The Electric City Music Conference will host a Concert and Festival Booking Panel on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. at The AfA Gallery in Scranton (514 Lackawanna Ave.). Admission is free for the discussion, which will feature a trio of seasoned music industry professionals. You can find the Facebook event invite here.
The panel:
Will Beekman is the Executive Director of the F.M. Kirby Center, an 1,800-seat performing arts center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where his duties include serving as the downtown theater’s facility manager, talent buyer and live event manager. Will came to the Kirby Center in 2010 as Director of Marketing and Sales and quickly rose through the ranks as Director of Programming and Managing Director before being named Executive Director in January of 2015. Before his tenure at the Kirby, Will worked for the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in various capacities, including Director of Creative Services/Game Operations, before moving on to the Bryce Jordan Center, a 15,000-seat arena on the campus of Penn State University, where he served as Marketing Manager. Will’s new column, “Will Call,” is published by Highway 81 Revisited.
Michael Cloeren is a long-time festival and event programmer and producer, having created and produced a staggering number of festivals – more than 80! – since 1991, including the Pennsylvania Blues Festival, the Pocono Blues Festival, the Pocono Gathering On The Mountain, the Pocono Tribute Festival and the Vermont Blues Festival. Additionally, Michael, who has produced other festivals including the iconic Philadelphia Folk Festival, serves as a curator, master of ceremonies and programmer for the F.M. Kirby Center’s “Live From The Chandelier Lobby Series” and is an in-demand master of ceremonies at a wide array of festivals and music events.
Since 1995, Jesse Lundy has served as a concert promoter and publicist, working for Electric Factory Concerts (95-97) and New Park Entertainment / Jack Utsick Presents (97-01). In 2002 he joined Point Entertainment as Talent Buyer and publicist at The Point in Bryn Mawr, Pa.; The Point closed in June of 2005, and since then Point Entertainment has been producing shows, concerts series and events at numerous venues in Pennsylvania and beyond. Since 2008, Point Entertainment has programmed the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He also manages The Brakes and John Francis and teaches at Drexel University in the Music Industry Education Program.
The panel will be moderated by Highway 81 Revisited founder and editor Michael Lello. H81R is a sponsor of the ECMC.
Visit the ECMC website for more information on the weekend-long ECMC, including the Steamtown Music Awards, which is tonight (Thursday, Sept. 17).
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