LET US PROMOTE YOU! johnsmithmarketing.com 615.573.5536

20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE PROMOTIONS INDUSTRY

Entreprenuer JOHN SMITH never looks an opportunity in the eye twice. After the first glance he is able to put his professional tactics to work. This opportunist has been treading the path to sucess since an early age. Smith has established himself as a promising leader in the business industry.
John Smith is a 34 year old entrepreneur that started out with local parties for high schools and colleges all over Tennessee. JS responsibilities were sponsoring at least one party a week with attendance of at least 500 to a few thousand depending on venue. JS first event was a Just Say No to Alcohol & Drugs talent show sponsored by Kroger, Inc. over 2,000 people attended. During college, JS began promotions with independent record labels and several area nightclubs.

Since 1990, JS have been negotiating to bring sporting events to area. JS sponsored and promoted an All-Star Basketball Game that featuring Nashville’s top high school players. The event was televised locally from Tennessee State University’s Gentry Center he attracted over 4,000 people.
Later in 1992 JS promoted the Ted Rhodes annual golf tournament

JS attracted many clients and responsibilities were to research and market ideas as well as opportunities for various clients. Set dates, secure venues and negotiate contractual agreements for upcoming promotions. Establish communications with talent agencies (William Morris/Beverly Hills, Famous Artist/New York and others), managers and celebrities.

Go For It Records, Promotional Director 1990. Nashville, Tennessee. Coordinated promotions for various labels such as Country, R&B and Rap. Awarded six months bonus for outstanding job performance.

JS Incorporated 1993-present. Nashville, Tennessee The business grew quickly and developed to promoting and producing concerts, special events, et cetera in large venues. Essentially, the business has been the catalyst for urban events in my hometown, Nashville, TN. JS have sponsored and promoted events and artist such as: 2 PAC, MORRIS DAY & THE TIME, BONE THUGS IN HARMONY, DRU HILL, SWV, Def Comedy Jam Tour, MASTER P, WU TANG CLAN, LUKE, 2 SHORT, OUTCAST PRINCE, USHER ,MARY J BLIGE, JANET JACKSON, TLC, JEFFEREY OSBORNE, STEPHANIE MILLS, ANGELA WINBUSH, CHRIS BROWN, BOW WOW, YOUNG BUCK, SOUL FOOD FESTIVAL Just to name a few…

JS Productions, Inc. has also been the promotional force behind several weekly activities at area nightclubs including College Night, Teen Night, Soul Night and other special events.
In addition to maintaining the business, JS worked with nationally recognized independent record labels. Street Flavor Records, Promotional Director 1993 Coordinated TV, Radio, and all Press for the label. JS was instrumental in the signing of Nashville artist PISTOL to Ruthless Records the late (Eazy E) label.

JS Productions, Incorporated. 1994 JS promoted several stage productions including the HBO Def Comedy Jam featuring Adele Givens (1994 host of HBO Def Comedy Jam), Broman (Martin) and Reggie Mc Fadden (In Living Color) his stage credits a lso include several national plays Including “Mama Don’t” Lord Save My Children”, Beauty Shop” and many others.

For Real Records – Vice President 1994-1996 Atlanta, Georgia was a Wu-Tang affiliate label based in Atlanta, GA Signed up incoming artists and made administrative decisions.

JS Productions, Inc. Urban Development Dir./Contractor 1996-2000 During the summer of 1996, JS promoted national acts to appear at Nashville’s premiere concert venue, Starwood Amphitheater (17,000 capacity). That year, JS promoted the Smokin Grooves tour featuring the groups Ziggy Marley & the Melodie Makers, Busta Rhymes, The Fugees, Nas, Tribe Called Quest and Cypress Hill. JS provided promotions and consultation for SFX Entertainment, Incorporated. JS also organized with the Nashville Sports Council the promotions of a NBA exhibition game between Utah Jazz and the Detroit Pistons. JS also promoted the URBAN MUSIC CONFERENCE. It is an annual 3 day music conference held at the Nashville Convention Center, with panels on music industry topics with executives in the music industry.
STREETNIC 1996-2001- Founder of a regional hip-hop and R&B festival that attracted over 60,000 people.


In 1997, JS promoted the Janet Jackson Velvet Rope Tour. JS began to promoted locally for Don King Productions Inc. JS was key in promoting the 2 SHOWTIME fights that year at the Nashville arena that were very successful and opened up many more opportunities.

In 1999, The JOHN SMITH SHOW was televised. It was a 30 minute local dance, talk, video show on FOX that featured local, regional, and national acts. As executive producer, JS was responsible for sponsorship, production, and promotion.
JS Marketing, Incorporated. Owner. 1998-Present. JS began to offer advertising services through my advertising and promotional agency - JS MARKETING INC. to several industries dining, pizza, quick serve, golf, hotel, car care, video, sports, entertainment and individuals including in 2001 NFL Super Bowl Champs Baltimore Ravens safety Corey Harris.

JS MARKETING INC. is responsible for media coverage, public relations and campaigns for over 15 clients. Although the two companies are operated separately, “one is strictly business and the other is more entertainment oriented,” they coincide occasionally. From 1999-2002, JS promoted the Daytona Beach Florida annual college bus trip to Daytona, organize the entire trip over 5 buses, coordinate promotions, secured rooms and other accommodations.

OTHER VENTURES
RITZ SHOWCASE CLUB – Co - Owner 1991 Booked acts and provided advertising for concerts.
CLUB MALIBU - Promoter 1992-1994 Promotions, Booked acts and worked with media on advertising. HAD 2 OF THE BIGGEST NIGHTS.
R.O.S.S. ADVERTISING AGENCY- Senior Account Executive 1995. Administrate and develop creative marketing strategies for businesses. Increased account penetration by 23%.
CLUB 909 – Owner 1995 Promoted the club while overseeing the operations and providing general accounting. Managed the remodeling of the club with a budget of $200,000.
MUSIC CITY MIX FACTORY-1996-1998 5 level restaurant and nightclub. Promoter in charge of all promotions.
PACE/SFX/CLEAR CHANNEL ENTERTAINMENT – Promoter/Contractor 1996- 2002. Promoted concerts, ticket giveaways and general advertisement.
ENTERTAINMENT ARTIST – Booking Agent 1998-1999 International booking agency with office on (Music Row) Nashville, Modesto, Los Angeles, agent in charge of signing new artist, and handle bookings for such artists as Jay Z, James Brown, Montel Jordan, Midnight Star, DMX.
SPORTS CAFÉ on the WATER - Co-owner 2001 Sports bar on the water across from the Tennessee Titans practice facility. Scouted location, created operation plan, menu and remodeled and old Hooters.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
· In 1992 toured with Grammy Award winners, BeBe & CeCe Winans and Whitney Houston.
· In 1993, managed many artist and worked with record labels, radio stations, television stations, public relations firm, distributors etc.
· From 1998 to 1999 JS was selected to appear on the cover of the Nashville Business Directory.

www.thejohnasmith.com




Rollingstone.com
Back to Kanye, Jay-Z Prove Hip-Hop Tours Can Be Big Business
Kanye, Jay-Z Prove Hip-Hop Tours Can Be Big Business
High-concept shows are some of the bestselling of spring
STEVE KNOPPER
Posted Jun 12, 2008 1:00 PM ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE


Every night on Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour, an alien comes down from the sky and declares the rapper "the biggest star in the universe." That may or may not be true, but this spring, West and his one-time mentor Jay-Z have achieved something almost as unlikely: They've turned hip-hop into a blockbuster touring business. Jay-Z's tour with Mary J. Blige, which ended in early May, grossed more than $23 million, including sold-out dates at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl. West's tour with Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco, which ends June 13th, is on course to make more than $21 million. Both grosses, as estimated by Pollstar, are strong showings in a genre with a mixed box-office reputation. "Hip-hop is starting to mature," says Live Nation exec Faisel Durrani. "At some point we will reflect back at how important these tours were in the growth of the [hip-hop concert] business."
From 2003 to 2007, only one hip-hop tour made Pollstar's Top 20 list of North American tours: Eminem and 50 Cent's Anger Management, which grossed $21.6 million three years ago. During that period, artists from T.I. to the Game routinely sold millions of CDs but failed to do well on the road. "A lot of times, hip-hop shows haven't translated live," says Adam Friedman, chief executive of L.A. concert-promotion company Nederlander.
Jay-Z and West have transcended this issue by broadening their shows from the "two turntables and a microphone" concept to large live bands, big sound, pyrotechnics and showmanship. West, for example — who audaciously spends most of his time onstage alone (with the band in an orchestra pit below) — is the star of a space opera complete with crashed spaceships, vast video-screen galaxies and a spot-on cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." And Jay-Z spent two weeks in Miami rehearsals working on sonics and pacing with his 12-piece band. "Jay-Z's whole philosophy is, 180 seconds cannot go by without some sort of event," says Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, musical director for Jay-Z's tour and informal creative consultant for West's.
Also, both rappers have smartly paired up with R&B stars — Jay-Z with co-headliner Blige, and West with opening singer Rihanna. "You have to water down rap tours by mixing them up with R&B," says John Smith, a veteran Nashville promoter who has worked with artists from Tupac to Chris Brown. "You want it to be for everybody, and you want to portray your show as fan-friendly." Smith adds that hip-hop's reputation as "thugged-out" means artists and promoters often have to pay more than twice as much for insurance as rock or country acts in the same venues.
But that may be changing, thanks to the Jay-Z and West tours. For one thing, artists have recently realized that with CD sales plunging, they have to sharpen their live shows to make money. "This is the first time in history that someone from hip-hop reaches for the levels of the Rolling Stones," says ?uestlove. "Jay-Z and Kanye are saying, 'Bono and Jagger are our peers.'"
[From Issue 1054 — June 12, 2008]