Over the holidays we read up on the various workings of John Cappo, President and CEO of AEG China. As we’ve said we’re expecting another surge of high-profile international artists for 2014, and with Cappo’s bold claim that he’ll be working to double business, it looks like China’s live circuit is in for a hell of a time.
Based on the content of his interview with China Daily, the majority of growth could be driven by developing markets in the Northeast, following Justin Bieber’s appearance in Dalian which set an impressive precedent, helping to gauge the potential market.
The fallout of all of this activity at the top-end could have a trickle-down effect, encouraging the development of more mid-sized venues. At the least, having access to more high-profile artists will help to entrench the culture of paying for experiences and intangible goods, which is an essential step in the industry’s future development.