As President, Media & Conferences, Ray Waddell, steers OVG’s rapidly expanding portfolio of media properties, including the print and digital platforms for VenuesNow, Pollstar, Pollstar Daily Pulse, and pollstar.com; and the company’s investment in sports technology media company SportTechie.com.

As a journalist, Waddell has covered the live entertainment business for over 30 years, predominantly for Billboard, where he was Executive Director, Content and Programming, for Touring & Live Entertainment. He joined the Billboard family in 1987 as a Los Angeles-based reporter before relocating back to his home town of Nashville in 1991 to continue covering the live business as the industry changed dramatically.

Waddell’s byline has appeared an estimated 10,000 times under the Billboard banner, where he wrote features and news coverage on the global touring industry and other music-related topics for Billboard, Billboard.com, Billboard.biz, and Billboard Bulletin. He was a columnist for 20 years, with his weekly On The Road column considered a “must read” for touring industry professionals. Waddell has interviewed countless music industry professionals and the most successful artists of all time, including Billboard cover features on Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Tim McGraw, Roger Waters, the Eagles, Phish, Dave Matthews Band, the Who, Garth Brooks, Chelsea Handler, Miranda Lambert, Bon Jovi, Imagine Dragons, Kings Of Leon, Billy Joel, Kid Rock, and many others.

Ray Waddell has covered—and often forecasted—virtually every significant trend in the dynamic live music business in the contemporary era. His contacts in the industry are second to none. As the industry’s leading journalist, Waddell is highly informed on issues related to touring, concert promotion, event marketing, booking, artist management, ticketing, festivals, sponsorships, production, merchandising, venues, tour deals, and any other topic related to live entertainment on a global basis, across all genres. He often serves as an industry consultant, is a frequent speaker at university music programs and industry events, and has been widely quoted as a touring business expert in such publications as USA Today, the L.A. Times, the New York Times, the Boston Herald, Time, People, Rolling Stone, Spin, NPR, CNN, and many others.

Waddell helped launch and programmed 13 consecutive Billboard Touring Conference & Awards events, which each year hosts the most influential executives, artists, dealmakers and visionaries in the live business. Speakers at the Billboard Touring Conference have included such artists as Roger Waters, John Fogerty, Halsey, Skrillex, Gene Simmons, Brad Paisley, Chris Cornell, Florida Georgia Line, Perry Farrell, Warren Haynes, and virtually every major player in the industry. At Oak View Group, Waddell will oversee existing conferences within the platform, as well as launch new events targeting the venue, touring, sports and entertainment sectors.

He is the co-author of the Random House publication “This Business of Concert Promotion & Touring,” which is considered the definitive guide to staging, promoting and marketing concerts and tours. The book has been used as required text in music business courses at Vanderbilt University, Belmont University, the University of Georgia, the Berklee College of Music, Syracuse University's Bandier Music Program, New York University, and several others.

Waddell lives on a farm North of Nashville with his wife of more than 20 years, Teri, amid five dogs, three horses, and assorted other animals.

As CEO of McGhee Entertainment Inc., a full-service entertainment, marketing and production company, DOC McGHEE is a pioneer of the entertainment industry, founding the legendary careers of Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Skid Row. Managing the world-famous band KISS for over two decades, Doc reunited the band for their sold-out ‘96-‘97 Alive Worldwide Tour. This tour restored their position as the most identifiable and valuable music marketing brand in the world. With products ranging from coffins, to comic books, to skateboards, to pinball machines, it’s hard to find a product today without KISS on it. Doc has had an amazing history rebranding acts such as Darius Rucker, who he led into being a country sensation, where he revolutionized the way we see country stars today by breaking through various genre and racial stereotypes. Not only did Doc help Darius transition from a mega-selling pop act with Hootie & the Blowfish to a Country sensation, he also helped Darius become the first black country star to crack the top 10 in two decades. Doc continues to lead the entertainment industry as an innovator with a roster that includes classic rock stars as well as emerging young artists.

Doc has played a key role in the development, execution, and filming of live events that include the Moscow Music Peace Festival, the first stadium rock show in Russia, which was aired worldwide as a top-rated pay-per-view event; producing FOX TV’s live New Year’s Eve program “America’s Party”, and producing “Rockin’ The Corps,” a free concert for soldiers and their families held on the beach of Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton where KISS, Destiny’s Child, Ja Rule, Godsmack, Ted Nugent, and Hootie & The Blowfish performed. The concert was attended by 45,000 people and aired nationwide on Regal Cinema screens as a pay-per-view special as well as a DVD release. Proceeds from the event were donated to the non-profit organization Support The Corps. Doc has also appeared on many shows such as VH1’s Supergroup, AMC’s 4th and Loud, Scooby Doo!, Behind the Music, Gene Simmons: Family Jewels, and many documentaries. He has produced and continues to produce shows for film and television.

As an entrepreneur, he created and ran the entertainment division of Home Shopping Network for five years, was a co-owner of the LA KISS Football team and created 1-Degree Management, which united six like-minded management and marketing companies specializing in artist and athlete management, event production, mobile marketing, corporate consulting and public relations.

Some additional McGhee Entertainment clients over the years include:

Bon Jovi
Clint Black
Darius Rucker
Diana Ross

Guns N’ Roses
Hootie & the Blowfish
Isaac Hayes
James Brown

Julio Iglesias, Jr.
Liz Phair

Mink DeVille
Mötley Crüe
Pat Travers
Rodney Atkins
Scorpions

Skid Row

Yoshiki

In an era where celebrity talent and brands alike seek to find proven and committed purpose, Denise Melanson’s work provides a compass for meaningful social contributions. In her pioneering role for the company – and the industry – Denise consults with client teams and executives on philanthropic strategies and client social impact engagement. She’s a leading voice on parent company Wasserman’s DE&I Council and its Health & Wellness Committee. Through collaboration and thought leadership, she ensures that all of Wasserman Music’s strategies can deliver a positive impact on society through a variety of initiatives.

After 17 years as a music agent, Denise created the Social Impact Department at Paradigm Talent Agency – prior to Wasserman’s acquisition and integration of the team in 2021. As leader of the Social Impact department, she was responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing all of Paradigm's philanthropic strategies with the goal of helping the agency and its represented artists to have a positive impact on society.

During her years leading the department, Denise established relationships with a variety of non- profit organizations around the globe. Denise bridged the gap between nonprofits and cause- related campaigns and agency and artists, co-creating impactful campaigns while empowering staff and clients to engage with their communities. Further, she and the team developed programs and strategies that built industry connections and inspired positive change.
She has worked on national campaigns with Planned Parenthood, Red Nose Day, Everytown for Gun Safety, NRDC, and many more. She’s also partnered on local efforts with Urban Roots in Austin, HOLA in Los Angeles, The Bowery Mission in New York and beyond.

During Denise’s music agent tenure, she represented clients including Stormzy, A-Trak, Knife Party, Pendulum, Chase & Status and many more – securing top spots on festivals and worldwide tours.

In addition, Denise has also served as an advisor to Plus1, as well as Children in Conflict. In May 2019, Denise was selected to represent Austin as part of the United State of Women, a national organization tackling gender equity. Denise was also recognized by Headcount in 2020 for her contributions in helping to engage artists and register voters. She has also joined as an advisor to Propeller, an organization that connects cultural leaders to powerful campaigns that inspire activism and build moments of positive social change.

Denise is a proud resident of Austin, Texas where she and her dog George actively enjoy Austin’s fantastic park system.

Michael P. Downing brings 35 years of experience to Prevent Advisors. Most recently he served as the Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department and Commanding Officer, Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau where he led five operational divisions: Major Crimes, Emergency Services Divisions, Metropolitan Division, Air Support Division, and Emergency Operations Division. These divisions include the Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Section, Criminal Investigative Section, Organized Crime, Surveillance Section, Hazardous Devices Section, LAX Bomb K-9 Section, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Mounted Unit, Dive Teams, Emergency Preparedness and Response.

He has worked with the New Scotland Yard's Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command SO 15. Deputy Chief Downing has testified before Congressional sub-committeeÕs relative to intelligence, homeland security, information sharing, and prison radicalization. In April 2010, Chief Downing served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council working group on developing a national strategy for countering violent extremism.

In October 2009, Deputy Chief Downing was appointed as the Interim Police Chief for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Deputy Chief Downing is an active member of the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) Alumni Association, working with alumni from the FBIÕs LinCT Program to develop a global enterprise of networked counter-terrorism practitioners from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Deputy Chief Downing has also worked with the Department of Justice and State Department, traveling throughout South America, Africa, Turkey, Poland, India, and Kenya to transition large national police organizations into democratic civilian policing models and overlay counter-terrorism enterprises on top of cities. His work in counter-terrorism has taken him to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Kenya, India, France, Afghanistan, and Iraq; all to examine smart practices and build a network of practitioners.

Deputy Chief Downing attended the University of Southern California where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1982 and completed POST Command College in 1997, the FBIÕs Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) in 2008, the Post Naval Graduate Executive Program in 2009, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston (SMIP PERF) in 2012.

Award-winning playwright, actor, producer & educator, Fanshen Cox recently completed touring her one-woman show: One Drop of Love. One Drop travels near and far, in the past and present to explore the intersections of race, class and gender in pursuit of truth, justice and love. The show is produced by Cox, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon.

Fanshen has been featured in the New York Times and on NPR and has published OpEds on Shondaland, Blavity and the Washington Post’s The Lily. She is a Producer and Development Executive at Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films. She has appeared in Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and Argo. She co-directed the nonprofit Mixed Roots Stories.

She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cape Verde, West Africa, and has designed curricula for and taught English as a Second Language to students from all over the world. She has been honored with the Peace Corps’ Franklin H. Williams Award, Peace Corps Fellows and Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarships, an ‘Exemplar of Humanity Centered Media’ award by Media Done Responsibly and Outstanding Alumni Award from Cal State LA Department of Television, Film, and Media Studies and Teachers College, Columbia University.
She holds a BA in Spanish and Education, an MA in TESOL, and a Master of Fine Arts in Television, Film and Theatre from Cal State LA College of Arts and Letters. While attending Cal State LA, Fanshen was the recipient of the Charon D’Aiello and David Sandoval Scholarship and Alumni Association Scholarship.

Her play, One Drop of Love, was awarded Best Non-Fiction Script by the United Solo Theatre Festival, and the film version won Best Documentary Film at the Roxbury International Film Festival and is an official selection of the San Francisco Black Film Festival and the Black International Film Festival.

Fanshen is also a co-author of the Inclusion Rider which was announced at the 2018 Oscar awards by Frances McDormand and the co-creator and co-host of the Webby nominated podcast Sista Brunch - highlighting Black womxn thriving in entertainment and media.
Fanshen facilitates workshops and delivers keynotes on using narrative in empathy-building, exploring historical context, and how the construction of race affects our closest relationships. In spring of 2020, she delivered the University’s Academic Senate's Distinguished Lecture on Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. During the engaging presentation, she shared stories from her life and career about race, truth, justice and love.

All registrants will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to gaining entry to the conference.

Speakers

BIO

Lucy August-Perna

Live Nation

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