BW grad takes charge of event booking at two premier LA venues

After spending over a decade working with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hallie Yavitch '94 is now vice president of booking for Staples Center and Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Yavitch started with the Cavs in October 2008 as senior director of events. She was promoted to vice president of booking for the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena in 2017.

Revamping the L.A. Live campus

Lee Zeidman, president of Staples Center, Microsoft Theater and L.A. Live, is placing Yavitch in charge of restructuring the booking and marketing teams for both venues as part of a larger reorganization effort.

Zeidman tells Billboard, "I want to create a booking department that's going to create events that encompass the entire L.A. Live campus while using all of the assets we have available."

"Hallie brings that kind of experience from Quicken Loans Arena where she booked concerts and created unique events," Zeidman says, adding that the booking and marketing departments "will be tasked with not only booking traditional events but also coming up with ideas to create events and then going to the agents and managers and promoters to form partnerships."

The right woman for the job

Yavitch, who studied history and speech communication as a BW undergrad and went on to earn a law degree, officially started her new position on February 10 when the Staples Center hosted the 2019 Grammy Awards. "I'm looking forward to getting started with one of the biggest nights in music," Yavitch tells Billboard, adding that her time in Cleveland helped her prepare for her new role.

"I had to fight sometimes to get shows to come to Cleveland and while Los Angeles is a must-play market, we need to make sure the shows that come through LA play at Staples Center and Microsoft Theater."