Olivier Darbois has been re-elected as president of French live music industry association Prodiss.

Darbois, who is director of Paris-based promoter Corida, was vice-president of Prodiss before succeeding Luc Gaurichon of Caramba Spectacles in the top job in 2018.

As well as outlining his priorities for his new three-year term, Darbois was keen to praise the organisation’s work during the pandemic.

The unity of the Prodiss office and membership has been an incredible force

“Over the past two years, the unity of the Prodiss office and membership has been an incredible force in defending the interests of private performing arts professionals,” said Darbois.

“We still have many projects ahead of us: in the short term, continue to work in the face of a never-ending crisis. In the medium term, to strengthen the CNM [Centre National de la Musique]. In the longer term, to respond to the challenge we face with distributors, with the establishment of a ticketing observatory, and position ourselves in relation to the arrival of platforms in our sector.”

Prodiss also confirmed its new board, comprising Gilles Petit of Little Bros Productions; Frederic Saint-Dizier of Label LN, Aurelien Binder of Pleyel Gestion; Marie Sabot of We Love Green; Angelo Gopee of Live Nation SAS; Julien Lavergne of AZ Prod; Sylvie Liogier of Zen Gestion, Zenith de Saint-Etienne; and Christophe Davy of Radical Production Festival Levitation.

The trade body represents around 400 members including Accor Arena in Paris, the Bataclan in Paris, Live Nation France Festivals, Live Nation SAS and Mama.

In September, it announced a new cancellation insurance policy exclusively for its members to “support the restart of the activity” in the performing arts sector, while last month it successfully lobbied to remove the 75% capacity limit on standing events.

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Olivier Darbois, director of Paris-based promoter Corida, has been named president of French live music industry association Prodiss.

Darbois – elected Prodiss vice-president in 2016 – succeeds Luc Gaurichon of Caramba Spectacles in the top job at the nearly 350-strong association of promoters, venues, festivals and broadcasters, which welcomed five new members, including the newly launched AEG Presents France, earlier this year.

He will serve a three-year term, according to MGB, after being elected at Prodiss’s AGM on 23 September.

Paying tribute to the strength of the French live entertainment business, Darbois (pictured) told members: “We have great strength in our sector, from large multinationals to small independents. For several years, successive governments have tried to divide us, as if culture and business were two worlds opposed to each other.

“But our sector is proof that the artist and industry are complementary and not competing.”

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