VenuesNow Conference
September 2019. New York, Conrad Hotel
The inaugural NYC VenuesNow Conference was held at the Conrad Hotel downtown for over 600 attendees early September 2019. Oak View Group’s Media & Conferences division annually hosts the conference which provides a forum for leaders in the live entertainment industry to discuss important trends and topics appearing in the VenuesNow magazine published by OVG. After two years in Los Angeles, the flagship event has moved to New York City.
The first day of the VenuesNow Conference took place in the Gallery Ballroom and featured opening remarks by OVG Founders Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff. Soon after, the all-star lineup of speakers would discuss key topics from Capital Ideas to Esports. James Dolan sat down with Irving Azoff to discuss business and MSG Co. and the program included panel discussions featuring NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
Other notable speakers included Executive Vice President of MSG Live Darren Pfeffer, President of San Francisco 49ers and Co-Managing Partner of Elevate Sports Ventures Al Guido, Director of Strategy for AT&T Dave Macdonald and many more. The first day of conferences concluded with another opening night cocktail reception in the Gallery Prefunction space & Northeast Gallery featuring DJ Monopoli.
The final day of the conference took place on 9/11, 18 years after the devastating tragedy. A beautiful floral installation honored those affected by the events on 9/11 with a graphic wall featuring silhouettes of the twin towers built out using white roses.
The opening topic, “Never Forget: How Sept. 11, 2001 Forever Changed Public Assembly,” featured a highly qualified panel of safety experts who discussed exactly how public safety in this business has changed post-9/11. Light discussions followed throughout the final day and attendees were encouraged to take roses provided to the 9/11 Memorial, just a short walk from the venue.
The VenuesNow Conference connects leaders, influencers and visionaries in a variety of discussions and networking opportunities highlighting comprehensive topics and the future of the industry. Empire was proud to serve as the overall producer for this event.