exciting time and look forward to shaping the future with UTA’s talented and ambitious team.”

“Bob will be a valued partner at UTA as we help our clients thrive in an increasingly global and complex marketplace”

Elsewhere, Sphere Entertainment Co has expanded Jennifer Koester’s role at the firm to president and COO. Koester most recently served as the company’s president, Sphere business operations, where she led the strategy and execution of all business aspects of Sphere, a futuristic $2.3 billion arena launched in Las Vegas in September 2023.

In the expanded role, Koester will continue working with executive leadership, and across the broader Sphere team, to grow the business and optimise its operations, said the firm.

Koester will now also provide strategic oversight for Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio in Burbank dedicated to developing multi-sensory experiences exclusively for Sphere – including further developing the Studios’ capabilities as a full-service production studio.

She will continue to focus on maximizing venue utilisation across a range of categories, such as original programming, attractions, concerts, residencies, and corporate and marquee events; driving strategic partnerships; delivering the best customer experience; and growing Sphere as a premium global brand.

“Since joining our team earlier this year, Jennifer’s contributions have had a significant impact,” says James Dolan, executive chairman and chief executive officer, Sphere Entertainment. “We believe we are just scratching the surface of what is possible with Sphere, and her expertise will be essential as we continue to advance on our long-term vision for this next-generation entertainment medium.”

“I welcome the opportunity to take on this expanded role,” says Koester. “Across the Sphere organisation we are focused on both bringing unique experiences to life in Las Vegas, and developing new experiences that will keep Sphere at the forefront of immersive entertainment. I look forward to continuing to work with our world-class team to grow our business and deliver on Sphere’s vision for the future of entertainment.”

A seasoned executive with 30 years of diverse experience in technology, media, and entertainment, Ms. Koester’s experience spans across functional areas including business development, marketing, technology, legal, and product management.

She joined Sphere Entertainment in February 2024 from Google, where she served as managing director, Americas Strategic Alliances, Global Partnerships.

She also previously served as director, telecommunications and video distributors, global partnerships at Google, where she was a key contributor to product strategy and roadmaps that delivered new revenue opportunities, including development and monetisation of advertising product lines. Her experience prior to Google includes serving as senior vice president of advanced advertising product development, data analytics and ad operations at Cablevision, as well as various legal positions.

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Runway Artists founder Matt Hanner has told IQ about the agency’s strategy to invest in the next generation of agents.

Hanner (formerly of ATC Live, Coda) launched the London-based independent booking agency in the spring of 2020, against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

Notably, the agency’s first hires included emerging executives Amg Greig and Dotun Bolaji (now at Primary Talent), with Greig set to move from a freelance role to a full-time position in June.

Indeed, Hanner says recruiting and training young and diverse agents is baked into the firm’s game plan.

“I want to build a talented team that represents the artists we work with and society as a whole,” he tells IQ.

“Younger, digital native agents will definitely have the upper hand when it comes to identifying and nurturing new artists”

“Popular culture is not shaped by aging white men and as something of an underdog in the agency landscape I want to give Runway a fighting chance when we’re up against the competition – if artists can look across the table and see a company that reflects and understands them then hopefully they’ll give us a shot.”

In fact, Hanner believes that having young agents on the team is an advantage when it comes to scouting talent.

“Someone in their early 20s has only ever consumed music in an ecosystem in which DSPs are a major player; the associated shift in consumption habits has massively altered how people approach genre and that feeds into talent development and discovery,” he explains.

“Personally when looking at new artists I feel I can’t stray too far from my ‘lane’ as I don’t know the tastemakers outside certain genres but streaming has moved the goalposts completely and younger, digital native agents will definitely have the upper hand when it comes to identifying and nurturing new artists.”

The younger generation of Runway recently expanded with Louise McGovern (an agent who has previously worked for Midnight Mango and DHP) and intern Emer Marcus, who joined Heather Mosselson, Steve Backman, Zac Peters, Craig Wylie, Georgia Chrysanthopoulos and Karen Murray.

“The shift in age and gender balance of the company should bring a new dynamic”

But Runway’s commitment to diversity isn’t just reflected in its team. Having partnered with gender-equality initiative Keychange, the agency has pledged to maintain a minimum of 50% female-led or majority-female artists across the agency’s roster.

“Additionally, we are looking to address the racial imbalance across the artists we represent,” reads a mission statement on the agency’s website.

McGovern – who represents KEG, Alien Chicks, Spyres, Toby Sebastian, Jaws The Shark, Cable Street Collective, Dutch Criminal Record, Jade Helliwell and Kima Otung – says Runway’s DEI strategy is partly what attracted her to the company.

“They invest a lot into grassroots artists and venues and have a people-first approach, and equality, diversity and inclusion are important concepts to me, so I was thrilled to see them sign up to the Keychange pact,” she says. “In terms of their roster, they have a diverse range of artists, and I could see my roster and my future roster fitting in well there.”

Meanwhile, Marcus has been interning at Runway for nine months now and says her experience at the agency has been “crucial” in an industry that can be “daunting for young people to enter”.

“Talent and aptitude for the role are more important than experience, so assuming we’re getting that bit right once the doors are open we want to see people running through them,” says Hanner.

As an independent agency, Hanner believes Runway can give less experienced executives broader exposure to agency work and progress them quicker into an agent role.

“I think, in general, agencies have been hiring as young and cheap as they can for years with very different motivations,” he says. “You could argue it would be more financially prudent and less work to bring in experienced staff and those with a proven roster but one of the advantages to being an independent company is that we can be idealistic and take a gamble because we believe it’s the right thing to do.

“The shift in age and gender balance of the company should bring a new dynamic and I am hoping we empower our newly expanded team to drive Runway forward in an exciting direction,” Hanner says.

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Berlin-based promoter DreamHaus is strengthening its festival team with three new hires: Jana Posth, Marlene Ryba and Johanna Neuber.

All three executives will work on the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals, which DreamHaus has been responsible for since 2022 after it was acquired by CTS Eventim.

Jana Posth takes over the position as head of festival operations/festival director Rock am Ring. She has held roles in the events sector for 10 years, including managing the Lollapalooza Festival in Berlin.

“With fresh ideas and their great know-how in the field of festivals, Jana, Marlene and Johanna enrich our team enormously”

Marlene Ryba assumes the role of senior communications & PR manager of festivals, having previously worked in the PR department at Lollapalooza.

And Johanna Neuber, who has been active in the music industry for five years, joins the team as a junior project and event manager.

“With fresh ideas and their great know-how in the field of festivals, Jana, Marlene and Johanna enrich our team enormously and contribute to the future-oriented development of Rock am Ring/Rock im Park,” says Marc Seemann, director of strategy & business development.

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