XLIVE Vegas Announces Full List Of 2018 Labs Featuring Speakers From Live Nation, Amazon, EA, Ubisoft, IBM, Sony Music And More

With the 2018 edition of XLIVE Vegas just around the corner and taking place from December 9-12 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the team behind the renowned live event conference has continued to roll out more highlights and event information that attendees can look forward to.

This includes the full list of nominees for FestX Awards presented by Everfest + XLIVE, which includes categories like Best New Festival, Outstanding Green Event, Best Esports Festival, Best Production Design, and much more. The winner will be chosen at XLIVE this year.

Highlighting everything from music and food/beverage festivals to tech, brands, sports, eSports and beyond, XLIVE offers an intimate forum for attendees to discuss current topics and live event operations alongside some of the most inspiring names in the business.

The full list of nominees can be found here, which features a diverse list including Life is Beautiful, Blizzcon, ACL Festival, Desert Hearts Festival, LA Food Fest, RuPaul’s DragCon, Electric Forest, EDC Las Vegas, Coachella, Splendour in the Grass, AFROPUNK, and much more.

Renowned for its comprehensive roster of influential keynotes each year, XLIVE 2018 will include Live Nation Japan president John Boyle, TAG Strategic managing partner Ted Cohen, IMG Live president Bryan Icenhower, and MAC Presents CEO Marcie Allen. They will be sharing their stories, strategies and insights with the diverse XLIVE community. Attendees can also look forward to an intimate fireside chat with Elrow’s President & Board Member Vicenc Marti.

Other highlights include the full list of workshops in their newly launched Labs Workshop Series, which will feature six unique categories and the chance to learn from the best in the business. This includes a focus on key categories like Esports, cannabis, brand activations, and much more.

1. Esports Lab: Features speakers such as Ubisoft Director of Esports Robb Chiarini, IBM CTO & Esports Advisor William Le Voir-Barry, Columbia Records / Sony Music SVP of Experiential Marketing & Business Development Ryan Ruden, StarBeast co-founder and CEO Nick Losq, Super League Gaming CEO Ann Hand, Metta Sport founder David Smith, and Ultimate Media Ventures president Chris Mann. Together, the panel will bring to light some of the most unique characteristics of the burgeoning Esports industry.
2. Cannabis Lab: Breaks down the keys to operating a festival that encourages safe usage featuring cannabis experts Heavy Grass CEO Clay Busch, National Cannabis Festival founder and executive director Caroline Phillips, Merry Jane VP of marketing and business development Jim Baudino, and Sound Skilz CEO Steve Clayton. With new laws, permits and protocols in place, this panel will help unravel the complications that cannabis at live events may entail.
3. Event Tech + Live Event Data and Analytics Lab Presented by Umbel | MVP Index, features case studies, interactive roundtable discussions and informative panels that will emphasize the importance and power of live event data and analytic assets in the festival and event space—speakers announced soon!
4. Production + Design Lab: From LED dancefloors to holograms and music, this lab is integral for anyone involved in the festival production industry. This will include Elrow’s President & Board Member Vicenc Marti, Cirque du Soliel company manager Kim Scott, Mode Studios chief creative officer Bob Bonniol, James Klein SVP of Live Production of George P. Johnson, and Lightswitch’s Principal John Featherstone. They will be sharing the truly immersive and transformational abilities of top-notch production.
5. Brand Activations Lab: As broadcast spending dips and brands start to questions the effectiveness of digital buys, more agencies are turning toward experiential marketing as a way to connect with their target market. This lab will feature EA Lead Events Producer Leanne McGowan, Amazon Events Manager (Games Division) Renee Roub, Vokare X Founder & Chief Experiential Officer Christopher Jozeph, T1 Agency President & CEO Mark Harrison and more.
6. CVB & Destination City Lab: This lab will bring together entertainment industry professionals, event technology providers, production specialists, and live event organizers with the goal of understanding the importance of incorporating city attractions to create a whole new immersive and interactive live event experience. The lab is focused on those doing work in Las Vegas and New Orleans and will include Live Nation General Manager Amir Mertaban, Winston Fisher and Michael Beneville of Area 15, Ryan Kruger of The RKET Group, and much more.

More info along with the full list of workshop categories can be found here. To stay up to date with XLIVE news and industry happenings, sign up for the XLIVE newsletter at the bottom of the website’s registration page . We’ll see you this December in Vegas!

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XLIVE would like to extend special thanks to our 2018 Sponsors:
Presenting Sponsors: Eventbrite, Experient, Thuzi, TicketGuardian, Front Gate Tickets, Complete Show Services, Foundry IV, Feathr, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, GES, AAA Flag & Banner

Premier Sponsors: Worldstage, Umbel/U-MVP Index LLC, See Tickets, SquadUp, Tango Card, Ticketsocket, Intellitix, Sciensio, True Digital Industries, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Block Party Tickets, FestiFi, Event Architecture

Supporting Sponsors: Greenberg Glusker, Patron Technology, Vendini, SNIEC, MGM Resorts International, Backstage Networks, VRX Esports, Area 15, The Festival Voice, ID&C, Soliman Productions, Your Type

XLIVE 2018 Partners:
Billboard, Pollstar, Everfest, IAVM, Innovation & Tech Today, LDI, NYME, Group Y, Amplify, Canadian Music Week, National Sports Forum, Music Business Association, SportTechie, The Confluence, Player 2 Studios, Esports Ad-Bureau, Dot Esports, Ultimate Media Ventures, Esports Insider, GameDaily.Biz, Thunder Gaming, Events4Gamers, Music Festival Wizard, Naruscope, The Esports Observer, Ultimate Festival Guide

About XLIVE:
Multi-faceted organization XLIVE will continue to revolutionize the way live event and festival organizations share expertise, learn, and most paramount, envision the future of the industry. XLIVE convenes with leading experts at the intersection of music, film, culinary, beverage, Esports, technology and the experiences that culminate at festivals and live events. Reflecting the passion of the vibrant festival community, XLIVE serves as a catalyst for curating unique, memorable and life-changing experiences within the growing, dynamic and influential realm of festivals.

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