Tom Shepard New CEO of the Festival Network

Tom Shepard New CEO of the Festival Network

NEW YORK, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas B. Shepard, a leader in the world of partnership marketing, is joining The Festival Network, LLC (FN) as chief executive officer.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071221/NYF009 )

FN is an innovative marketing, production and media company that develops, acquires and produces highly visible festival properties in unique destinations around the globe. FN's roster of festivals, coupled with its historic media archives dating back over a half century, also serve as a platform to generate content tailor-made for premium broadcast distribution, after-market media and partnerships.

Shepard, formerly executive vice president of international merchant partnerships and sponsorship for Visa International, was a pioneer in establishing long-term relationships with prestigious brands in the Internet, tourism, on line space, hotel, airline, restaurant and retail industries. He brings substantial business development and sports and live entertainment marketing experience to FN, and was included among the top five most influential people in the Olympic movement by Sports Business Journal in 2004.

"The Festival Network was established when I entrusted Festival Productions to a group of young and dynamic music entrepreneurs," said George Wein, who established the "Festival Era" with the creation of the Newport Jazz Festival. "With Tom's arrival, we now have an internationally respected executive and corporate strategist to lead us through the next level of innovation and growth."

Christopher Shields, founder and co-chairman of Festival Network, noted, "We have long known that Tom would be the ideal CEO for Festival Network. In combining his innovative approach to partnership marketing with our company's festival legacy, we have created a commanding presence in the global festival marketplace."

"Increasingly, the industry sees how experience-based, one-to-one marketing can create bonds with high-end consumers," Shepard said. "The Festival Network is uniquely positioned to bring access to experiential marketing opportunities to partners, as well as create first-in-class festivals for unique destinations looking for vehicles to attract high-end visitors."

The Festival Network, LLC (FN) is an innovative partner for one-to-one marketing that develops, acquires and produces music festival and live entertainment properties in unique destinations around the globe. FN acquired Festival Productions, which, under the legendary impresario George Wein, established the concept of branded music festivals. It is now part of the FN live events division. Its 2008 roster of festivals includes nine JVC Jazz Festivals in the United States and abroad and major festivals in such locales as Martha's Vineyard, Newport and Bermuda.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071221/NYF009
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: The Festival Network, LLC

CONTACT: Karen Horton, +1-973-378-8327, cell +1-201-306-4946,
khorton@festivalnetwork.com, or Andrea Axelrod, +1-212-865-3492, cell
+1-917-554-7800, aaxelrod@festivalnetwork.com, both of The Festival Network,
LLC

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Profile: International Entertainment