LGBTIQ+ List 2024: Ross Patel, LIVE/MMF/Whole Ent
The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.
The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.
To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.
Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on yesterday’s interview with Rivca Burns (she/her), director of From the Other and acting head of music at Factory International.
The series continues with Ross Patel (they/them), CEO, board director, consultant, talent manager, and DJ for LIVE, Whole Entertainment, RossPatelCo, MMF, UMA Ent, and Polyamoross.
Ross Patel is a CEO, founder, board member & consulting advisor with 15+ years of diverse experience in music, media, entertainment, sustainability & tech. Passionate about strategy and talent management, creating platforms to launch and support creatives, talent, brands, and events with social impact at the heart.
Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2024 so far.
I’ve been sitting on the Live Green steering committee for a couple of years now as a representative for the Music Managers Forum 1500+ membership. It’s been great to see the group grow and build momentum as everyone shows up and makes their contributions. Recently I’ve had the pleasure of leading an initiative with the brilliant Carol Scott (Live Green Chair/Tait) and a fantastic and diverse working group of stakeholders from across the industry to draft sustainable clauses for live booking contracts. Carol, myself and Tom Schroder (who has been instrumental in getting the clause to the major agencies) presented the work on a panel at the GEI conference. That felt pretty significant. The climate issue has always been and will always be one of intersectionality so I’d like to think this work means a better future for everyone and a more conscious approach to our business. It feels like it could have some real lasting impact.
“Culturally, we need to increase awareness around the various privileges we all hold in order to allow us to act in a way that uses them to help others”
As a manager, what’s your most pressing challenge in the industry right now?
I feel like I’d need a while to fully cover this off! In an attempt to keep it brief… I’d say rising costs across the board in the industry plus the more general cost of living crisis plus mega stars taking all the money and giving very little back comparatively and having a UK government that doesn’t care for the arts has put the majority of people in the industry in a very hard position… *and breathe*. I’d like to see the work that’s going on with ticket levies (stadiums and arenas to contribute a small portion of sales to local grassroots music organisations) get over the line. This would help massively with creating economic buoyancy and a more sustainable business model in the live sector, while also helping to address a necessary shift in the culture and perspective of giving.
Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Putting the effort in to view things through an intersectional lens as often as possible feels like a great place to start. There is still a lot of education that needs to happen around this. Culturally, we need to increase awareness around the various privileges we all hold in order to allow us to act in a way that uses them to help others. We’re lucky enough to have brilliant organisations tackling certain ‘isms’ such as Attitude Is Everything which is committed to improving access for those with access needs in the industry, She Said So which is helping to increase femme representation, the Trans Creative Collection which works with creative trans (+ allies), the Black Music Coalition etc. The list goes on! It’s amazing to see these groups making a difference in their organisations and delivering ‘bottom-up’ change. Now we need tangible ‘top down’ systemic change to protect those most vulnerable in society and to create a culture where everyone feels safe and can thrive.
“Everyone deserves a chance of living happily”
Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
I can’t just name one… so much amazing talent out there… Jess Hands and I are playing B2B at QYSP Festival in London – can’t wait for that. Chloe Cailet, Jake Sheers, Kim Petras, Grace Sands, Absolute.
Do you have a favourite queer space?
I have a few! This year I took on the talent-buying role at Club Love in Bristol. It’s an incredible event with a wonderful team led by Tam who puts their heart and soul into every detail of decor, production and play spaces without compromising on the music and DJs. The same can be said for Pinky Promise, Joyride and Body Movements that I’ve had the privilege and pure joy of DJing at in the past… and hopefully will get invited back again in the future. I also love the vibe at Howl and am looking forward to going to Quench soon. I’ve heard nothing but good things! Would also recommend Trash, Riposte and Riot.
“This sense of Pride is something I’m learning to cultivate and nurture within myself on a daily basis”
Shout out any LGBTIQ+ cause(s) you support.
I was involved in a fundraiser for Jess Hands which raised money to pay for vocal cord surgery. It was incredible to see the difference the surgery made in this wonderful person’s life and was a reminder of how powerful and essential gender-affirming healthcare is. Everyone deserves a chance of living happily. I think we have a duty as conscious beings to strive to make that possible for as many beings as possible. Any LGBTIQ+ organisations that are working towards that goal get my vote. But also more than specific causes, I would encourage anyone to support marginalised groups and/or people directly. This can be through gofundme campaigns or by ensuring that intersectional diversity and inclusion are always being considered. Platform and pay fairly people in marginalised groups. Hopefully one day we won’t need the organisations that currently work in these spaces!
How do you like to celebrate Pride?
Quietly… and sometimes loudly! This sense of Pride is something I’m learning to cultivate and nurture within myself on a daily basis. The more I’m able to, the more I feel like I’m becoming a better, more compassionate, more whole person. It’s something that I like to think I bring with me everyday, quietly, when I show up, however I choose to or feel comfortable with on any given day. I also like to go all out when the opportunities arise. Last year I really did lean into the pride celebrations. My pride started at Outloud Festival in West Hollywood, LA. An incredibly well-programmed event by a good friend, Sam Hiller and the JLA team. I also went to Brighton, London and my first Manchester Pride with Absolute and Demi Riquisimo. This year’s pride months will be starting with the Mighty Hoopla in London followed by Brighton Pride. Who knows where else from there… perhaps some readers will hit me up with recommendations!
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LIVE hires Ross Patel as green impact consultant
UK live music business trade body LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment) has announced the appointment of Ross Patel as its first green impact consultant.
The Whole Entertainment co-founder and CEO, who joined the Music Managers Forum as a board member in 2021 to help advocate for climate action, will be tasked with leading the initiatives of LIVE Green, the organisation’s expert group on sustainability issues.
Patel will be responsible for facilitating cooperation across the organisation’s membership, while ensuring knowledge sharing and support can be provided to help sector-wide efforts. They will work closely in their new role with LIVE CEO Jon Collins.
“We have worked with Ross for some time now in various capacities and have always been impressed with their energy, knowledge and commitment to sustainability issues,” says Collins. “This new role will see Ross leading and further amplifying the work of LIVE Green and helping us in our mission to green the live music sector as quickly, fairly and effectively as possible.”
“I’m excited to continue the work I’ve been doing on sustainable touring and green clauses for live booking contracts, now in a formal capacity”
Patel is also chief strategy officer at UMA Entertainment Group, whose projects include EarthAid Live and HERO The App and who oversaw the curation of the 2201 UMA x COP26 event in Glasgow.
In addition, they co-founded and held the position of operations director at London based creative marketing agency, Sweetshop Media, whose clients include Nokia, Oppo, Ellesse, Bondly/Forj, and Sam Branson.
“My role as an MMF board member and representative within the LIVE Green group has very fortunately given me the opportunity to work closely with the brilliant LIVE team over the past couple of years,” adds Patel. “I’m excited to continue the work I’ve been doing on sustainable touring and green clauses for live booking contracts, now in a formal capacity.”
A range of industry figures recently shared their sustainability priorities for the live music business to mark Earth Day 2024.
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MMF appoints new five-person board for 2021
The UK’s Music Managers Forum (MMF) has appointed its board for 2021, with members reelecting the association’s vice-chair, Kwame Kwaten (Ferocious Talent), and electing four new members.
As part of its annual general meeting yesterday (1 July), the MMF welcomed Adenike Durosaro (Big Drum Entertainment), Ross Patel (Whole Entertainment Group), Sandy Dworniak (This Much Talent/Twisted Talent) and Karl Nielson (William Orbit, Maeve) as board members, with Adam Tudhope (Everybody’s Management), Lisa Ward (Red Light Management), Ric Salmon (ATC Management) and Rachael Bee (ILuvLive).
At the AGM, MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick revealed that the association has increased its membership from 700 in 2019 to more than 1,200 today. She puts the the dramatic increase to successes in outreach, training and campaigning, including new initiatives such as Unite (the MMF’s forum to discuss race, anti-racism and injustice, run in collaboration with The Zoo XYZ), emergency funding programme ReBuild, which has provided nearly £500,000 of support to managers’ businesses to survive the pandemic, and the continued development of Accelerator, the grants and education programme for music managers.
The MMF’s membership, she said, is now 38% female or non-binary/gender non-confirming and 29 black, Asian or minority-ethnic.
Seven new associate partnerships were also announced at the AGM: livestreaming platform Moment House, funding platform beatBread, NFT marketplaces Bondly and Serenade, revenue share platform Shout4, advertising platform Feed and royalty firm CWorks. These companies join the MMF’s 44 existing associate members, including Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, TikTok and Songtrust.
Coldrick also gave an update on the MMF’s advocacy work, including #LetTheMusicMove, the campaign to end post-Brexit restrictions around European touring which now has the backing of more than 1,000 artists.
“It’s been a ludicrously tough 12 months and throughout the MMF has rallied to support the management community with initiatives like ReBuild, Unite and Accelerator, extensive virtual learning sessions and tireless campaigning and advocacy work. I’ve no doubt it’s why we’ve seen such a huge and rapid increase in our membership,” she says. “Music management can be an isolating and highly pressurised way of making a living, and I’m proud of the way the MMF continues to be an organisation where knowledge is shared and everyone is welcome.”
“As board members, the contribution made by Adam Tudhope, Lisa Ward, Ric Salmon and Rachael Bee has been immense, and I’d like to thank them sincerely for their generosity and input over many years of service,” comments MMF chair Craig.
“Alongside my redoubtable vice-chair, Kwame Kwaten, I would also like to welcome our four new board members Nike, Ross, Sandy and Karl. Their expertise and experience will be vital as we strive to ensure the MMF makes ongoing progress to represent all in our community.”
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