LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — On Thursday, leadership from some of the leading entertainment companies in the industry announced that they have come together to form a joint task force to address the spreading disruption caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The task force includes Michael Rapino (CEO and President, Live Nation Entertainment), Dan Beckerman (President and CEO, AEG & Board Member, ASM Global), Jay Marciano (Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents), Rob Light (Managing Partner and Head of the Music Division, CAA), Marc Geiger (Partner and Head of Music, WME), Sam Gores (Chairman, Paradigm), Marty Diamond (Head of Global Music, Paradigm), and David Zedeck (Global Head Of Music, UTA).
The statement said that the task force collectively recommends that large scale events through the end of March be postponed. A rep for Live Nation underscored that the guidance is a recommendation at this time and not a suspension of touring activity.
“We continue to support that small scale events follow guidance set by their local government officials. We feel fortunate to have the flexibility to reschedule concerts, festivals, and live events as needed, and look forward to connecting fans with all their favorite artists and live entertainment soon,” the joint statement said.
On Thursday, Billboard’s Dave Brooks reported that behind the scenes, Live Nation was planning to suspend touring activity worldwide through the end of the month and has told international tours to return to the U.S.
According to Billboard, executives with the company told employees today that they plan to re-evaluate the situation in April with an eye towards resuming touring in May or June.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
