The executive management team of the newly formed Worldwide Entertainment Group, LLC — Dave Lory, chairman and CEO; David Leach, president and COO; and Patrick Panzarella, co-president, Corporate Development and Strategic Planning — made their first major announcement in support of the continued growth and diversification of their global artist services company.
Worldwide Entertainment Group has invested in a partnership with veteran Australian promoter Michael Chugg Entertainment, and the appointment of MCE's managing director Michael Chugg to the position of executive vice president of Worldwide Entertainment Group. Chugg founded MCE as a full-service concert promotion company in Sydney, Australia in 1999, and the company has promoted over 50 tours in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia to date, with forthcoming tours planned for such artists as Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chris Isaak and John Mayer, among others.
"I'm very excited to be involved with WEG," said Chugg. "I've a lot of respect for the executive team involved. It has been a dream we have all shared to start a company that operates worldwide in all facets of the music industry and provides artists with the global services that they need and deserve."
"We're pleased to welcome Michael as a founding partner in the executive management structure of Worldwide Entertainment Group," commented Lory. "Michael is a pioneer of the Australian music industry, with more than 25 years of experience promoting the concerts and careers of such international artists as Bob Dylan, The Police, REM, Billy Joel, Pearl Jam, The Cure and too many more to name. He's a true statesman of the entertainment industry, and the respect of his peers around the world is a testament to his accomplishments. Michael will continue to run his outstanding MCE operations as usual, and our partnership with him is best described as an expansion of his strengths."
Chugg oversees the day-to-day operations of MCE from his head office in Sydney, which will also operate as the Worldwide Entertainment Group's Australian office. In his capacity as executive vice president of WEG, he will direct the growth of Worldwide Entertainment Group's management, consulting, and publishing arms in Australia. In turn, WEG will partner with MCE in the production of events and tours on a global basis. Several collaborative projects are already in development, and detailed announcements are forthcoming.
Worldwide Entertainment Group has the backing of a consortium of private shareholders, including American promoter Jack Utsick, who is a founding shareholder of the company.
Both Lory and Chugg have been profiled on CelebrityAccess; Chugg on September 14, 2001 and Lory, March 30, 2002.
