AEG Calls Up Chris Hammond to SVP, PNW

AEG Presents is moving Chris Hammond from the desert to the Pacific Northwest, naming the talent exec SVP of the region, where he’ll oversee booking and operational strategy for the promoter’s growing venue portfolio.

Hammond, who joined AEG Presents in 2018 and most recently served as regional VP of talent in Vegas, a region unto itself, will be based in Seattle and report to President of North American Regional Offices Brent Fedrizzi.

“The Pacific Northwest’s music scene speaks for itself,” said Hammond. “It’s globally recognized. And the live business is a critical part of that ecosystem. Add to that a new venue coming online in Portland next year and it’s shaping up to be quite an exciting time for us.”

Fedrizzi credited Hammond’s eight years in Sin City with preparing him for the expanded role, citing his artist relationships and contributions to the bottom line. Hammond helped elevate the EDM haven Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas to what AEG describes as one of the world’s most successful boutique theaters while leading booking strategy in one of the industry’s most competitive markets.

Hammond’s path to the concert biz was anything but conventional. He began his career in Major League Baseball, as general manager of the West Palm Beach Expos, then a Class A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, becoming the youngest active GM in pro baseball, at age 22.

In 2003 he founded Rock ’n Roll Wine, a venture that combined, er, rock & roll and wine through more than 600 events in six states over the subsequent decade and a half. In 2007, he was named one of Las Vegas’ “40 Under 40” by In Business Magazine.