KANEKO IN VIEW AT OVG

Aki Kaneko, a veteran music industry trade sales and sponsorships executive, is joining Oak View Group’s Los Angeles-based Media & Conferences team as VP of Sales & Sponsorships.

Kaneko will work alongside recently appointed VP of Operations Jon Guynn, and report directly to OVG Media & Conferences President Ray Waddell.

At OVG, Kaneko will steer international advertising and sponsorship across all OVG media platforms and conferences, including the Pollstar and VenuesNow properties, and sponsorships sales for the PollstarLive! Conference & Awards and the VenuesNow Conference. The division expects to grow its live event portfolio in the coming months.

His hiring continues the flow of personnel bailing on the Bible for Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff’s company. Kaneko, who starts 6/25, had spent nearly 20 years at Billboard, most recently as Executive Director of Entertainment for the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.

"I have known and worked with Aki for many years and know him to be an executive of tremendous vision, integrity, and work ethic, with a deep, strategic understanding of the needs and opportunities within the live entertainment industry,” said Waddell, a former Billboard editor and reporter.