Pollstar Live!, the world’s largest gathering of live entertainment professionals, announced today that Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jon Bon Jovi will be a featured keynote speaker and will also be honored with the Milestone Award at the Pollstar Awards ceremony.
Bon Jovi’s panel — “How To See A Million Faces And Rock Them All” — is set for February 7, the middle day of the conference, which runs February 6-8 at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
Self-reliance, optimism, and community are key concepts that define Jon Bon Jovi’s music and charitable efforts. The front man for the Grammy Award-winning band Bon Jovi has not only written and performed countless rock anthems, he has utilized his spotlight and raised millions of dollars to aid the working poor, the homeless, and the hungry. After selling more than 130 million albums and performing in over 50 countries for more than 40 million fans, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of their longevity and impact on popular music for the past three decades. Jon is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Bon Jovi ended the 2010s at No. 5 on Pollstar’s Top Touring Artists of the Decade chart with more than 8.78 million tickets sold and $868,715,392 grossed over five tours in 10 years. On 516 reports in the 21st century alone, Bon Jovi has grossed nearly $1.3 billion, selling more than 14 million tickets. In 2022, Bon Jovi ranked No. 7 on Pollstar‘s list of highest grossing artists of the Pollstar Era.
In addition to Bon Jovi, other Pollstar Live! panel participants include artists Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Truck Band, Jarred Arfa (EVP, Head of Global Music at Independent Artist Group), Josephine Vaccarello (EVP of Live at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.), Brittanie Delava (VP of Global Touring, AEG), John Boyle (Global Chief Content Officer at ASM Global), Stacy Vee (EVP at Goldenvoice), Jen Haas (Promoter, I.M.P.), Brad Wavra and Hans Schafer (SVPs of Global Touring, Live Nation), LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament.
This year’s edition of the annual Pollstar Live! conference, which also includes Production Live! (Feb. 6) and the Pollstar Awards (Feb. 7), will tackle issues affecting the opportunities and challenges currently facing live entertainment, including the economy, ticketing, sustainability and technology. Panels announced include “Golden Era 3.0: How Long Will This Boom Last (And What Can We Do to Sustain)?,” “The Role of Artists & The Live Thing in an Election Year,” “The Venue’s Role in Booking, Marketing & Maximizing Concerts,” “The Most Impactful Show Possible: Savannah Hosts Dave Matthews Band,” “Where To Go & When: Developing the Global Touring Strategy,” “How Will AI Change Live for Booking, Marketing, Operations & Risk Management” and “Sphere: Redefining the Future of Live Entertainment.”
The first day of the conference, Production Live!, will cover staging, transportation, regulations, staffing and presentation as well as focus on the need for improved communication and a generational transition in the entertainment production sector. The keynote Q&A for Production Live!, “A Matter of Trust: The Artist/Crew Dynamic in Tedeschi Truck Band,” will be moderated by Ray Waddell, Oak View Group’s president of media and conferences, and features Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of the band, Tour Manager Skip Richman and Production Manager Brian Speiser.
On Feb. 7, the Pollstar Awards will take place at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles. The ceremony honors the most successful artists, executives, tours, venues, companies and more from the live industry.
