The 2017 Billboard Touring Conference & Awards will return on Nov. 14-15 when the live music industry's premiere event will set up at the Montage Beverly Hills. After a 12-year run in New York, the conference -- which features industry-leading programming designed to inform and educate, while providing a forum for industry leaders and professionals to explore the opportunities and challenges that define live music today -- will once again take place in Los Angeles .
Leading this year's event is industry veteran Dave Brooks, senior correspondent for Touring and Live Entertainment, who joined Billboard in February. "I am thrilled to be working with Billboard to strengthen and reinvigorate one of the best conferences in the live entertainment space,” says Brooks in a statement announcing this year's event. “We have an incredible opportunity to build upon our past success with new programming and content that celebrates one of the fastest-growing segments of the live entertainment industry. It’s my goal to foster a collaborative environment that tackles the challenges our industry faces and celebrates our success in a compelling and inclusive way."
The Billboard Touring Awards honors top achievers in the industry based on Billboard’s Boxscore chart data that tracks gate receipts for music, comedy and other live events. At the event Billboard will present its “Legend of Live” award to a concert business professional that has made a significant and lasting impact on the touring industry. Past recipients include Bon Jovi, Bob Seger, Lionel Richie, Neil Diamond and George Strait.
Billboard will also present the Humanitarian Award, which recognizes the philanthropic efforts of some of the biggest names in music. Past Humanitarian Award winners include Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects; Hugh Evans, CEO of the Global Poverty Project and co-founder of the Global Citizen Festival; Dave Matthews Band; and The Apollo Theatre.
The 2016 Billboard Touring Conference & Awards sold out with a record number of attendees and featured a special Q&A with chart-topping singer-songwriter Halsey. More information will be made available in the coming weeks here.
