IEBA Hall of Fame Names New Class
Charley Pride
Three new inductees will join the IEBA Hall of Fame during an Oct. 9 ceremony at the organization’s upcoming conference. The new class includes Charley Pride, an artist who has sold over 70 million albums sold and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry; longtime Amusement Business writer and staffer Ray Pilszak; and the late New York State Fair executive Joe LaGuardia, who spent over three decades with the fair and passed away in May.
The 42nd conference of the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) is planned for Oct. 6-9 in Nashville, where over 600 live entertainment industry executives will convene for networking and over 50 artists’ showcases.
The IEBA Hall of Fame was established in 2010 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the organization. To date, 41 of the most prestigious buyers, agents and live entertainment pioneers have been inducted.
Voting is currently underway for the annual IEBA Industry Awards (nominees below). Winners will be announced on Oct. 9.
Ray Pilszak
International Buyer of the Year
Johanne Bougie – Festival International de jazz de Montreal
Rob Potts – Entertainment Edge
Declan Quinn – Q&N Productions
Larry Werner – Panhandle Productions
Fair Buyer of the Year
Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions
Bonnie Brosious – Great Allentown Fair
Gil Cunningham – Neste Event Marketing
RJ Romeo – Romeo Entertainment Group
Joe LaGuardia
Festival Buyer of the Year
Bob Babisch – Milwaukee Summerfest
Mike Smardak – Outback Concerts
Glenn Smith – Glenn Smith Presents
Club Buyer of the Year
Roger LeBlanc – The Coach House
Ethan Levinson – AEG Live
Gary Osier – Gary Osier Presents
College Buyer of the Year
Mark Letson – EastCoast Entertainment
Ari Nisman – Degy Entertainment
Brian Waymire – The Agency Coalition / Red Gorilla Music
Corporate Buyer of the Year
Ed Bazel – The Bazel Group
Fran Romeo – Romeo Entertainment Group
Randy Wright – Integrity Events
Casino Buyer of the Year
Steve Bogdanovich – Romeo Entertainment Group
Kell Houston – Houston Productions
John Valentino – AEG Live
Venue Executive of the Year
Hugh Lombardi – TD Garden, Boston
Brenda Tinnen – Sprint Center, Kansas City
Sally Williams – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
Emerging Talent Agent of the Year
Heath Baumhor – APA
Sullivan Bigg – Bigg Time Entertainment
Jeffrey Hasson – Paradigm Agency
Travis Wolfe – Paradigm Agency
To register for the conference, visit ieba.org.
