Thursday, February 3
Round Table - "Basic Deal Structures & Negotiations"
Sherry Wasserman, Another Planet Entertainment

A highly successful new event implemented at the 2005 Concert Industry Consortium was a group of round tables, covering a wide range of topics and facilitated by some of the most highly respected people in their fields. Running the gamut of industry concerns from how to structure a deal to purchasing tour insurance to staying sober on the road, conference guests could stop at one discussion or visit them all for a taste of what’s happening in today’s concert business.

When it comes to basic deal structures and negotiations, the one thing to keep in mind is no matter how simple a proposal may seem, you have to be ready to deal with the unexpected.

The story of how this very successful round table came to be is a good case study. Sherry Wasserman can fearlessly negotiate for her point of view, but she is also notoriously shy about speaking out in large groups.

After she received her invitation from the CIC, Wasserman was on vacation and did not respond until the last minute when she declined. Due to a miscommunication however, her name was still printed in the conference program.

The CIC had taken her round table off of the onsite schedule but Wasserman was asked by so many delegates about her upcoming session that she decided she couldn’t let her audience down.

It was kind of like putting tickets on sale before the act is completely confirmed. In any case, it worked and Wasserman had a great time doing what turned out to be a lively session on the “basics.”