Samantha Fernandez is the senior director of festival activations for AEG Presents, working within the Global Partnerships division of AEG, the largest sports and entertainment company in the world. AEG Global Partnerships oversees worldwide sponsorship sales and activation for over 135 world-class platforms across five continents and numerous other assets, including venues, sports franchises, events, tours, festivals and digital content among other AEG holdings. In 2017, AEG Global Partnerships managed $2 billion in contractually obligated income across its global assets and was responsible for generating $525 million in annual revenue.
Now in her third year at AEG, Fernandez is directly responsible for managing the fulfilment of all deliverable activations for brand partnerships in the festival space across single and multivenue platforms. She leads a dedicated team responsible for managing a budget of more than $30 million that helps maintain the management and maintenance of partnerships and activations that incorporates assets such as The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Stagecoach Country Music Festival, and Panorama NYC Music Festival. As well as working on the day-to-day logistics of brand partnerships, Fernandez has lead the efforts in festival activation integration for partners such as American Express, Anheuser-Busch, HP, and Toyota.
This year at Coachella, Fernandez worked with American Express to develop an innovative digital rewards and benefits program inside the Coachella App. The program also featured an augmented reality commerce experience where fans were able to purchase exclusive Coachella merchandise using their mobile devices while immersed in 360 AR content. Fernandez works to connect fans and brands through experiences like these at live events. Through her dedication to innovative activations as well as her determination as a female leader, Fernandez consistently demonstrates her capability to take on a challenge and streamline practices within her department to benefit long-term partners across multiple platforms.
Prior to joining AEG, Fernandez served as the manager of VIP experiences for performer Katy Perry's "Prismatic" world tour, during which she coordinated all inquiries and VIP events for the artist and sponsors, non-profit representatives, business leaders, and government officials.
Fernandez graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in anthropology.
