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Oz fest cancels final night due to extreme weather

The final night of Australia’s Pitch Music and Arts Festival was cancelled following an “extreme fire danger warning”, hours after the suspected drug-related death of a 23-year-old attendee.

The Untitled Group-promoted camping event in Moyston, Victoria, was called off in advance of Sunday’s (10 March) scheduled finale.

“Through consultation with authorities, we have been directed to cancel the remainder of Pitch Music & Arts 2024 in light of an updated extreme fire danger warning issued this afternoon for tomorrow,” says a statement posted on the dance music festival’s social media channels.

“We have consistently followed the guidance of relevant authorities throughout the entire process. Nobody is in immediate danger. We encourage everyone on site not to rush, calmly pack-up and depart either this evening or early tomorrow.”

Additional buses were laid on to assist ticket-holders departing the festival site.

“We continue to have a police, fire and medical presence throughout the festival site to support the safety and security of patrons,” adds the statement. “Ticket-holders will receive an update as more information becomes available.”

Organisers have defended themselves against criticism for proceeding with the sold-out 18,000-cap event despite temperatures soaring as high as 39°C, noting patrons had access to “ample shade, cooling misting fans, food and water”.

“We’ve been in consistent communication with all relevant authorities regarding the weather conditions leading into the event”

“We’ve been in consistent communication with all relevant authorities regarding the weather conditions leading into the event and were advised that we could proceed as planned as late as Thursday afternoon,” they told Resident Advisor. “Of the further advice we received on Friday, we rescheduled some entertainment and incoming buses for Saturday. We’ve been in a unique situation where the fire danger rating was fluctuating but we were diligently following the advice from all emergency authorities each step of the way.

“The directive on Sunday was of a different nature and that’s why we took immediate action to cancel the festival at that time.”

The Age reports that five festivalgoers were hospitalised because of suspected substance use at the event. Antony Maugeri, 23, of Melbourne, was airlifted to hospital after becoming unresponsive in the early hours of Sunday morning, but later passed away. Promoters say they are “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.

“Our thoughts are with their family, friends and anyone in our wider community affected by this,” says a statement. “We are devastated that this has occurred at an event where community has been a driving force over the last seven years.”

While the cause of Maugeri’s death is yet to be confirmed, the chain of events has reignited the debate over drug testing at Australian festivals. It follows analysis of drug-related deaths at Australian festivals over almost a decade, which showed that most could potentially have been prevented through harm reduction strategies such as pill testing.

The study, published in January in the International Journal of Drug Policy, and led by Associate Professor Jennifer Schumann, from Monash University’s Department of Forensic Medicine, looked at drug-related deaths at music festivals throughout Australia between 1 July 2000 and 31 December 2019.

 


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Untitled Group reflects on its ‘biggest year yet’

Australia’s Untitled Group have racked up record ticket sales for their 2023/24 season in an otherwise challenging period for the domestic market.

The independent promoter sold more than 500,000 tickets last year, hosting in excess of 250 events, as well as booking over 1,000 artists across its festivals, tours and club shows and diversifying into new genres such as pop and country.

Highlights included shows by Christina Aguilera and Zach Bryan, with 30,000 tickets shifted instantly for the latter’s Australian debut, while Dom Dolla sold out 25,000 tickets in just five minutes for two hometown gigs at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

“We are seeing a positive shift for events that people know will be in demand,” Untitled co-founder and managing partner Michael Christidis tells IQ. “Keen punters don’t want to take the risk in missing out and are buying strongly from the on sale. It ultimately comes down to having a strong product and not giving consumers a false sense of security that tickets will always be available. I’d like to see all shows continue to shift to sell early and late buying patterns continue to fade.”

The company’s recently wrapped New Year’s festival run was its most successful to date, with over 150,000 tickets sold for festivals such as Beyond The Valley, Wildlands and Sun Cycle. Christidis, who was recognised in IQ‘s 2023 New Bosses list, attributes the performance to a combination of factors in “what is a rapidly changing market right now”.

“Growing our touring capacity is something we’re very proud about and will continue to diversify and amplify the tours we bring to Australia”

“Our flagship events such as Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts and Wildlands have not only built up great brand loyalty for patrons to see strong sales in 2023, but also attract the appropriate top tier talent that want to perform at these events that provide an elevated festival experience,” he says.

“Major headline tours will also be a strong focus. Growing our touring capacity is something we’re very proud about and will continue to diversify and amplify the tours we bring to Australia.”

Victoria’s Beyond The Valley (28 December-1 January) achieved a milestone by selling out 35,000 tickets – making it the largest camping festival in Australia – while the multi-city Wildlands sold 85,000 tickets nationwide. RÜFÜS DU SOL headlined the inaugural New Year’s Eve celebration in Brisbane, followed by events in Perth and Adelaide in early January.

And the final edition of Sun Cycle festival was held at the Coburg Velodrome on New Year’s Day, featuring performances by the likes of Jayda G, Overmono and Lady Shaka. Festival sideshows by Romy, Overmono and Cobrah also sold out.

“Our New Year’s Eve run of festivals established a key focal point for further growth,” says Christidis. “This period has evolved into a critical timeframe for attracting top-tier international talent to Australia. Capitalising on this trend and further enhancing the appeal of the New Year’s Eve period in Australia, being summer in the Southern Hemisphere.”

“Seeing many [festivals] cancel and postpone in 2023 could impact market confidence in consumers tying up funds with new or smaller events”

Elsewhere in Australia, however, the picture is not so rosy: Coastal Jam and Vintage Vibes festivals were called off at short notice earlier this month, with Geelong’s Tent Pole and NSW’s ValleyWays also falling by the wayside this week. Christidis admits to concerns over the “vulnerability” of smaller festivals.

“Seeing many of them cancel and postpone in 2023 could impact market confidence in consumers tying up funds with new or smaller events,” he suggests. “Particularly with the cost of living going up so much, it’s not as easy for patrons to continually make plans and invest in as many shows that are often several months out. This concern will simply see us introduce less new events and concepts, and focus on developing what is already working in market.”

Looking ahead, Untitled is leading the programming for Finals Festival at the Australian Open, featuring headliners Groove Armada, Rudimental, Yaeji, Peach PRC, Tash Sultana, Ruel, The Jungle Giants and DMAs this weekend (25, 27 & 28 January 2024). Pitch Music & Arts will then follow in the Grampians over four days in March.

Moreover, Christidis believes the firm holds an ace up its sleeve.

“We do believe that being independent is a huge advantage against our major competitors,” he adds. “Our team is innovative, agile and passionate about every show we deliver. There are no ulterior motives taken into consideration regarding market share, or bias with service providers, etc – we simply want the best for the shows we produce and the artists we host. It’s good to see this is recognised by more artists, agents and managers around the world that are wanting to work with us.”

 


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The New Bosses 2023: Michael Christidis, Untitled Group

The 16th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses was published in IQ 121 this month, revealing 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.

To get to know this year’s cohort a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2023’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Catch up on the previous interview with Lotta Widmer co-managing director of the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen here. The series continues with Michael Christidis, co-founder of Untitled Group (AU).

Michael Christidis is the co-founder of Untitled Group, one of Australia’s largest independent music and events management companies. Untitled Group’s connection to Australian youth has enabled their rapid rise with the group now operating hundreds of events each year including renowned festival brands Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering, Wildlands, Ability Fest and others more than 400,000 attendees annually.

Untitled Group as a company has seen rapid growth with the company scaling from 7 employees in January 2021 to 65+ full-time employees today and selling over 400,000+ tickets annually. Michael’s commitment to social change has earned him recognition, including a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List.


Untitled Group is a very young company. What was the career path that led to you co-founding the business?
I’ve always been passionate about music however never really saw it as a potential career path. While studying a science degree at university (not super applicable now!) I started running club nights with Untitled business partners Christian, Nick and Filippo and was completely enthralled. Seeing people come together, the communities and culture we were able to build was something really special and something I knew I had to pursue. Reading autobiographies from people like Richard Branson and seeing how music can often be the gateway to much more further inspired me. Fast forward to today, Untitled Group still runs a regular club night (and has for the past 12 years) and so much more as Australia’s largest independent festival and event promoters including a domestic and international touring division, Proxy talent agency, Untitled management arm, and as a stakeholder in a portfolio of strategic ancillary businesses built or backed by Untitled. I’m extremely proud of how we’ve been able to grow Untitled as a business and more excited than ever for our future potential.

You have gone from seven employees to more than 60 in just two years. What are the challenges of overseeing such rapid growth?
Ensuring that our entire team is aligned with the company’s overarching vision and goals. When we had less employees it was a lot easier for everyone to be across our journey and ensure our passion resonates with every member of the team. It has been a challenge ensuring that the proper company structure and procedures are in place so that nothing gets lost from the smallest club event to large-scale music festivals. However, getting this right and building such an amazing team is what has made us able to scale while keeping true to our core values.

“We’ve had thousands of attendees with a diverse range of disabilities come and experience their first music festival”

If a potential partner or client has not heard of Untitled, what one-line pitch would you use to tempt them into working with you?
We create innovative and culturally impactful moments rooted in music that deeply resonate with our diverse and loyal audiences across Australasia.

Ability Fest sounds like an incredible event – can you tell us a bit more about the concept and what it has achieved so far?
Ability Fest was created with two core ideas in mind. Firstly, allowing people of all levels of ability, particularly those overlooked by the community, the opportunity to experience live music (an event most may take for granted). Secondly, we wanted to raise awareness and funds to support people with disabilities. The festival was conceived in collaboration with our good friend Dylan Alcott, who in addition to being a multiple Grand Slam and Paralympic Gold Medial Winner, was also named Australian of the Year in 2022. To date, we’ve raised over $1 million dollars for young Australians with disabilities with our great partner – The Dylan Alcott Foundation. More importantly though, we’ve had thousands of attendees with a diverse range of disabilities come and experience their first music festival. The event truly is one of a kind, not just with intentionally designed, fully-inclusive infrastructure – but also the atmosphere created. Everyone checks their ego at the door and looks out for each other to ensure a welcoming, safe and comfortable environment for all. The feedback has been truly overwhelming and Ability Fest is one of my favourite events to produce and attend.

“Currently, we’re developing our next product line and have our first major retail distribution upcoming”

Untitled Ventures seems to have caught the imagination of brands. What recent projects would you say best describe the ethos behind the concept?
Every venture has to be done with some greater purpose behind it. That’s why UGLY Vodka, our first in-house venture, is so exciting for us. With bar trade/alcohol being a major revenue stream for our events, we had constantly been pitched liquor brands to invest in or launch but it never quite made sense. UGLY Vodka is the world’s first Vodka made from cosmetically imperfect or ‘ugly’ fruit, that would otherwise end in landfill. It not only helps reduce food waste and emissions which are terrible for the environment, but also supports Aussie farmers by providing an alternative use for unutilized stock. For us, it made perfect sense to create a brand that is rooted in sustainability and would actually have a huge impact if integrated across our events. Our in-house creative agency, Underscore, developed the brand which we’re super proud of and UGLY Vodka launched in Dec 2022 at Beyond The Valley. Our first batch sold out, saving over 20,000 kgs of ugly apples from landfill. Currently, we’re developing our next product line and have our first major retail distribution upcoming so I’m excited to see this company and our impact grow.

In a very short time, Untitled has disrupted the marketplace to great effect. Do you have any plans to take the group into other territories?
Yes definitely, however I think music events in particular are hyper-tailored to the markets in which they exist. So, we would not enter a new market without a deep understanding of the local music scene, trends and operators. As such, we have been tracking the electronic music scene’s growth across Asia and are actively booking lots of tours and artists there. I’m excited to increase our footprint and network across Asia.

“I’d also like to see our impact grow across other facets outside of music with ventures such as UGLY Vodka”

And what about your own ambitions – where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I would like to see myself and the Untitled team continue to raise the bar for music experiences in Australasia. Creating culturally impactful moments recognised on a global scale. With the magnitude of our events growing, the impact they have on performing artists’ careers can be significant – and I see myself as a driving force for the milestone moments of future artists careers within the Untitled ecosystem. For example, homegrown talent (now global superstar) Dom Dolla brought in the 2022 New Year at our flagship event Beyond The Valley which featured a surprise collaboration with Nelly Furtado. This was also Nelly Furtado’s first show in over 6+ years, and first time returning to Australia in over 20+ years – a milestone we hope to repeat with other global talents.

Untitled went on to promote Dom Dolla’s hometown headline shows – breaking the record for fastest-selling tickets at Melbourne’s iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl with 2 instantly sold-out shows, 20,000+ tickets. We’ve worked with Dom and his team (special shoutout to Dom’s amazing manager and Untitled supporter – James Fava) for 8+ years – starting with our very first club nights together – and being part of artists journey like this, is the journey I look forward to being on with many other artists to come – with both domestic and international talents. We’re all super proud of what Dom is achieving globally and excited to see the next stages of his career unfold (particularly for what we have in store for these big Melbourne shows in December).

With our unique insight and connection to Australian culture, I’d also like to see our impact grow across other facets outside of music with ventures such as UGLY Vodka our partner media company ‘The Daily Aus’. Understanding the next generation of punters through Untitled means we can service them with better products, services and experiences – both in and outside of music.

“Australia’s live entertainment industry has historically bred fierce territorial competition between promoters in the country”

As a New Boss, if you had the power to change one thing in the live entertainment industry to make it a better place, what would you do?
Australia’s live entertainment industry has historically bred fierce territorial competition between promoters in the country. While there is a role for competition, Untitled has always, and will continue to, champion collaboration between and support of other promoters, managers, agents and artist’s teams as a means towards betterment. I think it’s important that this collaboration also extends to the government’s support of our industry. While there are a variety of grants and initiatives to support the Music and Arts industry, there is still a large gap that exists which could be filled and better aligned to the industry’s needs through active engagement with promoters. Great organisations like the AFA (Australian Festival’s association) which we’re proud to be a part of are helping push for these outcomes. For a successful and sustainable live entertainment industry, government help is crucial – especially with ever changing and difficult economic conditions.

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
I think mentorship is very important. I’m lucky that most of my ‘mentors’ are also dear friends so while I very much value their advice and mentorship, I think it all comes down to deep friendship and finding people who are vested in your journey. People that enjoy seeing you develop will give you the right guidance to do so.

My first official mentor was my best friend Mike Bird (and his awesome business partners George Glover and Erica Sachse). Mike saw a lot of potential in Untitled from when we were just running small scale localised events and always encouraged me to think bigger. In 2020 he put me forward for an Entrepreneurs summit on Necker Island where I was very lucky to meet a huge inspiration of mine, Richard Branson, alongside so many other amazing people. The trip changed my perspective on business’s ability to be a driver to do good and introduced me to another valued mentor, friend, and successful Australian entrepreneur – Rob Phillpot. While I love music, I’m no expert in business and Rob has been a crucial advisor for me in the face of the new, unknown challenges encountered in scaling and diversifying businesses.

There’s also countless industry peers I bounce off of, particularly leaders of other independent companies like ourselves. Jaddan Comerford who runs UNIFIED music group (artist management, recordings, bookings etc) is such an experienced and inspirational figure within the global music scene. Jaddan and UNIFIED share a very similar ethos to our company and he is always very open to helping and supporting others. We’re always sharing knowledge and ideas to support each other and help empower other independent operators within the industry.

All in all, it’s just important to surround yourself with good people in every capacity. I’m not very good at being independent myself so luckily I have a very supportive family (although at first they weren’t thrilled with my choice for the music industry!), 3 amazing Untitled business partners who I’m constantly learning from and a team of 60+ who guide me. I hope to be a mentor myself to many great aspiring entrepreneurs and promoters in the years to come.


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Is the touring boom hurting festivals?

Leading promoters have spoken to IQ about how the boom in huge stadium tours and outdoor concerts is impacting festivals.

In an industry first, a record five tours – Taylor Swift ($300.8 million), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ($142.6m), Harry Styles ($124m), Elton John ($110.3m) and Ed Sheeran ($105.3m) – grossed more than $100m (€913m) in the first six months of 2023.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Styles, who headlined last year’s Coachella, grossed close to $600m overall with his recently wrapped 2021-23 Love On Tour. And with stadium runs by the likes of Coldplay, Beyoncé and The Weeknd sure to impact the rankings for the second half of 2023, Pollstar declared “the age of the blockbuster tour is upon us”.

With summer historically reserved for festivals, and touring more consigned to colder months, the recent boom in stadium shows puts A-list tours and the outdoor season head to head. With greater financial return than a festival appearance, the ability to play to more fans and complete control over a show’s production, it’s easy to see the appeal.

So with A-list artists increasingly skipping festivals in favour of their own, what’s the impact on festivals, and what does that mean for those lower down the food chain?

“Festivals fulfil a very special role in live music. The variety, value and intensity offered during several days of live music and entertainment is greater than the sum of its parts”

Courrier International reports that attendance at Dreamhaus’ Rock im Park in Germany, which was topped by Kings of Leon, Die Toten Hosen and Foo Fighters, fell to 75,000 this year, having attracted 90,000 in 2022, with expense cited as a factor. According to trade association BDKV, the average price of festival tickets in the country is up 15% on 12 months ago due to rising costs.

FKP Scorpio reported more positive news, with its twin Hurricane and Southside festivals – headlined by Muse, Die Ärzte, Placebo and Queens of the Stone Age – coming close to selling out, pulling in crowds of 78,000 and 60,000, respectively. FKP MD Stephan Thanscheidt accepts that bigger acts often prefer to play solo shows, but believes the festival sector retains a unique selling point in a changing market.

“Festivals fulfil a very special role in live music,” he tells IQ. “The variety, value and intensity offered during several days of live music and entertainment is greater than the sum of its parts – therefore, the demand for well thought-out festivals remains high, even in economically demanding times.”

Eva Castillo, communication director for Last Tour, promoter of festivals such as Spain’s Bilbao BBK Live and Cala Mijas, and Portugal’s MEO Kalorama, says there is no reason both scenes cannot continue to coexist and thrive.

“They go hand in hand and are compatible with each other,” says Castillo. “A festival is an experience that goes beyond music, featuring both well-known and emerging artists in a venue that has its own distinct characteristics.”

“One of the key challenges posed by the rise of big stadium shows is the financial aspect”

Over in Australia, Christian Serrao, co-founder and managing partner of Melbourne-headquartered Untitled Group, says the explosion of outdoor music spectaculars has had a “noticeable impact in flooding the market”, affecting festivals and diverting people’s spend on entertainment.

“Our one-day festivals face more challenges than camping festivals,” he contends. “We are finding that people are seeking the immersive camping experience, which allows them to connect with nature and create lasting memories beyond music performances.

“One of the key challenges posed by the rise of big stadium shows is the financial aspect. These shows often require a significant investment from attendees, which can take a toll on people’s wallets, especially considering factors like inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, people have become more selective in the events they choose to attend.”

The trend has prompted the firm to think outside the box and make strategic decisions, like booking Nelly Furtado for an exclusive show at its flagship festival Beyond The Valley.

“To ensure the success of our festivals, we focus on creating distinct experiential brands,” adds Serrao. “Our marketing emphasises the unique selling points like location, stage design, art installations, and activities such as workshops. For instance, [the festival] Grapevine Gathering offers a winery experience with live music, vineyards, and wine tasting.

“Some stadium shows cost around $400, comparable to our camping festivals, which provide four days of music, art, and camping—an irreplaceable immersive experience. Festivals set themselves apart from big stadium shows by offering experiences beyond music.”

“Putting on a stadium show doesn’t come cheap… It’s becoming a serious investment for a customer and I do think it will have an impact on festivals”

AEG Presents UK Steve Homer admits to being taken aback by the sheer volume of “high quality stadium shows” around Europe this summer, and feels it is inevitable that others will suffer as a result.

“We’re not talking the odd date – people like Harry Styles, Beyoncé and Arctic Monkeys are doing large numbers of dates, which is really impressive, so I do think it has an impact on available money,” he says. “No matter what people say, the cost of living is a real issue and it’s expensive to go to shows at that level. We’ve all gone through the rigmarole of increased costs from transport, to fuel, to everything else.

“Putting on a stadium show doesn’t come cheap and obviously the ticket price has to reflect that in some way. I think it’s becoming a serious investment for a customer and I do think it will have an impact on festivals.”

The 20th anniversary edition of Live Nation’s Download Festival, however, became the fastest-selling in its history, offering headline sets Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot and Metallica, with the latter playing two unique sets on separate nights. AEG’s London concert series BST Hyde Park also enjoyed a record year, shifting around 550,000 tickets for gigs by Guns N’ Roses, Take That, Blackpink, Billy Joel and Lana Del Rey – plus two nights each from Pink and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

“Download had its best year ever, but that’s a very genre specific event, and British Summer Time is more like a big stadium show than a traditional festival,” argues Homer. “But we may see some of the more boutique festivals struggle if people have been going to these mega stadium gigs and it will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the summer.

“It’s great that these things are happening, but there is a finite amount of money and I think we’ll see the pinch somewhere. Whether it’s smaller festivals, whether it’s theatre tours, people just don’t have the money.”

“The top level is always protected. It’s the small to average level which is going to get affected”

As promoter of Isle of Wight Festival and MD of Solo Agency, John Giddings has a foot in both camps. IoW 2023 was a 55,000-cap sellout, and Giddings, who has worked on Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball and Beyoncé’s Renaissance stadium dates for Live Nation over the past couple of summers, has a hunch is that if anyone loses out, it won’t be the festival business.

“People are prepared to pay a load of money to go to something they know is going to be fantastic, but they might not go to one or two smaller gigs,” he tells IQ. “I haven’t seen much evidence of it yet, but it does worry me to an extent because the top level is always protected. It’s the small to average level which is going to get affected to be honest.”

Elsewhere in the UK, last weekend’s Kendal Calling, which starred Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kasabian, Blossoms and Royal Blood, was a 40,000-cap sellout. Andy Smith, co-MD of the Lake District festival’s promoter From The Fields, says the season appears to have been a mixed bag across the board.

“On the grapevine, I hear a bit of difficulty with the newer shows and the generally less established ones,” says Smith. “If you were just making do previously, it sounds like it’s a struggle now. But if you were doing well previously, it seems to have got better. So it does seem to be more more extreme one way or another.”

“We had some concerns at the beginning of the season, but it had no impact on our ticket sales”

The UK’s Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) previously revealed that its members are on course to attract a total audience of 3.3 million to their events in 2023. The trade body represents the interests of 105 UK music festivals, including GreenBelt, El Dorado, Deershed, Valley Fest, End of The Road, Pitchfork London, Field Maneuvers and We Out Here, and AIF CEO John Rostron says he has seen “no evidence” that big ticket gigs are affecting festival sales.

“What we are seeing with gigs of all sizes this year is a new trend for very last minute sales,” he adds. “It looks very likely that last minute buying is a trend, though ‘last minute’ for festivals tends to be a few weeks before, rather than the day before, as people need to plan their travel, camping and the like.”

Meanwhile, Dany Hassenstein, booker of Switzerland’s Paléo Festival, reports the 2023 Nyon event sold-out in record time, aided by a line-up headed by Rosalia, Indochine, Martin Garrix and Black Eyed Peas.

“We had some concerns at the beginning of the season, but it had no impact on our ticket sales,” he tells IQ. “Probably because there are no stadium shows in our immediate market.”

Recent research by economist Will Page using data from PRS for Music found that the portion of spend on live music by UK consumers had grown hugely when it came to both stadium shows and festivals – from 23% of the total market in 2012, to 49% in 2022.

Evidently, fans are spending more of their money on bigger shows, whether that’s festivals or stadium tours. And with Page noting the club market has also grown over the last decade, where that leaves traditional theatre and arena shows – as part a much bigger pie than 10 years previously – promises to be equally revealing.

 


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Rave reviews: Electronic music report

With the annual IMS Report noting that electronic music revenues grew by more than one third to reach $11.3 billion in 2022, and that nearly half of all dance music revenue came from festivals and clubs, the genre’s impact on live events has never been greater. DJ Mag editor-in-chief Carl Loben reports.

The rise of electronic music has been embraced – some might argue facilitated – by festival organisers the world over creating dance arenas as part of their annual offerings to the masses.

The recent International Music Summit (IMS) Report found that 39% of all festival bookings are electronic music artists. This stat was up from 33% in 2021 and indicates that the electronic music industry is riding high, coming out of the pandemic.

At the same time, electronic acts such as Prodigy, Bonobo, Orbital, Leftfield, Fatboy Slim, Hot Chip, and Overmono are currently on the road touring both indoor and outdoor venues, while the likes of Chemical Brothers, Rudimental, and others have plans for later in the year.

“Yeah, if you look at the live figures, electronic music is about 30% up – it’s really strong,” says Maria May, head of electronic at CAA. “It’s a genre in itself; it’s a serious business. They can’t pretend it’s just a party anymore. Electronic music is worth being a part of and investing in.”

May credits early dance music festivals in the UK around millennium time, such as Creamfields and Homelands, as being barometers for what was to come. “The desire for people to meet in a field and dance under the stars is pretty tribal, isn’t it?” she says. “Now there’s lots of organised gatherings for everyone – young people are always going to need to come together and let go.”

“Incorporating a visual element into my shows has been an essential aspect of my artistic expression”

Time was when electronic dance music was thought of as a bit of a joke by the mainstream music industry. Dance acts were made to mime their hit rave tunes on the UK’s Top Of The Pops television show, and there were mutterings from the rock quarter that dance wasn’t ‘real’ music played by ‘real’ musicians.

The DJ has now been elevated from the music provider in the corner of a dark club, more or less on a par with the glass collector, to bona fide mainstage superstar. A DJ act – such as Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred again.. – can now headline Coachella and doesn’t always need eye-popping visuals to carry a show.

However, many DJs positively embrace the multimedia aspect of their art. “Incorporating a visual element into my shows has been an essential aspect of my artistic expression,” Irish producer and artist Rebūke tells IQ. “I am trying to find ways to evoke emotion and create a unique atmosphere, and by adding visuals, I can transport fans into another world. The visuals I create serve as an extension of my music, allowing me to tell a story and evoke specific moods that complement it.”

He continues, “Each visual I design plays a part in the story that aligns with the theme of the music. The aim is to engage fans on multiple sensory levels. This year, in Mexico City, we depicted a TV head man with glass shattering, symbolising the breaking of societal norms and inviting fans to question their own perceptions. In the second visual debut at The Brooklyn Mirage in New York, the story continues as the man walks through a portal into a new world, representing a transformation and the exploration of uncharted territories. These visuals are sync’d with the music in real time, allowing me to fuse sound and imagery.”

Breaking Down Barriers
There is still some resistance from some areas of the music industry to booking headline DJs for mixed-genre festivals, however. “It’s an ongoing battle for agents and the more conventional rock & roll promoters to get them onside, and in the most part, the general vibe is to not let a DJ on the mainstage,” says May. “But when you have a DJ who is selling more records than all the live acts put together on the festival, there is an argument to say that if a DJ is putting on a really
good show – visuals, all the rest of it – then it can be on a par with a rock band. I’m sure people who play guitar music will kill me for saying this, and it’s not the same – but it’s still valid entertainment.”

“As a result of the pandemic, people started realising that night culture is more than dancing at night — it’s a way for young people to experiment and explore who they are and find their identity”

“The rise of electronic music has broadened people’s perceptions of what music is and how it’s experienced,” says Monty McGaw, head of electronic at Untitled Group events company in Australia. “DJs can be captivating; people love witnessing skilful mixing and track selection. Electronic music events often carry a broader message or theme, such as political messages, equality, or the importance of community. Balancing these diverse elements requires careful planning, coordination, and creativity to deliver a compelling and memorable live experience.

“Electronic music emerged from communities that were often marginalised and underground, which initially limited its acceptance and recognition by the mainstream music industry,” McGaw continues. “The cultural and societal factors surrounding its origins and early development played a role in the industry’s initial resistance to accepting it as a legitimate genre deserving of equal status.”

Meindert Kennis, co-director of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) – the biggest annual gathering of the electronic music industry – reckons that the prevalence of electronic music on daytime radio in the Netherlands and the UK over the past 30-odd years, and in the USA over the past 15 years after the David Guetta-spearheaded explosion, has led to electronic’s widespread acceptance.

“Also, as a result of the pandemic, people started realising that night culture is more than dancing at night — it’s a way for young people to experiment and explore who they are and find their identity,” he adds. “It’s something you do preferably under cover of the night and is a real important part of the development of young people.”

Kennis additionally makes the point that when the pandemic took away young people’s opportunities to go out and gather together at music events, mental health problems began to accumulate. “Especially in the cultural and government worlds, they started realising that once you took it [away], problems started to appear with young people, and they realised that this is playing a really important part [in] young people’s development,” he says.

“Electronic music, unlike some other genres, has the ability to transcend language and cultural differences”

ADE began in 1996 as a way of bringing the Dutch electronic music scene together and has grown exponentially into the largest gathering of the electronic music industry in the calendar year.

“ADE has become a tentpole moment – the whole industry has a big red circle around October, when it’s going to be here in Amsterdam,” Kennis says. “So at least for those days, Amsterdam is the centre of the electronic music world.” The existence of conferences such as ADE, IMS in Ibiza, WMC in Miami, plus BMC and AVA in the UK, and others, helps strengthen the industry and also aids the local scene where those events are based. “If you have such a moment, that’s very beneficial for a local artist,” Kennis says. “And for night culture as a whole in general.”

International
Electronic music has found it easier to find global appeal than most other musical styles. “Electronic music, unlike some other genres, has the ability to transcend language and cultural differences,” says Monty McGaw, noting that it is less dependent on lyrical content. “I think this has helped to facilitate its global appeal and contributed to its profitability,” he says.

And it comes in many guises. One glance at leading digital download platform Beatport’s sub-genre categories – from tech-house to amapiano, drum & bass, dubstep, trance, techno, and more – gives an indication as to the variety on offer.
“Electronic music is prone to different genre popularity waves,” concurs McGaw. “One year this genre is popular, another year another genre is popular, but what remains is the experience — which is also a link to the live sector.

“It’s more skewed towards the experience of being at a festival or being at a live electronic music event, which is different to a more traditional rock or pop concert,” McGraw continues. “That experience has a really profound influence on how people spend their free time. So, it doesn’t really matter which genre is popular at any one time — that whole feeling of being yourself just stays.”

“The mainstage artists are the ones who sell the tickets, and we’re now building strong headliners who are creating legacies”

Drawing parallels with artists and musicians who make the majority of their revenues through live performance, experts acknowledge that since the bottom fell out of record sales in the early noughties, producers have had to become DJs, helped in their efforts by the growth in the number of electronic music events, as well as the festival business mushrooming internationally.

“Festivals really added to our business – a lot of artists’ careers are based on festivals that take place throughout the summer,” observes CAA’s May. “There’s still room for the DJ in a dark tent with nothing but lasers as well: that still creates a moment at a festival. If you’re a young kid stumbling into that and discovering it for the first time, it could be as magical as the mainstage. But the mainstage artists are the ones who sell the tickets, and we’re now building strong headliners who are creating legacies.”

Many electronic artists now incorporate audio-visual elements into their shows. “Everyone – such as Peggy Gou and Solomun at Sónar this year – is bringing a big production show. They want to express themselves musically but also visually, so that’s very natural, and the facilities are better than ever,” says Enric Palau, co-founder of Sónar, the specialist electronic music festival that’s set a gold standard for discerning bookings since its inception in Barcelona 30 years ago.”

Indeed, Palau observes that the electronic scene can offer a more sustainable approach to touring. “Festivals such as ours provide the equipment for [artists] to come with their shows with very little equipment; sometimes they only need to bring the content, because we provide the set-up for the live show,” he says. “So, with Bicep and Aphex Twin, for instance, they really want to bring the live visual aesthetic of their show. It’s important for the artists.”

Sónar is obsessed with sound quality, Palau adds, and makes the point that many pop acts, such as Beyoncé and The Weeknd, are now 90% electronic.

“If we like the music and think it’s bringing a new thing to the scene, we’ll book them no matter if they’re underground or commercial”

Sónar booked the Beastie Boys and a newly rebooted Kraftwerk in its early days and has often been the place where a lot of international artists, like Goldfrapp and M.I.A., played their first shows out of the UK. But otherwise, they haven’t been tempted to go down the commercial route and book more mainstream dance stars such as Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia or David Guetta. “Probably the closest we got to that EDM phenomena was bringing Steve Aoki at the very beginning,” says Palau.

“If we like the music and think it’s bringing a new thing to the scene, we’ll book them no matter if they’re underground or commercial,” says Palau’s colleague Ventura Barba, Sónar’s executive director. “We’re happy that we’ve discovered a whole raft of artists that then became really big players – whether it’s Daft Punk or other artists where we did their first international shows at Sónar, and they went on to become superstars. This has happened quite a few times.”

Global Appeal
With multiple editions all around the world, Sónar encapsulates the boom in demand for electronic events.
In addition to traditional hubs such as Ibiza and Las Vegas, Berlin has a huge electronic scene, especially for techno. Amsterdam is also a recognised capital, while in the Czech Republic there’s an annual drum & bass festival called Let It Roll, which attracts international attention.

Spain, meanwhile, is big on breakbeat, Australia and New Zealand have big tests around New Year, and back in the northern hemisphere, Croatia has myriad dance festivals in the summer, while EXIT in neighbouring Serbia has been part of the genre’s makeup since the year 2000.

More recently, Israel has grown in stature, Egypt has hosted many events, including a recent show by Carl Cox at the Pyramids, while some of the huge investments pouring into Saudi Arabian nightlife have been targeted at the electronic community.

“The importance of inclusion and diversity is being listened to more, from Ibiza to festivals globally”

And as one of the fastest growing genres for events, China and India have become emerging electronic markets, Japan is already a big player, and other hotspots like Singapore and Thailand are on the rise, too.

Basically, electronic music is everywhere; it’s gone global.

Steven Braines of touring polysexual club brand HE.SHE.THEY. reveals, “We’re now in 40 cities, which is 20 more than we were pre-pandemic, with more territories planned especially for next year. The importance of inclusion and diversity is being listened to more, from Ibiza to festivals globally.”

Braines believes that experiential events such as Elrow, Defected’s glamorous Glitterbox brand and HE.SHE.THEY. – which have a lot of performers as well as quality DJs – are particularly doing well, as are events for “Instagram moments, like Tale Of Us’s Afterlife or Eric Prydz’s HOLO show with 3D visuals.

High-end Production Values
Event production in the dance areas at festivals, such as Boomtown and Glastonbury in the UK, not to mention behemoths such as Tomorrowland in Belgium and the travelling Elrow Town, has become next level, designed for an immersive, awe-inspiring experience. Even though many music fans choose to face the DJ – and sometimes, annoyingly, film them on their phones – the emphasis is on participating in the event, rather than passively watching on. This communal way of consuming electronic music could provide the answer to the question as to why electronic music acts – specifically DJ-led ones – don’t transfer very well to TV.

“Consumer confidence and buying trends have been a challenge. A lot of people have shifted their spending priorities due to financial constraints”

This alternative way of consuming music explains why the pandemic – when the events industry ground to a halt – was somewhat catastrophic for the electronic music industry. No manner of livestreams from unusual locations could make up for the fact that music lovers weren’t able to gather together in real life.

“You cannot beat that wonderful experience of being surrounded by your peers – from every generation, across the board,” says May. “At more events I go to, there’s older people mixed with younger people, and it can be the nicest vibe. It can be three generations appreciating electronic music together.”

Untitled Group’s McGaw thinks the Internet and streaming services have had a huge influence on electronic music. “The ability to connect with people over the Internet so easily has facilitated the growth of subcultures and has exposed electronic music to a wider audience,” he states.

Everyone interviewed for this article agreed that there have been challenges coming back from the pandemic, such as people leaving the industry; a shortage of infrastructure (festival staging, portaloos, fencing etc); increased costs all round; and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“Consumer confidence and buying trends have been a challenge,” says McGaw. “A lot of people have shifted their spending priorities due to financial constraints. We’ve been navigating these changing consumer sentiments by adapting our strategies to regain and maintain the confidence and interest of our audience.”

“As long as we’re still being creative and don’t forget that at the heart of everything is the rave, then we’ll continue to do really good business”

But there’s no doubt, in general, that the electronic sector has bounced back, in many cases stronger than ever.

“We came back really healthy,” says Sónar’s Barba. “It was a little difficult to start the engine again because a lot of professionals from the industry were doing other things. But we came back very strong, reconnecting with our loyal fans but also with other audiences who we had the luxury to connect with through online channels during the pandemic. The 2022 edition was one of the best – the second-best year in terms of figures.”

The IMS Report states that the live sector in 2022 grew by $16.7bn – a huge amount. “Growth was skewed by the fact that 2020 saw a significant dwindling of live events during lockdown, rallying slightly in 2021,” the report also states.

To crunch some more numbers from the IMS Report: only 15% of all electronic festival bookings were for female DJs, a figure that is growing but is still a way off the parity that equality and fairness demands.

Overall, dance music live revenues were up 65% on 2021, reaching $4.1bn, and nearly half of total revenues came from festivals and clubs.

The future is looking bright for the electronic music live sector, then, although CAA’s May warns against complacency. “Things go in circles,” she says. “At the moment, we’ve got electronic music flying high, but are we in the lead-up to the next big indie band coming through because dance music is so everywhere?

“People’s tastes change. The future is definitely bright, because I’m not seeing a lack of young people who want to experience electronic music. As long as we’re still being creative and don’t forget that at the heart of everything is the rave, then we’ll continue to do really good business. Because young people just want to go out and dance.”

 


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Untitled Group launch new electronic festival

Untitled Group is spearheading the launch of a new international dance and electronic festival called Sweet Relief!.

The one-day event will take place at Maritime Green in Brisbane, Queensland, on 16 September 2023.

UK electronic music titans Groove Armada top the bill in what will be an Australia exclusive, with support from The Avalanches, Ladyhawke, Cut Copy, Nina Las Vegas, Latifa Tee and Yo! Mafia.

Sweet Relief! is produced in collaboration with Brisbane Festival, Brisbane City and QLD Music Trails.

“We hope that Sweet Relief! can establish itself as a place where people travel from around the country to experience Brisbane’s local flavour”

Untitled Group, Australia’s largest independently-owned music and events company, also produces Wildlands, Grapevine Gathering & Beyond The Valley.

Joel Edmondson, CEO of Qld Music Trails, says: “Brisbane’s history is littered with iconic festival moments such as Livid, Boundary Street Festival and Valley Fiesta that gave the Brisbane community an opportunity to bring their weirdest and wildest selves out to create an electric atmosphere of togetherness, diversity and inclusion.”

“We hope that Sweet Relief! can establish itself as a place where people travel from around the country to experience Brisbane’s local flavour and global appeal.”

Alongside the musical offering, Sweet Relief! will feature carnival rides, market stalls and more.

 


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Untitled details Europe & APAC growth strategy

Untitled Group’s head of electronic Monty McGaw has spoken to IQ about the Australian promoter’s recent expansion to Asia Pacific and Europe.

The Melbourne-headquartered independent firm is targeting international success after selling more than 250,000 tickets in its homeland during the 2022/23 summer period, with highlights including its flagship Beyond the Valley festival and Nelly Furtado’s first Australian show in over 20 years

McGaw, who has headed up collaborations with other electronic promoters in APAC since being promoted from senior touring agent last October, elaborates on the company’s plans outside its homeland.

“It’s not so much about expanding the Asia market per se, it’s more about synchronising timing and opportunities between Australia/New Zealand/APAC and our partners,” he says. “This provides more frequent shows with local promoters, building audiences and creating cohesion for artist teams based in the US/UK/EU making the long journey. Doing both regions at a similar time provides great benefit in costs incurred by the touring artists and also helps with promotion and marketing efforts.”

“I make a point to speak with on-the-ground promoters to get feedback about the local scene in their city”

When expanding into new markets, McGaw says he adopts a more “hands-on” approach.

“I make a point to speak with on-the-ground promoters to get feedback about the local scene in their city, including how other shows have performed,” he says. “I also examine the touring and ticket selling history to gather insights. I communicate with the managers, artists, and teams to discuss the rationale behind playing specific shows, effectively conveying the story of the market to those who may be unfamiliar with it from the other side of the world. It is crucial to avoid rushing things in new markets and instead approach them as part of a long-term plan.”

McGaw, who is also programmer for Australian electronic music hub Xe54, has presented tours by the likes of Honey Dijon, Dj Boring, Job Jobse, Sally C, Palms Trax, Mella Dee and DJ Mell G.

Untitled has existing relationships with third-party partners such as Strawberry Fields, Lost Paradise, Mode, Field Day, Sun Cycle, Meredith, Golden Plains and WOM Adelaide. It also presented the European debut of its Day Party at Amsterdam’s Lovelee in the Netherlands last October in collaboration with Amsterdam Dance Event.

“Ultimately, the goal is to create a perfect tour, event, or festival where all parties involved walk away feeling satisfied”

McGaw considers collaborating with local promoters to be “super-important”.

“It prevents stagnation for artist growth and encourages an open-minded approach to explore the plans and ideas of various promoters. It is essential to avoid being fixated on a single outcome for an artist,” he says. “In the long run, this approach ensures greater longevity for artists in the market, avoiding repetitive appearances at the same events and festivals year after year. There is plenty for everyone and what goes around comes around.”

Data analysis and market research play a “significant” role in shaping tour strategy, especially in smaller markets, he adds.

“Considering what promoters can afford and assessing the potential for increased show capacities involves an additional degree of risk,” contends McGaw. “Ultimately, the goal is to create a perfect tour, event, or festival where all parties involved walk away feeling satisfied. The artists should feel like they have enjoyed their performances and connected with audiences, while the agents and managers should be content with the execution of advancing and backend operations, whilst local promoters should have put in the effort to create a great environment for the artists they booked, allowing them to make some profit to invest in future shows.”

McGaw adds that the challenges around rising costs associated with touring and putting on events have influenced the firm’s current direction.

“Breaking in artists for debut tours with smaller niche promoters who have super nice small audiences, good attention to detail in branding, art etc has become very hard,” he concludes. “The costs of simple things like flights, hotels, venue hire etc chip away at the artists potential to earn money on a debut tour and sometimes it means they have to sit out on an opportunity to debut in Australia to play more shows at home to earn money to keep things going. This is another reason why linking Australia, New Zealand and Asia together is so exciting and helpful.”

 


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Untitled Group celebrates best festival season yet

Australian independent promoter Untitled Group has told IQ how it capitalised on a late surge in ticket sales to deliver its biggest summer season yet.

The Melbourne-headquartered company, which hosted 112 events around the country, sold more than 250,000 tickets during the 2022/23 summer period – a 25% increase on the previous 12 months.

Highlights included the first post-Covid camping edition of its Beyond the Valley festival, Dom Dolla’s New Year’s set and Nelly Furtado’s first Australian show in over 20 years.

“We’ve noticed a trend where people are more cautious with their spending and are only attending events that they deem as a non-negotiable,” Untitled managing partner and co-founder Nicholas Greco tells IQ.

“The challenge is to create a concept that offers a unique experience. In the current climate, trusted event brands have shone through, particularly those who are actively engaged with their audience.

“We’ve also seen that camping festivals which offer an immersive experience have a significant advantage over other festivals. The unique nature of the camping format sets it apart, and being able to see so many artists across multiple days makes it a more cost effective option.”

Greco says there has been a noticeable shift towards fans waiting longer to buy tickets for events.

“The current economic climate is impacting attendance numbers”

“We are seeing a strong uplift of ticket sales in the final four weeks leading up to the event date, even more so in the final week, which hasn’t really been the case for us in the past,” he observes. “So a key focus of ours is developing strategies to sustain the momentum all the way throughout our campaigns.”

He continues: “The current economic climate is impacting attendance numbers. With the cost of living increasing, our audience have a lot less disposable income to spend on entertainment. This also comes with the costs for artists to tour increasing, making it more challenging for music festivals to attract top tier talent. Festivals need to remain agile and adapt to survive.”

Untitled’s touring team has worked on tours for the likes of 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.

“Curating our festival lineup is definitely a team effort,” adds Greco. “We attend shows to get a firsthand experience of a wide range of artists, catch up with labels and other touring companies to get the pitches on upcoming acts, and have regular discussions with agents from around the world to keep up to date with who’s on cycle and wants to come to the region.

“This part is a lot less glamorous but the team analyses statistics on a daily basis to determine the popularity of artists and gauge our audience’s interest. It’s all just information gathering and it allows us to make the most informed decisions on which artists to include in the festival lineup, ensuring a diverse lineup that feels fresh every time.

Untitled Group recently hired former Live Nation and Three Six Zero veteran Andrew White as its new general manager. The firm restructured its booking team following its expansion to Asia Pacific and Europe in 2022, upping senior touring agent Monty McGaw to head of electronic, and went on to announce a further spate of new hires and promotions earlier this year.

 


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Australia’s Untitled Group installs new GM

Australia’s largest independent promoter Untitled Group has hired former Live Nation and Three Six Zero veteran Andrew White as its new general manager.

White brings 17 years of music industry experience including a six year-stint at Los Angeles-based Three Six Zero, where he served as a day-to-day manager for clients such as Deadmau5, Duke Dumont, Cut Snake, Chris Lake, Congorock, Michael Woods, Knife Party and Pendulum.

He also spent four years as senior tour operations coordinator for Live Nation Australasia and founded Milk Bar Management, and was in the process of putting together a new business venture when he met with Untitled Group’s managing partners to explore potential opportunities with the company.

“From the very first meeting I was amazed by their collective and complementary skillsets,” says White. “Their understanding of the Australian festival market coupled with their innate sense of experiential brand building had me hook, line, and sinker.

“Untitled Group are at the absolute forefront of the Australian festival and events industry, and have a direct finger on the pulse of the next generation’s trending needs and wants.”

“I don’t believe we’ve even begun to tap into our own homegrown population of artists, creators and entertainment business leaders”

The Melbourne-based firm restructured its booking team following its expansion to Asia Pacific and Europe in 2022, upping senior touring agent Monty McGaw to head of electronic, and went on to announce a further spate of new hires and promotions earlier this year.

The touring team has worked on tours for the likes of 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. White says he is passionate about levelling the playing field for Australian talent.

“We have predominantly been an import economy i.e, always at the mercy and whim of artists and businesses based in the major US and UK markets,” he says. “I don’t believe we’ve even begun to tap into our own homegrown population of artists, creators and entertainment business leaders. This is the one thing I believe Untitled Group do well, and continue to prioritise.

“For Untitled Group, I want to help future-proof the business. It’s crucial to stabilise a company’s foundations by implementing systems and processes so that it has capacity, and is robust enough, to continue its growth.”

White discloses the reasons he was compelled to return to his native Australia following his time in the US.

“I became heavily focused on, and passionate about, mental health in the music business”

“The honest truth is that I returned to Australia because I completely burnt out,” he says. “Subsequently, I became heavily focused on, and passionate about, mental health in the music business.

“My time in the US feels like a movie – I recall moments that are completely unbelievable and I rarely talk about them because in hindsight they sound completely outrageous. The entire experience was one giant contradiction – the best and worst times, the highest of highs and lowest of lows – but it was easily, to date, the most formative learning experience in both my personal and professional life.”

White considers the pandemic to have “induced a level of collaboration between competing companies like never before”, and shares his goal to improve diversity in the business.

“We’re now sharing unprecedented amounts of intel with neighbouring companies in order to unlock and deliver a greater amount of value for our staff, the industry, and consumers,” he says. “We’re not yet doing nearly enough to support women, people of colour, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and minority cultures rise into senior leadership positions. This is a huge priority for me.”

 


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Untitled Group announces spate of new hires

Australia’s largest independent promoter Untitled Group has announced a series of new hires and promotions as it continues its rapid growth.

The company, which hosted flagship event Beyond the Valley over four days from 28 December to 1 January,  has swelled from 37 to 62 employees since May 2022.

Its latest round of appointments sees Sydney-based Chris Sheppard joins the touring team as programming manager, supporting with programming for Beyond The Valley, Wildlands Festival and Grapevine Gathering.

Sheppard brings more than a decade of experience and specialist knowledge in the live music sector to Untitled Group, having previously run his own venues and festivals booking service, Curate Connect. He will develop an external programming arm of Untitled Group, including longstanding clients Party In The Paddock, Festival of the Sun, The Basin Concert, Boots & Beach Country Music Festival and Meatstock: The Music & BBQ Festival.

In addition, Mia Ford, formerly of Niche Productions, becomes touring & booking operations coordinator, with responsibility for overseeing tour rollouts, logistics and advancing, as well as assisting Untitled’s portfolio of festivals, projects and events. Ford recently played a core role in delivering the first year of the firm’s music programming of the Australian Open’s Finals Fest.

“Streamlining decision making is an important step to support our growth”

Among other hires, Kelly McCaffrey has joined the festival operations team as event manager. Previously operations manager at Dark Mofo, McCaffrey worked with Falls Festival, St Kilda Fest, Meredith & Golden Plains.

Elsewhere, Laura Hughes has been elevated to head of PR, with Gloria Fittapaldi recently joining the team in a publicist role. Jackson Smith assumes the role of senior commercial partnerships manager and Jim Hennesy comes on board as head of festivals & events marketing, while Xander Speight is elevated to senior social media coordinator and Nicholas Moutafis, previously of Live Nation, takes on the newly created role of financial controller.

Festival GM Pete Sofo and marketing director Casey Katz will sit on the senior leadership team with the four managing partners, Michael Christidis, Nicholas Greco, Filippo Palermo and Christian Serrao.

“We have worked hard to implement systems, structures and skilled humans to give Pete and Casey the autonomy needed in their roles to grow other leaders in our business,” says a statement from the managing partners. “These positions come with a great deal of accountability and responsibility for decision making and approvals. Streamlining decision making is an important step to support our growth. We are super grateful that we are now in a position to announce this step for them, and for our team!”

Untitled restructured its booking team last autumn as part of its expansion to Asia Pacific and Europe.

 


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