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