Touring Entertainment LIVE, a new event for the travelling show and exhibition industry, has announced that the CEO of Terrapin Station Entertainment, Jonathan Shank, will chair a panel titled We’ve Got 99 Problems & Here’s How We Solve Them, uniting all elements of the broader touring entertainment family to solve common issues and discuss opportunities for collective action.
Touring Entertainment LIVE is taking place on 1 March at Royal Lancaster Hotel, London and is the new yearly gathering for leading show and exhibition producers, rights holders, venue operators, and promoters from around the world. It is taking place as part of the 36th International Live Music Conference (ILMC), the leading event for the international live music industry.
A demand for this type of event
Shank has worked with some of the biggest brands and intellectual properties of our time. He is known for bringing intellectual property to the live stage and has built a reputation for developing successful family-driven touring franchises and non-traditional tentpoles in markets that big companies often miss. He has worked on shows including Disney Junior Dance Party On Tour, Peppa Pig Live!, and The Fresh Beat Band Live.
Shank also won a Grammy Award in 2009 for his role in creating the album Global Drum Project, alongside The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart. In 2020, he received the T.J. Martell Trailblazer Award for his work producing charity events like The Homeward Bound Concert and A Tribute to the Music of Linda Ronstadt.
Speaking about how important this new conference for the touring entertainment industry is, he says:
“When I first heard about it, my initial reaction was, ‘It’s about time’. The way that non-traditional entertainment has exploded in recent years and become a priority for not just studios but record labels, producers, and artists, means I think there’s a real cross-pollination now and a focus on elevating non-traditional entertainment, particularly family entertainment.
“I think there’s a new ecosystem and a new way of funneling that talent through YouTube and streamers up to linear TV. Certainly, as all of these brands and IP become more popular, they all want to have live activations of some sort – be it immersive, a tour, a podcast… some kind of extension that not only allows them to market their brand but monetise it as well.
“There’s a demand for something like Touring Entertainment LIVE and it’s a great forum for everyone to get together. In past years at ILMC, we were having our own gatherings, now it feels like we’ll have a hub to not just talk about the sector but showcase it.”
99 Problems
Addressing the topic of the panel session, We’ve Got 99 Problems & Here’s How We Solve Them, he adds:
“Is that all we have, 99? I think we’ve all had our battle armour on since the pandemic, trying to unlock the new model, so to speak. Some of the things we’ve had to deal with are inflation and expenses. Then you’ve had a really crowded pipeline with people having been unable to tour for a handful of years, which has left a tremendous amount of content in the marketplace in 23/24 and probably the rest of the decade. So we need to find a way of making sure there’s room for everyone in the marketplace.
“Then the other thing is figuring out the way in which people are consuming data and finding out about these shows, leaning into digital and how we can further that platform. Those are some of the things we’ll explore and I’m looking forward to hearing other people’s opinions and experiences.”
Attending ILMC and Touring Entertainment LIVE
There is a certain amount of cross-pollination between family entertainment and the live music business. Talking about what the wider ILMC delegation can gain from attending Touring Entertainment LIVE, Shank says:
“What I’ve found is that the same venue, promoters, and talent buyers that are working on Bluey are also working on Arctic Monkeys.
“For the agents, managers, and promoters that are coming to ILMC, Touring Entertainment LIVE will be really eye-opening and full of opportunities because there are some really amazing box office stories behind these properties. And, when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find the likes of Live Nation and AEG promoting these shows, so the traditional entertainment industry is very much still part of the fabric of the non-traditional entertainment industry.”
The 36th International Live Music Conference (ILMC 36) will bring together over 1,400 professionals from across the globe between 27 February and 1 March, giving them an opportunity to network and discuss the live music industry. Topics will range from AI, mental health, and global conflicts, to sustainability, ticketing, touring, grassroots venues, festivals, and much more.
An ILMC 36 delegate pass provides full access to Touring Entertainment LIVE, or delegates can attend only the TEL day with a separate admission. Registration details and full event information can be found here.
Earlier this month, Touring Entertainment LIVE announced that Svana Gisla, producer, ABBA Voyage and Richard Lewis, acclaimed theatre producer and writer, will deliver keynotes during the event.