NEW ORLEANS, LA (CelebrityAccess) — Huka Entertainment has tapped music industry veteran Evan Harrison as its new Chief Executive Officer. The move enables Huka Entertainment Founder A.J. Niland, the company's previous Chief Executive, to focus on creating new festival experiences for music fans around the world. Mr. Niland's new title will be Chairman and Chief Experience Officer at Huka.
Huka Entertainment, a creator and producer of large scale destination-location music festivals, and was the company behind the Pemberton Music Festival situated at the base of Mt. Currie in British Columbia and the Tortuga Music Festival on the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The company also has a growing touring division which promotes hundreds of concerts across North America annually.
In his new role, Mr. Harrison will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company and lead Huka into what is expected to be an unprecedented phase of growth.
Mr. Harrison is a pioneer in the digital music space. He was the first head of digital marketing for BMG. In 2001 he left the label group to join AOL where he went on to become Head of Music and Radio. He helped developed the AOL Sessions and First Listen franchises and produced dozens of exclusive live event broadcasts from intimate club settings to launch projects by superstar artists. In 2004 Evan was recruited by Clear Channel, becoming President of Digital, where he would leave a mark on the industry by creating the company's multi-platform strategy, and ultimately, iHeartRadio. In 2012 Evan created a similar strategy for Univision, overseeing the company's approach to music on radio, television, online and in the live sector.
"A.J. is one of the most creative minds I have met in the music industry and he and the Huka team have built something very special," said Mr. Harrision. "I'm excited to be leading the company into its next phase of growth as we look to establish additional festivals, grow our touring business and help expose music fans to new artists along the way."
