Pollstar (07/11/23) Borba, Ryan

UTA (United Talent Agency) reports that a Pride-specific booking group spearheaded by the UTA Proud program has booked more than 70 appearances for clients this year. The group consists of UTA's Janet Kim, Tessie Lammle and Emily Robbins, who collectively oversee the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The Pride bookings group often strives to cultivate relationships with Pride organizations and event producers that may not host touring artists regularly, while also working with established groups. One UTA client, Halsey, teamed up with Hard Rock International for three shows and a partnership raising money for LGBTQ+ charities. “We helped intertwine a completely unique, one-of-a-kind show with an integral part of all storylines,” said the artist's representative Matt Meyer. UTA's Sara Schoch added, “We wanted to see if we could lean in and tell a bigger story and generate some social impact beyond selling tickets and getting Halsey in front of brands. Hard Rock committed to a $250,000 donation and we were able to sort of exercise some other creative muscles by creating two T-shirts that are sold on the road and in Hard Rock Cafe stores across the globe.” Meyer testified that the event's success reflects the many resources brought to bear. “The way that the UTA team intertwines with an artist, it's so hands-on and completely collaborative,” he said. “It's just so much TLC that was delivered to execute this vision. I mean, we had nothing — we had ingredients on a table, we had no idea what we were making. The approach to what we're doing here is very meticulous, very artist-forward. This was thousands of text messages and emails and calls to deliver three shows and a T-shirt, as simple as that sounds.”

Read the full story from Pollstar.