Drug-Related Death at Sasquatch! Music Festival · Live Nation is a leader in the live entertainment industry. Comprised of four market leaders ‒ Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts,

Crisis Plan: February 20 6�

Drug-Related Death at Sasquatch! Music Festival

Written by Cassy Brewer, Donavon Hampton, Kailey Regoli,

Cassie Serra and Billy Zimbrick

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Background Organization Background and History Live Nation is a leader in the live entertainment industry. Comprised of four market leaders ‒ Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation Management and Live Nation Media/Sponsorship ‒ the organization hosts concerts and festivals worldwide and is also responsible for ticket sales and artist management.1 Founded in 2005 as a spin off from the older entertainment management company SFX, the company had a rough start. With a debt climbing to nearly $400 million after the first year, CEO Michael Rapino increased its stadium management business, invested heavily in new bands and made Live Nation a household name.2 Since then, the organization has been successful. In the last year alone, it hosted 180,000 events in 44 countries.3 After working together for many years, Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in May of 2010 to create Live Nation Entertainment. The merger came after a short period of separation between the two companies, which resulted in more harm than good. Since merging, the new company has a market capitalization of almost $900 million. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.4 Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s largest live entertainment promoter and ticket seller. The company owns or operates 160 venues worldwide, as well as House of Blues venues and various other concert halls. Every year, an estimated 520 million people attend the 250,000 events hosted by Live Nation. Additionally, the company represents or owns a stake in the careers of nearly 300 artists.5 Competing for the No. 1 spot in the live entertainment industry is Anschutz Entertainment Group. AEG is the runner up to Live Nation Entertainment with around 100 venues in America and Europe, including the Staples Center and London’s 02 Arena. Since the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger, AEG has been forced to find a new ticket sales provider and as of 2011, launched 1 Live Nation UK. (2012). Retrieved February 7, 2016, from http://www.livenation.co.uk/about 2 Live Nation, Inc. (n.d.). Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Live Nation, Inc. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/54/Live-Nation-Inc.html 3 Live Nation UK. (2012). Retrieved February 7, 2016, from http://www.livenation.co.uk/about 4 McCarthy, R. (2011, May 25). Ticketmaster, Live Nation Merger Approved: Will It Lead To Lower Ticket Prices? Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/25/live-nation-ticketmaster-_n_435821.html 5 Hoovers. Names of Competitors. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Live_Nation_Entertainment_Inc.f0b688de4dc5a036.html

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its own AXS ticket sales website.6 This development, while a good step for the company, has been unable to propel it into the No. 1 spot. While the company is a “jack of all trades” in the entertainment industry, it has become increasingly known for its music festivals throughout the world. Live Nation Entertainment is the production company behind such events as Lollapalooza, Sasquatch! and the recently acquired Bonnaroo festival. At these events, the company is responsible for everything from booking the artists and securing the venue, to hiring security and making sure the events run smoothly.7 Sasquatch Music Festival, one of Live Nation Entertainment’s biggest events, is held in Quincy, Washington, at the Gorge Amphitheater. Daytime and overnight camping tickets are available for people to enjoy their favorite artists in a huge amphitheater setting. The festival is open to all ages and the show always goes on, rain or shine.8 Strict rules are put into place at events like this to ensure the safety of festival patrons. Patrons cannot bring alcohol or drugs of any kind onto the premises, and only one 20 oz. bottle of water is allowed in from the outside. There are hydration stations located throughout the amphitheater and vendors selling food and beverages, including alcoholic ones that can be purchased with a valid ID.9 Live Nation Entertainment is dominating the industry with no signs of slowing down. Recent venue, artist and festival acquisitions, as well as the end of the relationship between Ticketmaster and AEG, are all signs of the prosperous future for the company.10

6 Shaw, L. (2011, August 23). AEG Enters Competition with Live Nation Ticketmaster. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.thewrap.com/aeg-enters-competition-live-nation-ticketmaster-30347/ 7 Live Nation Entertainment Expands Festival Portfolio With C3 Presents. (2014, December 19). Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/live-nation-entertainment-expands-festival-portfolio-with-c3-presents-300012666.html 8 Sasquatch! (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2016, from https://www.sasquatchfestival.com/festival-info 9 Sasquatch! (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2016, from https://www.sasquatchfestival.com/festival-info 10 Live Nation Entertainment: An Unregulated Monopoly? (2015, March 5). Retrieved February 8, 2016, from https://punchcardblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/live-nation-entertainment-an-unregulated-monopoly/

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Possible Crises There are many crises that may occur when facilitating a large-scale music event. These are the crises that we have determined are the most frequent and potentially damaging to the company’s reputation: ● Drug-related deaths ● Artist no-shows ● Equipment failure ● Extreme weather ● Petty crime

Crisis Summary Our chosen crisis for Live Nation Entertainment is the drug-related death of a patron of Sasquatch! Music Festival. Unfortunately, many events such as Sasquatch! Music festival are becoming more and more affiliated with the use of psychoactive drugs (e.g., MDMA, LSD, psilocybin), particularly among millennials and generation Y’ers. In August 2015, two female college students passed away at HARD Summer Music Festival in Pomona, California, as a result of taking psychoactive drugs.

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Due to the rising popularity of taking psychoactive drugs at music festivals, we feel that this type of crisis is relevant in terms of the issue and likelihood. Live Nation Entertainment needs to be ready to react to this type of situation at any of the concerts or music festivals that it runs and coordinates. Drug-Related Deaths at Festivals Live Nation Entertainment is one of the top event production companies in America and the world.11 Its direct competitors are limited to two main companies: AEG Live and SFX Entertainment.12 All of the companies have dealt with drug-related incidents at their events, which make it highly probable that the company will have to address a drug-related issue this year. AEG Live owns several festivals in North America, the most famous of which is Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.13 The festival saw a drug-related death in its 2014 installment, and in 2015 there was a drug-related death and an accidental death (the young man was hit by a train outside of the festival).14 The company did not directly address the issue. Instead, they left that task up to Paul Tollett. Tollett is the founder of Coachella and is the president of Goldenvoice, which is a subsidiary company of AEG Live. Tollett gave a written statement to the media describing the deaths as “isolated incidents.” He gave his condolences and described the action that the festival took to treat the young woman who died in the hospital. The social media page did not address the issue nor did the festival’s website. The only action taken to address the death was the statement made by Tollett. Coachella, further asserting their belief that these incidents were isolated, took no extra action or preventative measures.15 SFX Entertainment is another company that owns several large-scale festivals in North America. It has had several problems with drug-related deaths at festivals over recent years that have led to drastic changes in certain festivals they put on. Electric Zoo festival in Randall’s Island, New York, saw several drug-related incidents that resulted in the full cancellation of the last day of

11 Live Nation Entertainment. (n.d.). Concerts. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.livenationentertainment.com/concerts/ 12 Sisario, B. (2015). The Music Festival Business: Who Owns What. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/28/business/media/The-Music-Festival-Business-Who-Owns-What.html?_r=0 13 Sisario, B. (2015). The Music Festival Business: Who Owns What. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/28/business/media/The-Music-Festival-Business-Who-Owns-What.html?_r=0 14 Coachella 2015: 93 arrests, one death during festival’s first weekend. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.dailybulletin.com/events/20150414/coachella-2015-93-arrests-one-death-during-festivals-first-weekend 15 Coachella 2015: 93 arrests, one death during festival’s first weekend. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.dailybulletin.com/events/20150414/coachella-2015-93-arrests-one-death-during-festivals-first-weekend

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the festival in 2013.16 Two people died of an apparent overdose with many more becoming ill due to illicit substances. The incident caught national media attention and served as a rallying point for people to talk about the dangers of drug use at electronic dance music festivals. In response to the 2013 incident, Electric Zoo put in place many preventative measures for the 2014 installment. It required all attendees to view a drug abstinence PSA in order to attend the festival, as well as be subject to drastically increased searches and security measures put in place to prevent more tragedy.17 The festival did not release a statement through its social media but it received several comments on its Facebook page from fans that were disappointed in the cancellation and expressed concerns about the competence of the people putting on the event. The last day of the 2014 event was cancelled once again, this time due to severe weather conditions.18 It did, however, have no drug-related deaths, so despite the cancellation, it improved in 2014. Drug-related incidents seem to occur at festivals with high-energy environments (electronic dance music) that take place in areas with increased temperatures and weather conditions (Indio California). Sasquatch! Music Festival takes place during Memorial Day Weekend in Quincy, Washington. The late month of May in the Pacific Northwest has typically yielded comfortable temperatures between 65-85 degrees. The down-tempo atmosphere and smaller crowd (50,000 people vs. Coachella’s 180,000) make the event easier to manage in terms of crisis situations. Sasquatch! is a camping festival, which makes it susceptible to incidents that might occur in the campsite. The four-day span of the festival also means that people are engaging in risky behavior for longer than the average music festival. Based on the incidents that have occurred at various other festivals, the main focus of Sasquatch! is easy access to water and shade for all people in attendance as well as mandatory pat-downs and security checkpoints before entry. Crisis Response In response to the tragic passing of a Sasquatch! Music Festival patron, we are positioning Live Nation Entertainment’s response with two crisis strategies: compassion and corrective action. Our spokesperson for organizational statements and other tactics is Michael Rapino, President, CEO and Director of Live Nation Entertainment. A compassionate response is necessary due to the death of a festival patron, in which we will recognize the deceased and send condolences to the family and friends. Justification will not be used as it is applied in most crises, but the tactics implemented will stand by the precautionary measures Live Nation Entertainment takes for safety of its event patrons.

16 Electric Zoo Drug Deaths Spur More Drug-Screening Measures (Report). (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/electric-zoo-drug-deaths-spur-712281 17 Sanchez, R. (n.d.). Want to get into the Electric Zoo music fest? Watch anti-drug video. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/09/us/new-york-music-festival-video/ 18 Electric Zoo Festival Canceled Due to Severe Weather. (2014). Retrieved February 10, 2016, from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/electric-zoo-festival-canceled-due-to-severe-weather-20140831

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The publics we will inform of the crisis are, in order: employees, stockholders, and patrons of Sasquatch! Music Festival and other Live Nation Entertainment events as well as the media will most likely find out before the issuing of a news release. An email from Rapino addressing the death of a festival patron and how to move forward from the tragedy will be issued to company’s stockholders, an enabling public, and employees, a functional public, since they are the two most important publics according to Grunig and Hunt’s linkages model.19 Not far behind in priority are the patrons of Sasquatch! Music Festival and other Live Nation Entertainment events since they are another functioning public. This public may also feel frightened or unsafe due to the death of a fellow festivalgoer, so this group will also receive an email from Rapino addressing the situation. Additionally, we will communicate with this public through social media and the FAQ. Live Nation Entertainment will create a press release for the media as well, although the media would most likely be informed of this tragic event before an official press release is sent. They are lower on the priority list because of their lower linkage level, being a diffused public who is only active due to the situation. Key Media to Contact:

1. David Greenwald, The Oregonian, Oregonlive.com ● Music critic and reporter for the largest news source in Oregon ● Covered Sasquatch! Music Festival last year, several articles published ● Many festival attendees are Oregonians, since it is located in Columbia River

Gorge

2. Lynn Jacobson, Seattle Times ● Covers music and entertainment for the largest news source in Washington ● Festival takes place in Washington ● Wrote article regarding festival pre-sale tickets in November 2015

Key Messages Primary Message 1: Live Nation Entertainment sends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased festival patron.

Secondary Message 1: Live Nation Entertainment has personally reached out to the family of the deceased to send condolences.

Secondary Message 2: A death at a music festival is an extremely tragic one, especially to the music and entertainment community.

19 Grunig, J. E., & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing public relations. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

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Primary Message 2: Live Nation Entertainment takes all necessary precautions to ensure patron health and safety.

Secondary Message 1: Live Nation Entertainment’s top priority is the safety and well-being of its event patrons, and will do whatever possible to prevent similar events in the future.

Secondary Message 2: Live Nation has trained security and staff, as well as paramedics and local authorities at all events, to provide medical assistance.

Primary Message 3: Live Nation Entertainment is dedicating time and resources and complying with local authorities to determine the exact cause and information surrounding the incident, in effort to prevent similar situations in the future.

Secondary Message 1: Live Nation Entertainment is working with authorities to strengthen security measures, specifically seizing illicit substances and preventing them from entering event venues.

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Appendix FAQ Live Nation Entertainment’s top priority is the safety and well being of its patrons. The recent incident at Sasquatch! Music Festival is believed to be a result of a psychoactive drug overdose, but authorities are waiting on toxicology reports to confirm. Here are some frequently asked questions in regards to the use of psychoactive drugs: Q: What is a psychoactive drug? A: Psychoactive drugs are substances that can alter the consciousness, mood and thoughts of a person.20 Some are legal (e.g., alcohol, tobacco), but most are federal class A substances (e.g., cocaine, MDMA, LSD). Q: How do I know if someone is overdosing on drugs or alcohol? A: Different drugs will have different harmful effects on the human body, but common signs are: increased pulse rate, heat flashes, confusion, over-sweating, and pain in the abdominal or chest area.21 Q: If I know someone is on psychoactive drugs, what can I do to make sure they stay safe? A: If you are aware someone is under the influence, the most important thing you can do to keep him or her safe is to keep him or her hydrated. A majority of psychoactive drugs heighten pulse rate and temperature, so the body can become deprived of water very quickly. Q: Whom do I contact if someone is overdosing? A: If you are able to do so safely, find the nearest gate, which all have trained security standing by to take action. If you are unable to do so safely, call 911 immediately. Q: Will I or the person on drugs face legal consequences if we seek assistance? A: No. The only instance where you or the person suffering an overdose would face legal consequences is if you are in possession of the illegal substance when seeking assistance.

20 Green Facts. (n.d.) Psychoactive Drugs Tobacco, Alcohol, and Illicit Substances. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.greenfacts.org/en/psychoactive-drugs/index.htm#2 21 Emedicine Health (n.d.). Drug Overdose Symptoms. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/drug_overdose/page3_em.htm

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Tactic 1 Social Media Posts Twitter: “Thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends on the recent passing of one of our patrons at this year’s music festival.” “We strive for the safety and health of our devoted patrons and are deeply saddened by the news of this passing.’” “During this difficult time, we will be working tirelessly to ensure an incident like this does not happen again at our music festival.” Facebook: “We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the recent passing of one of our patrons at this year’s music festival. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased. At Sasquatch! Music Festival, our patrons are our highest priority. We want to reassure everyone: We strive for the safety and health of our devoted patrons, and during this difficult time, we will be working tirelessly to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.”

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Tactic 2 Email Blast To: Sasquatch! Music Festival Patrons Subject: UPDATE: Sasquatch! Music Festival Drug-Related Death From: Live Nation Entertainment Dear Sasquatch! Musical Festival Patrons, On XXX XX, 2016, we learned of a drug-related incident at the Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington. It comes with great sadness that we must inform you that this incident was fatal. We are working around-the-clock with local authorities, security and internal teams to understand the situation fully and will keep you informed with our progress on this matter. Here at Live Nation, we are always working to ensure the safety and health of our devoted customers. Moving forward, we will be taking extreme preventative and safety measures to ensure that our festivals are a fun, enjoyable place to experience the music you love. We are deeply saddened with the situation at-hand and send our prayers and thoughts to all parties involved. We will be working tirelessly to ensure an incident like this does not happen again. Please look forward to updated emails regarding this matter. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to contact our Communications Director Cassie Serra by email at [email protected] or by phone at (541) 206-2076. Regards, Michael Rapino President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Live Nation Entertainment

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Tactic 3 Press Release

NEWS RELEASE

XXX XX, 2016 Contact Information:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cassie Serra, Communications Director

Office: 541-206-2076

Email: [email protected]

SERIES OF DRUG OVERDOSES AT MUSIC FESTIVAL LEADS TO DEATH OF XXX

XXX Dies from Drug-Related Causes at Sasquatch! Music Festival

QUINCY, Wash.- On XXX XX, 2016, following a series of overdoses at this year’s Sasquatch!

Music Festival, a XXX has died from drug-related causes.

It has been confirmed that the XXX sustained life-threatening injuries from an accidental

drug overdose after a weekend of partying at the festival. The family has been notified and the

incident is under investigation.

Drugs of any kind are not permitted at the venue and alcohol is only available for

purchase from vendors with a valid ID. Although there are rules and regulations in place,

incidents do occur. The festival’s organizers are working to find solutions to avoid any future

incidents.

Sasquatch is a yearly three-day music festival hosted by Live Nation Entertainment in

The Gorge. The President of Live Nation Entertainment, Michael Rapino, said in a statement that

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he is “deeply saddened by the events of this year’s festival. My deepest condolences go out to the

loved ones of the victim. Live Nation does not condone the use of drugs at its events and is

taking steps to ensure this tragedy doesn’t happen again.”

For additional information, please contact Cassie Serra by phone at 541-206-2076 or by

email at [email protected].

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Tactic 4 Verbal Statement “We at Live Nation Entertainment are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our festival patrons at this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival. The individual was in serious condition when they arrived at our medical facilities. We had our onsite medical staff ready to have them airlifted to the Quincy Valley Medical Center for emergency treatment. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to revive them. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of the deceased. The safety of our patrons is our number one priority. We are taking all the necessary steps to prevent tragedy like this from occurring again. Thank you.”‒ Michael Rapino, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Live Nation Entertainment.