BIGSOUND 2019 Speaker Focus: Jackie Antas

Position/Title:  General Manager, Communications at Ticketmaster/Live Nation Entertainment

How did you first become involved in the music industry and how did you end up where you are today? Started doing PR for Virgin Megastores in London which included in-store appearances with Paul McCartney, Smashing Pumpkins and Meatloaf (ask me about the time I got stuck in an elevator with Meatloaf). I moved over to Academy Music Group/Live Nation venues in the UK and was based at the iconic Brixton Academy. From there I ventured over to Ticketmaster which eventually brought me back home to Australia.

What's been the biggest change in the music industry you've seen over the past 12 months? The crucial focus on sustainability. We’ve got some incredible initiatives starting to make waves and the more of these, the greater chance we have of saving our planet. People like Heidi Lenffer and the FEAT initiative, Live Nation’s Green Nation coalition, Jack Johnson’s BYOB campaign which launched at Bluesfest, the move to 100 percent digital ticketing (by Ticketmaster) and what venues like Spark Arena (Auckland) are doing with zero waste strategies are so vital.

What do you think will be the biggest issue affecting the music industry in the next 12 months and why? Diversity and inclusion is still a huge issue and one that I’m very passionate about. Especially how we can work together to bridge the gap between various communities and industry. Industry and big business are keen to help and that’s why Live Nation has launched initiatives like Women Nation, which is a global grant for woman-founded businesses.

What advice would you give young practitioners in your area starting out today? This is a relationship-based business. Make sure you’re out constantly networking. Face-to-face interaction and building up a rapport is so important! Don’t hide behind emails and make sure you pick up the phone. I use apps like SetGo to network with my contacts.

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference and what are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? Music and live entertainment in particular has a unique way of uniting people. At Ticketmaster, we believe that every fan should have equal access to the events they love and we understand the important role we have in making sure that happens. Over the last year we’ve been working with Live Nation and Get Skilled Access (Dylan Alcott’s consultancy), to bring together people from all over the industry to discuss the challenges we face and the opportunities to create a more inclusive and accessible experience for fans with disabilities.

Which acts are on your must-see list at BIGSOUND and why? I have a list, which has been recommended by Gloria Brancatisano, Ticketmaster’s Blog Editor and new music champion, so here goes: Fan Girl, CHAII, Cry Club, Dianas, DRMNGNOW, Electric Fields, Hallie, imbi the girl, Ivey, Jaguar Jonze, Johnny Hunter, Spacey Jane, Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers and yergurl.

What advice do you have for BIGSOUND first-timers? Eat, sleep, take as much in as possible, meet a load of new peeps… and repeat! The eating and sleeping part is vital if you’re going to last the distance. Also stay hydrated and BYOB (bring your own bottle).

Assuming you've been previously, what's your favourite BIGSOUND memory? And which artist was your standout performance? This is only my second time (after living in the UK for 13 years) and my standouts last year were G Flip and Kwame.

When and where is your panel? 5 Sep, Everyone Deserves Music, Moon Room, Cloudland, 11.45am.