Madison Square Garden will officially announce today what many have known for a while: former Sony BMG exec Liana Farnham has been named vice president, concert marketing, for Madison Square Garden Entertainment.
Farnham will be responsible for the marketing of all concerts, family shows and attractions at Madison Square Garden, the WaMu Theater, Radio City Music Hall, and the Beacon Theatre in New York, and the recently acquired Chicago Theatre. Farnham will also work closely with other MSG divisions, including Fuse and MSG Media, to create content and cross-platform marketing initiatives that enhance the company’s success in attracting artists to MSG’s venues.
MSG Entertainment is in the midst of a significant expansion of its core business, including maximizing the performance of its existing properties and growing its presence outside of the New York metro area. Over the past 18 months, MSGE has ramped up with enhanced productions, acquisitions and new initiatives designed to grow MSGE’s brand in the live entertainment industry nationwide. Among those projects are an arena touring version of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the purchase of 910 acres in rural Springfield, N.Y., with plans to spend $15 million launching a three-day, multigenre music festival in 2010.
As a label exec, Farnham was always a strong proponent of touring as a critical artist development tool. At Sony BMG, where she was vice president, marketing and artist development for Columbia Records, Farnham was responsible for creating the Tour Marketing Department at the label in 1995. As department head, her responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of marketing relating to personal appearances and touring.
Prior to Sony BMG, Farnham worked in DC promoting concerts with I.M.P Productions, where she oversaw all concert promotion and advertising, and developed local and national sponsorship initiatives. She is a frequent speaker at the Billboard Touring Conference in New York, and serves on the advisory board for the conference.
