Impact NextGen: Rick Choi

In 2012, Rick Choi promoted his first show. It sold out quickly and Choi, already bitten by the live bug and now with success under his belt, knew what his future could look like.

In the dozen years since, he’s done it all — production manager, tour manager, promoting festivals and acts. He’s currently a tour promoter at Live Nation with a focus on K-pop, J-pop and C-pop acts.

This year he promoted the 25-show world tour for K-pop girl group IVE. That tour included sellouts domestically, including five-figure ticket takes at the Oakland Arena ($1,203,629 gross on 12,063 tickets) and at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center ($1,484,501 on 11,617 tickets). IVE had success in Europe — with a $1,053,168 gross at Paris’ Accor Arena on 9,326 tickets; in South America — $468,956 on 6,414 at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile; and Down Under, where the group drew 12,181 to Sydney’s Qudos Bank arena, grossing $1.33 million.

But even all that globetrotting success came with a cherry on top.

“Their tour wrapped with a return to Chicago for a main stage performance at Lollapalooza, where they performed in front of tens of thousands of fans—a significant achievement, as it was their first festival performance,” Choi says. “We’re proud to work with artists like IVE and are thrilled to see the growing demand for global tours by Asian artists.”

Choi pointed to Live Nation SVP of Touring Jared Braverman as a mentor. Braverman was himself an Impact NextGen honoree back in 2019 when he promoted tours by, among others, K-pop breakthrough superstars BTS.

“Jared Braverman has been an incredible mentor, teaching me the best ways to serve artists and their fans. He constantly encourages me to think creatively and find unique opportunities that help artists stand out and succeed. I’m very grateful to be working alongside one of the best in the business,” Choi says.

Interestingly, in 2019, Braverman named an esteemed list of his own mentors and inspirations. It was an enviable list that included such luminaries and legends as Arthur Fogel, Gerry Barad, Perry LaVoisne, Jeff Dorenfel and Bob Roux. The lessons that group taught Braverman was distilled into the lessons he imparted to Choi. It’s an object lesson in how knowledge in heritable in an industry that relies on an often esoteric mixture of art and science.

And if Choi keeps it up, it won’t be long until someone in the next generation of NextGen taps him as an inspiration, too.