(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Live Nation has expanded its live music marketing ability, naming industry vet John Loken to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Tour Marketing.
Loken will be based in the company’s Los Angeles headquarters, reporting directly to Marketing President Faisel Durrani. Loken’s duties include ensuring that the company is creating breakthrough marketing programs for tours, energizing fans and maximizing ticket sales.
“I am honored to join the team Faisel Durrani and Michael Rapino have put together, which is without equal in the industry,” said Loken in a statement. “Live Nation is constantly in search of new ways to reach consumers, to understand their needs, and to create a better concert experience. As a life long music fan and career marketer I look forward to adding to that value chain.”
Loken comes to Live Nation from Ride Management where, as a partner, he oversaw a team that represented Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Trail of Dead, Unwritten Law and others. He concurrently served as COO of Fearless Records, where he forged numerous distribution, licensing and catalog pacts, and acted as a strategic advisor to punk-related merchandising website Smartpunk.com. From 1998 until 2003 Mr. Loken was GM of Ultimatum Music, the William Morris Agency's alternative rock label, where he signed Sugarcult and J. Mascis. He was also GM at China Records where he was instrumental in establishing trip hop pioneers Morcheeba in the U.S. market. Mr. Loken began his career doing international marketing at Warner Bros. Records and later Motown/PolyGram International where he worked with a variety of marquee artists including Madonna, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, REM and Stevie Wonder.
“Live Nation is aggressively advancing our marketing capabilities to keep pace with the evolving live business,” said Faisel Durrani. “John's appointment to this important position will help to ensure Live Nation's position as a leader in global artist to fan marketing.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
