XLIVE- Las Vegas, NV– Transcending all things festival, music, film, culinary, eSports and technology, the world’s premiere live event production conference, XLIVE 2016, touches down in the entertainment capital of the world this December 5th -7th, 2016 at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Previously known by two separate entities, International Music Festival Conference (IMFCON) and International Film Festival Summit (IFFS), XLIVE will host 140+ guest speakers, 80+ exhibitors and 40+ interactive sessions for participants to transform their perspective and understanding about the latest approaches to elevate event production and attendee experience to new, unprecedented heights.
Uniting the industry’s most brilliant minds under one roof, the 13th annual conference will bring the dynamic festival community together to share in a creative and collaborative space where attendees can explore the latest trends and share ideas within the rapid evolution of the large scale gathering phenomenon. Featured speakers at this year’s conference include: Billboard and Hollywood Reporter President John Amato, Eventbrite Co-Founder & CEO Julia Hartz, The Recording Academy Executive Director Theresa Jenkins Red Frog Events Co-CEO Ryan Kunkel, Founders Entertainment Co-Founder & Partner Jordan Wolowitz, Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival Managing Director John Trumble, AEG/Goldenvoice VP of Global Partnerships Caroline Frye Burruss, Soundslinger/Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival Founder/Chief Creative Officer Paul Peck, Charleston Wine + Food Executive Director Gillian Zettler, Creative Artists Agency Head – CAA Culinary Andrew Chason,AEG Senior Vice President Global Partnerships Mark Faber, Newport Folk & Newport Jazz Festivals Executive Producer Jay Sweet, Live Nation VP Strategic Initiatives Tobias Ekman, C3 Presents President – Shaky Festivals Tim Sweetwood, AC Entertainment Forecastle Founder & Captain JK McKnight, ESL/Turtle Entertainment America CEO Craig Levine, Twitch VP & eSports Evangelist Andy Swanson, Airbnb Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy Chip Conley and The Confluence Founder Russell Ward plus a collective of many other industry leaders (full list below).
2016 participants of XLIVE can look forward to an abundance of interactive spaces in the Exhibit Hall, ripe with opportunities for networking, education, and inspiration. Boasting over 100 of the most innovative companies within the live event industry, attendees will find themselves face-to-face with game changers that are providing festival organizers with the latest tools and services to take their operations, marketing, and fan engagement strategies to the next level. Also found in the Exhibit Hall will be the Innovation/Startup Showcase,giving emerging companies a forum to demo the next generation of event solutions and technology. Tech enthusiasts will revel at the newly-designed Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Lab, where curious cohorts may experience the latest in VR/AR technology and witness firsthand how these tools can transform future productions.
Following an enlightening jaunt throughout the Exhibition Hall, attendees can stop and recharge at Refreshment Row, a comfortable setting to enjoy a beverage while they continue to take in the experience. Sync up playlists and share favorite music with longtime and new friends in the Live Lounge area – a perfect opportunity to network in a relaxed environment complete with charging stations for laptops and mobile devices.Encompassing a wealth of industries, XLIVE also fosters the growth of budding entrepreneurs and seasoned industry pros alike. For the first time, XLIVE will be accepting applications for up-and-coming festival organizers for the Young Festival Entrepreneur Mentorship Program aimed at grooming future festival leaders. Conversely, CEOs, Presidents, Producers and Founders can sit in at this year’s CEO Roundtable – an exclusive group of festival leaders discussing major industry trends, meeting with like-minded contemporaries, and discovering what leaders and their teams are doing to create extraordinary experiences for fans and artists that bring festivals to life.
For more information and/or to register for the convention, please check out the XLIVE website and be sure to like the XLIVE Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest news and speaker announcements.
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XLIVE 2016 – Featured Speakers (more to come):
Billboard and Hollywood Reporter President John Amato ~ Eventbrite Co-Founder & CEO Julia Hartz ~ Red Frog Events Co-CEO Ryan Kunkel ~ Founders Entertainment Co-Founder & Partner Jordan Wolowitz ~ Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival Managing Director John Trumble ~ AEG/Goldenvoice VP of Global Partnerships Caroline Frye Burruss ~ Soundslinger/Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival Founder/Chief Creative Officer Paul Peck ~ Charleston Wine + Food Executive Director Gillian Zettler ~ Creative Artists Agency Head – CAA Culinary Andrew Chason ~ AEG Senior Vice President Global Partnerships Mark Faber ~ Newport Folk & Newport Jazz Festivals Executive Producer Jay Sweet ~ Live Nation VP Strategic Initiatives Tobias Ekman ~ C3 Presents President of Shaky Festivals Tim Sweetwood ~ AC Entertainment & Forecastle Founder & Captain JK McKnight ~ ESL/Turtle Entertainment America CEO Craig Levine ~ Twitch VP & eSports Evangelist Andy Swanson ~ Airbnb Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy Chip Conley ~ AC Entertainment Vice President Strategic Partnerships Jeff Cuellar ~ WME/IMG Global Head of eSports Tobias Sherman ~ Noise Pop Industries Founder Kevin Arnold ~ Delaware North Chief Marketing Officer Todd Merry ~ City Winery CEO Michael Dorf ~ SFX Entertainment Managing Director – North America Jacob Smid ~ Anheuser Busch Global Director – Innovation Tina Wung ~ Chipotle Manager – National Events Scott Robinson ~ Osheaga Music & Arts Festival Director of Marketing & PR Sandra Rinaldi ~ Delaware North CMO Todd Merry ~ NCompass International Co-Founder & CEO/President Donna Graves ~ Robot Picnic President Philip Blain ~ SnowGlobe Music Festival Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Lesan ~ Prime Social Group Managing Director Adam Lynn ~ The RKET Group President Ryan Kruger ~ Zeitgeist Artist Management Owner Jordan Kurland ~ Eventbrite Business Strategy & Solutions Manager Biasha Mitchell ~ Country Music Association Director – Digital Strategy Meryl Johnson ~ 542 Entertainment President Billie Jo Aasen ~ City Parks Foundation General Manager – Central Park Summerstage Bruce Wheeler ~ Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Chairman Seth Schorr ~ Ticketfly Head of Festivals Jeff Kreinik ~ Northside Media Group Founder Scott Stedman North Coast Music Festival Partner Max Wagner ~ Brewgaloo/Greater Raleigh Merchants Association Executive Director Jennifer Martin ~ DoStuff Media CEO Scott Owens ~ Toronto International Film Festival Branded Content Lead Evan Dell’Aquila ~ Treefort Music Fest Founder & Producer Lori Shandro Outen ~ Republic Live Sponsorship & Strategic Partnerships Adam Grosze ~ Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival/One Reel Executive Director Chris Weber ~ Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority VP Global Business Sales Chris Meyer ~ Global Citizen Festival Event Director David Beame ~ CID Entertainment CEO Dan Berkowitz ~ VR Playhouse CEO Christina Heller ~ Eventbrite Head of Music Marketing Shana Fong ~ Gilroy Garlic Festival Executive Director Brian Bowe ~ MusicfestNW Presents Project Pabst Operations Director Matt Manza ~ The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas Executive Director Peggy Hanley ~ Kaboo Del Mar Festival SVP Marketing Brian Wingerd ~ Middle Waves Music Festival Co-Chair Alison Gerardot ~ Insomniac Events Director of Business Development Joe Silberzweig ~ Main Events International President Stephen Millard ~ Halifax Pop Explosion Festival Executive Director James Boyle ~ Fest300 Creative Director Eamon Armstrong ~ SFX Entertainment & Electric Zoo Director Adam Richman ~ TuneIn Sr. Director Artist Partnerships & Branded Content Charles Raggio ~ 542 Entertainment COO Cory Popiuk ~ Barcelona Enterprises CEO Alan Semsar ~ Ticket Galaxy Head of Music Partnerships Aatish Patel ~ MCP Presents Festival Operations Director Val Harris ~ Winter Craft Beer Festival Co-Founder Ross Bowdey ~ Bacon & Beer Classic/Cannonball Productions CEO Kate Levenstien ~ Middle Waves Music Festival Co-Chair Matt Kelley ~ POP Montreal Director of Brand Partnerships Olivia Diamond ~ Left Hand Brewing Company Community & Events Manager Josh Goldberg ~ The Why Co. Founder Jacob Matthews ~ IWSC Group CEO Allen Gibbons ~ Narus Advisors LLC Partner Chris Grove ~ Kona Brewers Festival Executive Director Kate Jacobson ~ Vindiego Wine & Food Festival Executive Producer David Fraschetti ~ Motley Brews Senior Event Manager Lee Flint ~ Mohegan Sun Public Events Manager Krista May ~ CLEVR CEO Japheth Dillman ~ Vinofest DC Founder Justin Harrison ~ Big Texas Beer Fest Co-Founder Chad Montgomery ~ Fuse Social Media Manager Frankie Greek ~ Fountain Square Music Festival Executive Director Adam Pedersen ~ Feathr Co-Founder & President Aidan Augustin ~ Tiqiq CEO Jesse Lawrence ~ Diageo Global Senior Brand Manager – Smirnoff Justin Medcraft ~ Blur Parties/Toast Nebraska Vice President Stacy Leners ~ Treefort Music Fest Co-Founder & Associate Producer Drew Lorona ~ Dancefestopia Music Festival/Borda Productions Co-founder & Festival Organizer Doug Bordegon ~ Urban Seed VP Of Culinary Partnerships Jolene Mannina ~ VFD Marketing Managing Partner Elie Deshe ~ Northern Nights Music Festival Co-Founder Andrew Borgelt ~ Taste Of Pennsylvania/CrocodileDog Marketing Owner Matthew Davis ~ Gaming Research Partners Managing Director Alex Igelman ~ The Confluence Founder Russell Ward