How come we’ve never been here before?

This is the first thing event producers in Eastern Europe hear from artists and bands finally touring or including their countries on the show route. The food is great, the rakija is on point, the crowds are amazing and ecstatic, and the promoters and crews are unfazed. 35 years from the fall of communism, Balkan and Eastern Europe countries have caught up with the music industry and in spite of infrastructure, borders, and sometimes timid investors, the agents who were bold enough to include Eastern Europe in their tours have succeeded in offering the public some of the most incredible shows. Local promoters are no longer playing catch up with the rest, they are in a league of their own. This is a panel about no longer apologizing for being so Balkan, but putting on the table all the advantages of bringing tours to this part of the world. Let’s bust the myths of touring there with the leaders in the event industry and have a sincere conversation about bias and how Greece has more than nice beaches, Romania more than Dracula, Serbia more than local food events, and Bulgaria is more than a country for transit.