LOS ANGELES, December 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV) today announced that
it will be expanding operations into Russia and the Ukraine, a territory with a combined
population of over 200 million.
Tim McWilliams, currently Vice
President of European Tour Operations for Live Nation Global
Touring, has been named Managing Director, Live Nation Russia and
Ukraine, which will be opening an
office in Moscow in the New
Year.
"Establishing an office in Russia is the next step in our global
expansion," said Michael Rapino, CEO
of Live Nation Entertainment. "Russia and nearby markets have become an
important part of our global tours in recent years, and by
establishing a local presence we can rapidly scale our concerts for
over 200 million fans."
Alan Ridgeway, Live Nation
President of International & Emerging Markets, said: "Due to
the volume of live events that are already taking place in
Russia and the Ukraine and the enormous growth potential, we
wanted to establish a team to focus specifically on Live Nation's
interests in the region. Tim has gained a wealth of knowledge from
working with our Global Touring team, and not only has he worked
producing high profile events around the world, but his extensive
experience in Russia and the
Ukraine makes him a perfect fit to
direct Live Nation's business in the region."
Tim McWilliams, Managing
Director, Live Nation Russia and Ukraine said: "Russia and the Ukraine are markets that deserve our attention
and focus. We have learned this through our experiences over the
years with artists such as Madonna, Lady Gaga, U2, Shakira and many
others. We currently have a solid pipeline of business that goes
through the region and this move will only strengthen our position.
I am looking forward to working with both our existing and new
partners as we develop and expand the company's presence in the
region."
Upcoming and recent events promoted by Live Nation in
Russia include Sting (Krasnodar
November 23 and Rostov-on-Don
November 24) and Lady Gaga
(St Petersburg December 9 and Moscow December
12). Full details of these and all other shows can be found
on http://www.livenation.com.
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment is the world's leading live
entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market
leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line
Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the
global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five
ecommerce sites, with almost 27 million monthly unique
visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 22,000 shows
annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Front Line is
the world's top artist management company, representing over 250
artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the
leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling
nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live
Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital
platforms. For additional information,
visit http://www.livenation.com/investors.