OMAR AL-JOULANI, 37
SENIOR VP TOURING, NORTH AMERICAN CONCERTS, LIVE NATION
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BEN WEEDEN, 39
COO; HOUSE OF BLUES ENTERTAINMENT, LIVE NATION
Two of Live Nation’s top young executives drive business at opposite ends of the touring spectrum. Al-Joulani, a native of Toronto, promoted the J. Cole/Big Sean arena tour this summer, among numerous tours at that level, while Weeden, a father of two who hails from Maryland, managed 7,500 shows and 86 venues including
House of Blues clubs, in a dozen top markets. “J. Cole was a hidden gem of the summer,” says Al-Joulani of the rapper’s outing.
GREATEST RECENT ACHIEVEMENT [Weeden]: “We looked [anew] at Live Nation’s Artist Development and Investment Fund that can bring an artist from a 200-capacity room all the way up to arenas and festivals. We have the venues, marketing and data, and we can invest in careers.”
BOBBY REYNOLDS, 39
VP BOOKING, LAS VEGAS, AEG LIVE
Reynolds’ six-year tenure in Las Vegas for AEG hit a new peak in 2015 when he set up a multiyear residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace for veteran country superstar Reba McEntire on a co-bill with the reunited Brooks & Dunn. The first nine shows grossed $4.9 million. A native of Mamaroneck, N.Y. (who once caddied at the elite Winged Foot Golf Club), Reynolds acknowledges that “residencies are a great idea for bands who don’t want the hassles of touring … a great way for an artist to earn money and play for their fans.” For Brooks & Dunn, the shows with McEntire were their first together in five years.
IF I WASN’T IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS: “I’d be cutting deals in a business that’s far less exciting than this.”
JARED SMITH, 37
PRESIDENT OF NORTH AMERICA, TICKETMASTER
More than ever, the tickets that fans bring to shows are downloaded onto their phones. Ticketmaster’s mobile ticket sales spiked 21 percent through mid-2015, reports Smith, who lives in Manhattan Beach, Calif., with his wife and two children. With this year’s rise, mobile tickets now account for more than a quarter of Ticketmaster’s sales, and Smith believes mobile ticketing will be a “real solution to some of the problems the industry is facing” — including helping fans learn about new shows faster and have a better experience at concerts.
FIRST JOB: “Moving furniture in the summers after baseball practice for a friend’s furniture business.”