SMACK Hospitality John Langford – AEG | The meaning & impact of live music
Have you ever been to a large arena and thought to yourself, “Damn – this place is huge.”?! John Langford, the COO of Anschutz Entertainment Group for Europe, knows all about that feeling as he is responsible for the operations of some of the largest arenas in Europe, including The o2 in London, Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin and the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg. We are beyond proud that he took the time to join us on the podcast and shared his story with us. Philip and John had a beautiful conversation about John’s career path, the importance of live music and the immense responsibility that comes with it. John, who grew up in South Africa explained how he got into managing well-known arenas that host world stars on a regular basis. He lived in Alaska, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, while constantly traveling the world. His love for live music is evident, especially after his experience at a Michael Jackson concert he couldn't attend, but still managed to somehow be there. Curios? You should be. He also told us about the interesting and impressive way of responsibly handling the sustainability part of arena operations. Philip and John finished off by sharing their love for beer and the German Reinheitsgebot. Enjoy the show!