Live Nation acquires Hong Kong’s Clockenflap
Live Nation has acquired a majority stake in Hong Kong-based promoter Clockenflap and its flagship music and arts festival.
One of Asia’s best-known festival brands, Clockenflap made its return in early March after a four-year hiatus, featuring artists including Arctic Monkeys, Balming Tiger, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Cardigans and Wu-Tang Clan.
The Clockenflap team will continue to curate, manage and produce its events, with co-founder and music director Justin Sweeting confident that Live Nation’s support and resources will help cement its status internationally.
“It was a wonderful feeling seeing a capacity crowd at the festival last weekend – Clockenflap has one of the most positive and open minded audiences in the world,” he says. “The Live Nation team share our vision for Clockenflap being one of the best city festivals in the world, and with Live Nation’s support and resources, I’m excited for the future of the festival.”
Founded in 2008, the three-day, 30,000-cap festival takes place at Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront Event Space. Its next edition has been confirmed for 1-3 December 2023.
“By joining forces with Live Nation, we can continue to grow the festival and expand our event activities in Hong Kong and regionally”
Clockenflap also organises regular touring concerts in Hong Kong under the Clockenflap Presents banner, with recent sold-out shows announced for Cigarettes After Sex and Honne, and its partnership with Live Nation comes at a time events in the region are seeing a bloom in activity.
“Over the last 15 years we have grown Clockenflap into a world-class three-day festival,” says Clockenflap co-founder and MD Mike Hill. “By joining forces with the global leaders in entertainment, Live Nation, we can continue to grow the festival and expand our event activities in Hong Kong and regionally.”
“Partnering with Clockenflap further demonstrates that Live Nation is committed to bringing world-class festivals and live entertainment experiences to Hong Kong fans,” adds Live Nation APAC president Roger Field. “Our team is dedicated to supporting Mike, Justin and their team’s exceptional skills and capabilities, and through Live Nation’s global network we will enhance and grow the Clockenflap brand and deliver new and exciting live opportunities to the region.”
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Untitled Group expands to Europe & Asia-Pacific
Australian independent promoter Untitled Group has restructured its booking team as it expands to Asia Pacific and Europe.
The Melbourne-based company has upped senior touring agent Monty McGaw to head of electronic, which sees him move into an overall strategy and management role.
McGaw, who is currently head booker for the firm’s flagship four-day electronic music festival Pitch Music & Arts, will be tasked with guiding Untitled Group’s expansion into Asia alongside newly appointed Marc Roberts. He will also be responsible for developing new touring agents, and heading up collaborations with other electronic promoters in Asia Pacific.
“With this new expansion, we will be able to build on our relationships with local Asia bookers/promoters”
“This is an exciting prospect for not just Untitled Group but also for the artists and teams that we have been working with for some time,” McGaw tells IQ. “Australia and New Zealand have often been seen as ‘isolated’ regions for touring artists given the long distance travel involved.
“With this new expansion, we will be able to build on our relationships with local Asia bookers/promoters and it will allow us to tell a more cohesive story between the regions in terms of the artists touring, their music and audiences. I am very much looking forward to leading this change, and am excited for what opportunities we may be able to harness together.”
McGaw and Roberts work alongside fellow touring team members – director of touring Nicholas Greco, senior agent Pia Del Mastro, tour operations manager Georgia Madden, senior artist operations Ela Rutherford and artist operations Stacey Queffert.
Untitled Group will present the European debut of its Day Party at Amsterdam’s Lovelee on 22 October
McGaw, who is also programmer for Australian electronic music hub Xe54, has upcoming tours with the likes of Honey Dijon, Dj Boring, Job Jobse, Sally C, Palms Trax, Mella Dee, DJ Mell G, Ki/Ki, Etapp Kyle, Charlotte De Witte, Adam Pits, Lisene and Aloka.
Untitled Group will also present the European debut of its Day Party at Amsterdam’s Lovelee in the Netherlands from 11am to 9.30pm on 22 October, in collaboration with Amsterdam Dance Event. Expanding to the Northern Hemisphere for the first time ever, the event will feature UK vocalist and producer Eliza Rose, alongside Mella Dee, Dj Boring, Daws, Jennifer Loveless, La La, Moktar, X. Club and Young Singh.
The Untitled touring team has also worked on tours for Glass Animals, The Kooks, Hayden James and Wu-Tang Clan, as well as its established festivals such as Beyond The Valley, Wildlands and Grapevine Gathering.
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AEG Global Partnerships expands into Asia Pacific
AEG Global Partnerships has announced an expansion into Asia Pacific (APAC), led by newly appointed vice president Matthew Zweck.
The industry veteran and 10-year AEG Global Partnerships executive will focus on developing strategic partnerships for the company’s portfolio of assets in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Australia.
Based in the company’s Australian headquarters in Melbourne, Zweck and his team will be responsible for sales and servicing of brand collaborations with partners for AEG’s collection of assets in the region.
This includes recently announced projects such as Em Live, a 6,000-seat theatre that will anchor a new entertainment district in Bangkok, as well as new, state-of-the-art multi-purpose arena projects in Nagoya and Osaka, Japan, in addition to a new 20,000-seat arena in Seoul, Korea.
The new regional office will also oversee partnerships and innovative marketing programs for assets such Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, and work with JV partner Mushroom for concert tours, festivals and other live entertainment properties produced by Frontier Touring.
Speaking on the expansion, Paul Samuels, executive VP of AEG Global Partnerships, says: “With a world-class network of more than 350 owned and affiliated venues, sports and music brands, our Global Partnerships business is unmatched in terms of our ability to offer partners access to platforms that cut through the clutter and create innovative campaigns and sponsorships that enable brands to build deeper relationships with their customers.
AEG’s Global Partnerships team is responsible for generating more than US$550 million in annual revenues
“Having worked with him for more than a decade, I’m thrilled to announce Matthew’s appointment and excited to see the growth and value he drives on the ground for not only our business, but for our future business partners across APAC.”
AEG’s Global Partnerships team is responsible for generating more than US$550 million in annual revenues and more than US$2 billion in contractually obligated income.
With a dedicated footprint and headcount based in Australia, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, the expansion of the Global Partnerships team mirrors the overall expansion of AEG’s business into Asia-Pacific.
Adam Wilkes, AEG Asia Pacific president & CEO, says: “The exponential growth of the APAC entertainment market is one I have been privileged to witness first-hand for over two decades. From first entering the market off the back off the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, our Asia Pacific business has gone from strength to strength and as we look to continue our investment footprint in this pivotal region, I am thrilled to have Matthew on hand to lead our Global Partnerships business on this new journey.”
Acting as an internal agency for AEG and AEG Presents, Global Partnerships oversees worldwide sponsorship sales and activation for over 135 properties across five continents, including venues, sports franchises, events, tours, festivals and digital content.
Notable deals include the naming rights of venues such as the O2 and the Mercedes-Benz Arenas – both the Berlin and Shanghai venues – to activations including the annual American Express presents BST Hyde Park festival, Luno presents All Points East and team sponsorship for Eisbären Ice Hockey teams.
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ASM Global expands presence in Asia Pacific
ASM Global has partnered with the Malaysian ministry of youth and sports via Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia to enhance existing operations and event activity at the Kuala Lumpur Sports City precinct, the largest sports complex in the region.
The partnership bolsters the Malaysian government’s ambition to see the national sports precinct, based in Bukit Jalil, develop a world-class reputation as the host of leading sports, entertainment and community events.
It also expands ASM Global’s footprint in Asia with the addition of an iconic sports and events precinct, including the 87,400-seat Malaysia National Stadium.
The Malaysia National Stadium is not only the largest stadium in Asia outside North Korea, it is now the largest stadium in ASM Global’s worldwide collection.
ASM Global president and CEO Ron Bension, says: “We’re on a robust growth curve in this part of the world. The Kuala Lumpur Sports City precinct is representative of the types of projects we’re championing that significantly enrich the venue benefits and utilize our vast international expertise and best practices.”
“We’re on a robust growth curve in this part of the world”
Chairman and chief executive of ASM Global Asia Pacific and Gulf Region Harvey Lister AM, adds: “We firmly believe the Malaysia National Stadium and the Axiata Arena have the potential expressed by the Malaysia Sports Ministry, and we are proud to welcome the local teams and venues into our network of venues and support the precinct in helping deliver more events for the people of Malaysia and the region.”
Malaysia Sports Minister, Y.B. Dato’ Seri Ahmad Faizal bin Dato’ Azumu, comments: “We see this MOU as a great opportunity for PSM and ASM Global to enhance Kuala Lumpur Sports City to a premier destination in the global sports and event industry. Both National Stadium Bukit Jalil and Axiata Arena are iconic properties owned by the Malaysian people, and we owe them a responsibility to ensure these venues make us proud.”
ASM Global will partner with local Malaysian company Sportswork Sdn Bhd in delivering services for Kuala Lumpur Sports City.
ASM Global’s portfolio of venues in Asia Pacific include Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney; RAC Arena, Perth; Brisbane Entertainment Centre; Newcastle Entertainment Centre; Aware Super Theatre at ICC Sydney; BCEC Great Hall, Brisbane; Cairns Arena: Bangkok Arena and EM Live Theatre, Bangkok (under development), Coca Cola Arena, Dubai; Kai Tak Indoor Arena, Hong Kong; and Jeddah Arena, Saudi Arabia (under development).
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ASM Global announces new Singapore HQ
ASM Global APAC has expanded its footprint in Asia Pacific with the announcement of new Singapore headquarters and plans to grow its overall operations in the region.
ASM Global Singapore will have a joint leadership team comprising two industry specialists: EVP, operations Paul Sergeant, who has been with ASM Global for three years, most recently as SVP, and Ed Sanderson as EVP, venue development. Sanderson brings 20 years of commercial and operational experience in venues and facilities across Asia, most recently with Populous.
The pair are expected to take up their roles in Singapore by the end of the year.
“We believe that this part of the world is ready for a phase of robust growth, and we’re investing in personnel and plans to ensure we’re at the forefront of a significant growth curve,” says ASM Global CEO and president Ron Bension.
Having our ASM Global APAC industry professionals like Paul and Ed on the ground will bring a wealth of local knowledge and experience to our operations
ASM Global APAC chairman and CEO Harvey Lister, points to ASM’s under-construction Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong; the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, and six future arenas confirmed to be managed by ASM Global in the region as examples of the area’s vast potential.
“This is an exciting development and reinforcement of the importance of this region to our organisation and the expansion of our regionally based business activities,” says Lister. “Having our ASM Global APAC industry professionals like Paul and Ed on the ground will bring a wealth of local knowledge and experience to our operations.”
Lister adds that he looks forward to working closely with the team on the ground on future development opportunities.
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Live Nation consolidates Asia-Pacific division
Live Nation has announced the appointment of a number of senior leadership roles intended to unify its Asia-Pacific division.
Roger Field, currently CEO of Live Nation Australia and New Zealand, has been named president of Live Nation Asia Pacific, with Mark Kneebone taking on the new role of managing director of Live Nation New Zealand and Kei Ikuta promoted to president of Live Nation Japan.
Paul Antonio, currently president of Asia and the Middle East, moves to the new role of chief operating officer of Live Nation EMEA, reporting to John Reid, president of Live Nation EMEA.
Field (pictured) joined the company in 2010 to set up Live Nation Australia alongside Luke Hede (currently vice-president of touring). Following Live Nation’s acquisition of Michael Coppel Presents in 2012, Field has led the growth of the Australian and New Zealand businesses, initially as COO and then CEO from 2017.
In his new role, Field will oversee all of Live Nation’s businesses across the Asia-Pacific region, reporting to Live Nation Asia Pacific chairman Alan Ridgeway. Michael Coppel will continue as chairman of Live Nation Australia.
Serving as co-head of promotions for Australia and New Zealand since 2018, Kneebone’s new role will see him oversee all Live Nation’s businesses in NZ, reporting to Field. Stuart Clumpas retires from his role as chairman of LN New Zealand, but will continue as a consultant for the company, as well as a shareholder in Spark Arena.
“The cohesion of a true Asian-Pacific organisation presents significant opportunities for growth”
In Japan, Kei Ikuta takes over from John Boyle, who had served as president since January 2018 and is now moving back to work with Live Nation in Los Angeles. Under Boyle’s leadership, Live Nation’s profile and scale has grown significantly, launching Download in 2019, being appointed international booker for new Tokyo Olympic venue Ariake Arena and growing the company’s show count and market share. Ikuta, who joined the company earlier this year from Japanese promoter Udo Artists, will report to Field.
Commenting on the new hires, Ridgeway says: “The appointment of these roles provides us with the opportunity to further align our Australian, New Zealand and Asian businesses.
“Roger comes to the role with an impressive record of success and is in a great position to lead our growth strategy as he leverages our resources across the whole region. I wish Roger, Mark and Kei all the best in their new roles in taking our businesses forward in this new era, and thank Paul, Stuart and John for their hard work and dedication in establishing our presence in Asia, New Zealand and Japan.”
“I want to thank Alan for giving me the opportunity to lead the talented teams across the division,” adds Field. “The cohesion of a true Asian-Pacific organisation presents significant opportunities for growth, not only for our business but for the professional development of our people and relationships.
‘New Zealand continues to prove itself as a market that leads the way in the return to live and Mark is a proven leader who has played a critical role in our overall success. This appointment further solidifies our commitment to NZ and will affirm the market as a significant player in the global live industry.”
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StubHub shutters offices in Asia, Latin America
Secondary ticketing giant StubHub is closing down its offices in parts of Asia and Latin America, further reducing its workforce worldwide, the Guardian has reported.
In an email seen by the newspaper, employees were told that the closures “mean that we have to bid farewell to our colleagues in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Hong kong, Taiwan and Korea”.
“This decision has not been made lightly, nor easily,” reads the email.
It is understood that fewer than 100 of StubHub’s 650-strong workforce are facing redundancy as a result of the closures. However, the company is also believed to be making further cuts to its staff based in Madrid, with team members being furloughed or working reduced hours.
“This decision has not been made lightly, nor easily”
A StubHub spokesperson tells IQ that it will continue to serve customers in Asia Pacific and Latin Amerca with the support of “core operational teams in Europe”.
The measures constitute another round of staff reductions for the secondary ticketer, which was acquired by Viagogo last year. StubHub furloughed around a third of its workforce earlier this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and also saw the departure of its CEO, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy in May.
“While events will be among the last to return to normal following this pandemic, we’re confident in the industry’s ability to rebound,” says a StubHub spokesperson.
“For now, we continue to support our customers and partners and look forward to a time when we are able to return to the joy of live events and the special connections that come with them.”
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Keeping afloat: Livescape on why the live experience is “irreplaceable”
Asia was the first continent to bear the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak, but not all suffered the peak at the same time.
Speaking to promoters in China and South Korea at the end of March, IQ found that some more stringent restrictions were beginning to be lifted and a “cautious sense of optimism” was settling in, even if the return to touring as we know it is still a long way off.
Now, the situation in countries in southeast Asia, which had staved off sharp spikes in cases until relatively recently, is worsening. Cases in Singapore have begun to rise again, the Indonesian capital of Jakarta has entered lockdown and the Malaysian government has extended its social distancing measure for a second time, until 28 April.
IQ catches up with Iqbal Ameer, CEO of Livescape Group, which operates in all three markets, to discuss government reactions, consumer confidence and the live industry post Covid-19.
IQ: What have you learned so far from the Covid-19 outbreak?
IA: The most important thing? That supporting each other brings out the best in people. We’re no stranger to being dealt with shit cards in the deck, and as a company have had crazy challenges over the past ten years. But now this is a global scale, and we’ve really seen the importance of community and how it is a driving force in achieving anything.
We’ve also learnt that adaptability is key in situations like this. We are hard at work in extending our festival brands and our business model to be more digitally focused. We are proud of our festivals that we have built and carry those badges on our chest. The challenge here is to ensure that we continue to deliver the same Livescape experience to our fans during trying times.
When do you think the recovery might start in Asia Pacific and how is the Livescape Group preparing for this?
At this point in time, we are all uncertain about when the actual recovery period is. Although there has been significant advances in Asian countries compared to Europe and America, we are still remaining vigilant – anything can happen.
Asia-Pacific alone has over 51 million people affected in the music industry, and this is no small number
The Livescape Group is based in three countries: Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. We are anticipating post-Covid-19 to be vital in economic stimulation, and we are working with the respective government bodies to ensure that events can continue by implementing precautionary measures with a focus on the health and wellbeing of music fans.
We are also pivoting some of our assets to be more lifestyle orientated.
How do you feel about the government response to the situation across the markets you operate in?
We have seen most governments around the region offering stimulus packages to help with the nation’s economy during this unprecedented time. Unfortunately for some of us based in Malaysia, most of it does not benefit us directly. As a member of Alife (Association of the Arts, Live Festivals and Events), Livescape is having continuous open discussions with the Malaysian government about the issues of postponement or cancellations, and are demanding that we are considered as well. Asia-Pacific alone has over 51 million people affected in the music industry, and this is no small number.
However, countries such as South Korea and Singapore have set ideal global practices for other countries to follow suit; which would contribute to the speed of the recovery. With our festival It’s the Ship being based in Singapore, we are thankful for the swift and fast action of the Singaporean government. We support their initiatives to get the arts and live sector up and running as soon as possible. (The Singaporean government has provided a $55 million arts and culture resilience package, including $20,000 grants for digital projects).
What changes might we see long term across the industry, and the festival business in particular?
It is naive to say that this pandemic will not change the core nature of the festival business. Already, we are seeing festivals and artists venturing into the digital space with livestreaming performances along with an increase of creative content being shared out in hopes to connect during this void of live events with their fans and community. Although it is a short-term solution to fill the void of live events, we do not consider this to be a road to recovery, as we believe that the live event experiences are irreplaceable.
We also expect a stronger focus on local talents, due to the nature of the interaction of communities during this period of time, and local gigs would be quicker to pick up post Covid-19.
The global pandemic has impacted the events industry in an unprecedented manner but we are optimistic about the long-term demand for live, experiential experiences
Post Covid-19, people will also be more wary in terms of how they experience live events in large gathering situations. It is then our responsibility as event organisers to ensure that we have procedures in place to address concerns relating to the health and safety measures such as temperature checks and sanitisation booths.
In some ways, people will also come to realise what our company has been preaching for the past ten years: experience comes first. We definitely see a desire for people to connect in person and we will not discount the renaissance of the roaring 20s, an era that was sparked after a period of difficult times.
Being a floating festival, do you foresee any particular challenges with the future of It’s the Ship?
We feel the challenges are across the board for all festivals. I’d be lying if I said no, but we are optimistic and never risk the safety and wellbeing of our shipmates. That has always been a top priority of ours, unfortunately the term “the show must go on” does not apply to us in this situation.
We’ve been transparent with that in our community and in our communications, with a campaign revolving around #StayHomeToComeHome, where we continuously share relevant news and information through our social platforms.
Being a floating festival, It’s the Ship provides a unique experience in terms of venue, as it takes place onboard a ship. The advantage is the fact that the venue puts us in a controlled environment that allows us to manage and plan prior to the event itself. We are also working very closely with the cruise company, which has recently put in place comprehensive health and safety preventive measures for the ease and comfort of our attendees.
At Livescape, we’re thankful to the partners we work with, especially cruise lines that we work with who have offered extremely affordable rates to ensure that It’s the Ship continues its multiple voyages in the years to come.
In Asia in particular, the main challenge would be rebuilding people’s confidence in attending large-scale events
What more general challenges do you think the industry face getting back up to speed?
In Asia in particular, the main challenge would be rebuilding people’s confidence in attending large-scale events. Putting in health and safety preventive measures will be key in reassuring our community.
The global pandemic has impacted the events industry in an unprecedented manner but we are optimistic about the long-term demand for live, experiential experiences! With social distancing being practised globally, audiences will be craving live, interactive experiences more, which will create the opportunity for experiential events to bounce back at a greater scale.
At Livescape, what have you been doing to adapt to life in the wake of coronavirus?
With a strong team in a resilient industry, our team has been taking this time working from home to diversify our business models and digitising our assets and communities. Our core philosophy has remained the same, but our execution will differ, moving towards more digitalisation – something extremely adaptable. This will be more evident once all this is over.
Until then, we will embrace the changes, continue to evolve to adapt to the situation and to be there for our industry, as well as the local communities, to the best of our ability.
Livescape has continued to build relationships and trust with our clients and partners who have approached us with the same vision of diversifying in mind. We work hand-in-hand in developing some very successful campaigns for big and small SMEs alike and we highly recommend that other companies do the same and look into opportunities available.
Remember always: We write the future!
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A long road to recovery: Promoters in Asia talk Covid-19
As some residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the disease now known as Covid-19 originated in November, leave their houses for the first time in months, IQ turns to promoters in China and the wider Asia-Pacific region to find out if this means a return to business as usual any time soon.
“People are cautiously optimistic,” Archie Hamilton, managing director of Shanghai-based promoter Split Works tells IQ, noting that some clubs – but no live venues – in Shanghai opened their doors for the first time in months last weekend. “We have a while longer until things open up properly.”
Although Split Works has projects ongoing in its brand business, which has been active in China for around 15 years, and is looking into moving into the livestreaming sector, Hamilton states that the core part of his business – live events – “is not coming back any time soon”.
Zhang Ran, director of international business at Modern Sky, echoes this sentiment, saying that “nothing has changed here yet for the music industry” and adding that “some venues likely won’t survive”.
Although the situation “is getting better” with regards to the virus, Zhang believes it will be a month or two until Modern Sky will be able to hold shows again and “probably longer for [shows by] international bands, given the virus situation elsewhere.”
Zhang says that Modern Sky is currently looking to book shows for November.
Elsewhere in Asia, Tommy Jinho Yoon, president of Korea’s International Creative Agency (ICA), says that everything “is calming down” in comparison to a lot of places around the world.
“We just need to band together as an industry and try to make things work, and be good humans at the same time”
Yesterday (23 March), South Korea reported the lowest number of new coronavirus cases since infection rates hit their peak four weeks ago. Although the virus has led to the shuttering of many events and venues in Korea, some popular musical theatre productions have continued to enjoy successful runs over the past few months.
“The Covid-19 madness is not completely over yet, but we are anticipating and hoping that the majority of this gets settled down by May or June,” Jinho Yoon tells IQ.
Matthew Lazarus-Hall, senior vice-president for AEG Presents’ Asia-Pacific division, states that, although China and other countries in Asia appear to be over the curve of the pandemic, the situation in many other parts of the world continues to put the brakes on international touring.
“The challenge is that a lot of artists can’t tour due to quarantine measures,” says Lazarus-Hall. “I anticipate that this situation will continue for many months, with everyone rescheduling tours until the back half of the year, and then maybe longer.”
With government restrictions on events and other public gatherings still in place across much of Asia, domestic touring remains difficult too.
China still has a complete event ban in place, whereas a surge in new cases of the virus led to a ban on gatherings of more than 250 people over the weekend in Singapore and a resumption of social distancing measures in Hong Kong.
“At AEG Presents, the plan is evolving every day based on government regulations, the industry and doing the right thing by our artists and staff, and we are reacting, and modifying our plans in real time,” says Lazarus-Hall.
“There’s no rulebook here, we just need to band together as an industry and try to make things work, and be good humans at the same time.”
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Ticketmaster expands to Singapore, Taiwan
Ticketing giant Ticketmaster is expanding into Asia, establishing a presence in Taiwan and Singapore.
The move, which sees Ticketmaster acquire Taiwanese ticketer Tixcraft and open a Singaporean branch, brings the company’s operations to 32 countries worldwide.
As a result of the expansion, Chad Phillips, former managing director for ApacTic, has been appointed to the newly created role of managing director of Ticketmaster Asia.
The launch of Ticketmaster Singapore following the company’s selection as one of three ticketing partners for Singaporean sports and entertainment complex, Sports Hub, late last year, along with TEG’s Ticketek and Sistic.
Sports Hub incorporates the 55,000 capacity National Stadium and a 12,000 capacity indoor stadium, which serve as the main venues for concerts in Singapore, hosting acts including U2 and Mayday, along with a 3,000 capacity arena and other facilities.
In Taiwan, Ticketmaster takes control of concert ticketing platform Tixcraft, which works with promoters such as Live Nation Taiwan, B’in and iMe Taiwan. Tixcraft founder and managing director KT Chiu will stay on at the company, serving as Ticketmaster Taiwan MD.
“The live entertainment industry across Asia has seen some immense growth and right now is the perfect time to welcome Ticketmaster to Taiwan and Singapore”
“By acquiring market leaders Tixcraft in Taiwan and launching in Singapore, we have established two great bases with talented teams to support the bourgeoning live entertainment scene in Asia,” comments Ticketmaster International president Mark Yovich.
“We are introducing greater levels of service and choice to event organisers across the region and can now provide fans with seamless access to our worldwide marketplace of events.”
Ticketmaster Asia MD Phillips adds: “Over recent years, the live entertainment industry across Asia has seen some immense growth and right now is the perfect time to welcome Ticketmaster to Taiwan and Singapore. I’m hugely excited to be joining the team and look forward to managing the rollout of the world’s most innovative ticketing marketplace.”
The launch of Ticketmaster in Taiwan and Singapore complements Live Nation’s existing concert promotions business across Asia Pacific.
In 2019, the company acquired Singaporean promoter One Production and PR Worldwide in Malaysia, while also making senior appointments to its growing business in China. In December last year, Live Nation Asia launched Live Nation Connects, a new creative marketing agency to connect brands to fans across Asia.
Read IQ’s analysis on consolidation within the ticketing sector here.
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