Photo Credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona
Outback Presents has acquired Robomagic Live, combining forces to expand their global tour offerings as leading live entertainment promoters across the US, UK, and Europe.
Outback Presents and Robomagic Live are both leaders in their field. The top independent full-service live entertainment promoters, the former in the US and the latter in the UK and Europe, combine their joint mission to create “more equitable touring opportunities” for artists. Additional details about the partnership are forthcoming.
Vaughn Millette launched Outback Presents in 2019 with Mike Smarkdak, the founder of Nashville-based Outback Concerts. In that time, Outback Presents quickly went from a few hundred to a few thousand shows a year.
Rob Hallett, the founder of AEG’s UK office in 2005, established Robomagic Live in 2015 after his exit from AEG. A veteran of the music industry, he has worked with artists like the Sex Pistols, Prince, Bon Jovi, and Duran Duran.
Millette says, “Rob is one of the very few legends of the music business that I have met who has a shared vision of building a true artist partnership company where the relationship between promoter and artist is transparent. We are thrilled to welcome Rob into the Outback family.”
Hallett’s tenure at AEG includes highlights such as Prince’s 21-night residency at The O2 in London in 2007, Leonard Cohen’s comeback tour from 2008 to 2010, and global tours for Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lopez.
Once a part of Live Nation in 2018, Robomagic chose to go it alone in 2020. Hallett’s highlights since launching the firm have included promoting Nile Rodgers’ FOLD Festival, bringing the Essence Festival to South Africa, and presenting the Free Larry Hoover Benefit, which featured Kanye West and Drake.
“I first spoke to Vaughn after the Ye/Drake show at the Coliseum in Los Angeles,” says Hallett. “We immediately realized we were both passionate about the pursuit of creating a more equitable landscape for touring artists on all levels to thrive.”
Both companies pride themselves on a mission statement defined by “transparency, innovation, and quality,” helping artists navigate all aspects of live event planning in the music industry. Their client services include booking, production, ticketing, pricing optimization, and marketing.