Trailblazers is an MBW interview sequence that turns the highlight on music entrepreneurs with the potential to grow to be the worldwide enterprise energy gamers of tomorrow. This time, we meet Juan Carlos Dominguez, founder and CEO of Latin America-focused live performance powerhouse Really feel The Membership and Really feel The Tickets. Trailblazers is supported by TuneCore.
Final November, Really feel The Membership (FTC) partnered with Reside Nation on the most important dwell music occasion in Ecuadorian historical past: three nights of Shakira at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. However getting there required a calculated gamble: FTC founder and CEO Juan Carlos Dominguez confronted a dilemma acquainted to each promoter. His deal was for 2 reveals — and when the second offered out, he needed to resolve whether or not to stay or twist.
“I needed to make the choice to do a 3rd one or not,” he says. “If I get one other date, I’d lose all the pieces that I’m doing on the opposite two dates.”
The gamble paid off.
“It was superb,” Dominguez says. “We offered out the identical day that we went on sale.”
Greater than 105,000 tickets have been offered throughout the three nights, grossing $14.4 million, in accordance with Pollstar Boxoffice. The live shows additionally generated an estimated financial impression of tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, reinforcing Ecuador’s credentials as a severe marketplace for worldwide excursions.
For Dominguez, the achievement validated a concept he’d been pushing for years: that Ecuador, lengthy handled as a market artists routed round, might help the form of demand normally reserved for the area’s established stadium stops.
“It provides us extra confidence and will get into followers’ minds that Ecuador is open for larger issues than only one present,” he says. “Now, I’m positive Ecuador is on the identical stage for large excursions — Bon Jovi, Dangerous Bunny, Shakira, Karol G, Adele, Justin Bieber — high-tier artists. I’m positive that we are able to promote two, and even three reveals.”
The power of Dominguez’s conviction is rooted in 20 years spent immersed in Latin America’s touring panorama. Born in Panama, he moved to Ecuador at 11 — his stepfather is Ecuadorian — and entered the enterprise in 2001 by means of dance music, reserving digital acts reminiscent of Tiësto and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike in Latin America whereas engaged on Extremely pageant reveals within the area. He later expanded into area and stadium touring, the place he labored with artists together with Metallica, Maroon 5, and Bruno Mars.
This yr, Ecuador welcomed Ed Sheeran for the primary time (introduced by Transfer & Sight Concert events), whereas FTC introduced Steve Aoki again to Quito and gave The Lumineers their Ecuadorian debut.
Dominguez, who has additionally lined up Def Leppard in October, and The Strokes’ first-ever Ecuador present for November, says Ecuadorian crowds convey a specific depth, which he places all the way down to the truth that seeing main worldwide acts remains to be a comparatively new expertise for a lot of followers.
“Loopy,” he says. “For instance, Chile, Argentina — after all, their followers are superb. However it is a little bit extra particular as a result of it’s the primary time.”
FTC has additionally simply confirmed a brand new venue for town: Enviornment Bicentenario, a privately owned, absolutely coated tent construction at Parque Bicentenario. With a capability of roughly 8,500, expandable to fifteen,000-18,000 for outside configurations, it’s set to formally open in December 2026. The corporate says it continues to develop a separate, longer-term area challenge for Quito.
UN-based estimates positioned Ecuador’s inhabitants at round 18.3 million folks in 2025, however the nation’s touring growth has unfolded towards a tumultuous backdrop. In January 2024, the federal government declared a nationwide state of emergency to deal with escalating violence between drug gangs. That measure was scaled again to regional states of exception inside just a few months, although Ecuador’s authorities has renewed localized emergency measures repeatedly since. Dominguez says the safety scenario has improved.
“Knock on wooden, this yr has been a lot better,” says Dominguez, who additionally runs ticketing platform Really feel The Tickets. “We’re in a extremely good place in comparison with two years earlier than.”
Whereas Ecuador stays FTC’s flagship market, the corporate’s 2026 calendar stretches throughout Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru and, for the primary time, Mexico, with repeat excursions by Ozuna, Hugel, Romeo Santos & Prince Royce, and Martin Garrix.
On August 29, the corporate will launch its first “unique property”: FTC Reside al Parque, a one-day pageant at Quito’s Parque Bicentenario headlined by Maroon 5, with Yandel Sinfónico, Myke Towers, salsa legends Fruko y sus Tesos and Misplaced Frequencies filling out the invoice. Plans for 2027 are already nicely in movement.
Right here, talking to MBW from Miami, the place he splits his time together with Panama and Ecuador, Dominguez talks by means of selling economics, the difficulty with rebooking Anglo acts, and why the time is correct to launch Ecuador’s subsequent chapter.
SHAKIRA’S THREE NIGHTS SOLD MORE THAN 105,000 TICKETS. HAD ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT BEEN SEEN IN ECUADOR BEFORE?
By no means. After the pandemic, we did Dangerous Bunny — I’m positive I might have offered three stadiums. We did Daddy Yankee, we offered out. We did Feid, we offered out. We did Aventura the yr previous to Shakira, and offered two stadiums in the identical metropolis for the primary time ever — that was our first thermometer. Normally, we did one stadium in Quito, one stadium in Guayaquil. However for the primary time, the identical artist offered out two stadiums instantly again to again. Then got here Shakira.
WHAT’S CHANGED IN ECUADOR TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE?
To be sincere, the way in which we produce the reveals, as a result of the usual has been very excessive for the reason that pandemic. We work quite a bit with Reside Nation, with Loud And Reside, with Transfer. So we have to ship the most effective manufacturing attainable. I used to be like, pay attention, we have to elevate the bar, and that’s what we’ve executed. Each single manufacturing supervisor that goes to Ecuador leaves and says it has been the most effective shock of the entire tour — no issues, excellent manufacturing, the artist is glad. Though we don’t have the venues that different international locations have, we work it out.
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE ECUADOR’S VENUE INFRASTRUCTURE?
Horrible. Horrible, horrible. I simply purchased the most important construction within the nation, it’s just like the Yuma Tent in Coachella. We inaugurated it on the FIFA Fan Fest in Quito just lately for the World Cup. We’ve got a pageant with Hugel on October 16, we’ve got Camilo on December 4, and from December ahead our pipeline of occasions of lower than 15,000 folks goes to be executed there. The remaining, we go to the stadium. We’ve got the Coliseo, which is supposedly an area, but it surely’s not an area — it’s a health club, since you can’t cling something from there.
WITH THE GROWTH OF ECUADOR AND THOSE CENTRAL AMERICAN MARKETS, HOW DIFFERENT DO YOU THINK WORLD TOURS ARE GOING TO LOOK IN A FEW YEARS?
A lot larger, as a result of we’re doing issues the correct means. I studied right here — I’m American in my pondering, and the way I work – you have to give folks present enterprise. The factor is, in Ecuador, the manufacturing was normally shitty. You’d purchase a ticket, and no one would respect your seat. The present began, and other people would nonetheless be exterior. It was very disorganized. And promoters weren’t promoters — they have been folks that will get right into a on line casino. If it sells, excellent; if it doesn’t promote, then bye, you gained’t see me once more. That’s why plenty of followers didn’t belief it — they’d wait to see if the artist truly confirmed up. That was the modus operandi earlier than. It was a multitude till we principally did it the American means. Sure, it’s costlier, however I’m seeing the outcomes.
I am going to the Kaseya Middle, American Airways Enviornment, Barclays Middle, no matter, and there are meals and beverage stands all over the place. As quickly as you get there, you spend cash. It ought to be the identical [in Ecuador] — bear in mind, Ecuador is a greenback economic system — however we don’t have that. You’ve got the worst service. It’s a horrible expertise. You find yourself pondering the artist is nice, however the entire surrounding is horrible. We’re attempting to enhance the service, so we are able to appeal to extra purchasers. That’s my major objective.
HOW DO COSTS IN ECUADOR COMPARE WITH MARKETS LIKE BOGOTÁ OR MEXICO CITY?
It’s a bit costlier, as a result of we’ve got to typically import the manufacturing — sure tools that we don’t have in Ecuador that we’ve got to convey from Colombia or Peru. That doesn’t imply larger ticket costs — in truth, we have to be a bit bit decrease than the principle markets due to the financial energy of the nation.
It’s a tough balancing act. This new authorities put a 15% tax on high of the ticket worth, plus the service price of the ticket firm. Taxes in Ecuador are tremendous excessive — there’s additionally a 25% withholding tax on the artist, and 5% for [royalty collection body] SAYCE. It’s tough, however we discover methods to do it.
WHAT CONVINCED YOU THE TIME WAS RIGHT TO LAUNCH A FESTIVAL?
Ecuador was at all times out of the image. Then I noticed the beginnings of Estéreo Picnic in Colombia — an excellent good friend of mine [from promoter Páramo Presenta] does that. They began to develop, and their leverage and their pull was principally due to the pageant of their market — such is the case that Reside Nation got here and acquired them [in 2023]. I bear in mind we might attempt to get an artist, and they might inform me, “No, we’ve got the Picnic, and we wish to work with them,” so they’d give precedence to the pageant, as a result of it was nicely executed.
My concept is to do precisely the identical in Ecuador. Possibly not on such an enormous scale as Colombia, as a result of it’s a much bigger market, however a correct scale — a two-day pageant, from right here to 3 years, of round 20,000 to 30,000 folks per day, that turns into an vital pageant. We’re the primary promoter in Ecuador, so we, as a model, want a pageant.
THIS YEAR’S CALENDAR HAS FTC IN FIVE DIFFERENT CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES. WAS THAT COORDINATED, OR OPPORTUNISTIC?
That was coordinated. I’m doing Ozuna — he hasn’t toured in ten years, so I’m doing his tour in Central America. I just lately did Hugel in Panama, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. I did Feid just lately as nicely. I work quite a bit in Central America.
WHAT ABOUT PANAMA, BOLIVIA AND VENEZUELA?
Bolivia, I simply had Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike in Santa Cruz, and I’m doing Steve Aoki in Santa Cruz and La Paz. I focus extra on Anglo acts there. It’s very uncommon to see massive names going to Bolivia — they don’t have the infrastructure, the tools, and you’ve got issues with cash, doing wires from there, it’s very, very sophisticated.
In Venezuela, I had Andrea Bocelli on the stadium [in Caracas in 2025]. That was large. I did Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and I had Gordo, a well-known DJ, confirmed for September, however that was earlier than [Venezuelan president Nicolás] Maduro went to jail [in January 2026]. Due to what occurred, we’re on maintain.
Panama, I do very small issues. It’s a really sophisticated market — first, due to the inhabitants, it’s very, very small. And second, as a result of it’s a salsa tropical pushed market, you’ll be able to take Marc Anthony and it’ll promote out, however we misplaced cash once we had Maroon 5, Duran Duran, so it’s an advanced market.
YOU’VE SAID IN THE PAST THAT LOCAL ACTS DON’T SELL, SO YOU FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL TOURS. IS THAT STILL THE CASE?
Yeah, that’s nonetheless the case. It’s not like Colombia. You don’t see many artists popping out of Peru. You don’t see many artists popping out of Ecuador. Go to Colombia, loopy. So sure, native acts don’t promote tickets, to be sincere.
HOW’S BUSINESS BEEN OVERALL THIS YEAR?
I might say ticket gross sales have slowed for the previous two years. You’ve got the large excursions that, after all, promote out — but it surely’s one or three excursions, not more than that. The remaining, we’ve got to work. Tickets are usually not promoting as earlier than. That’s the truth, 100%. I might say it’s at all times a curve: 2022, ’23, ’24 and ’25 was a peak. Now, I feel issues are stabilizing a bit bit extra. The economic system isn’t as [strong]. There’s a saturation of reveals as nicely that you just didn’t have earlier than — I don’t know if it’s as a result of all the pieces you promoted these previous three years would promote nicely, however there are promoters and artists all over the place. I feel that has additionally affected ticket gross sales, as a result of you’ve got too many choices.
HAVE YOU LEARNED ANY HARD LESSONS FROM SHOWS THAT DIDN’T WORK?
Sure. My lesson discovered: Once you guide an Anglo act in Ecuador, it normally at all times works the primary time. However in case you guide it once more – let’s say three years after – it doesn’t work. You’ll promote half. That’s not the case with the Latin artists — they go they usually go subsequent yr they usually nonetheless guide them. I don’t know if the idea is that I already noticed them, or if it’s too costly. However I’ve discovered from expertise the onerous means: don’t guide an Anglo act twice in Ecuador. I don’t know why, however that’s been my journey.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The artist charges, as a result of not all excursions are worthwhile. Sure, you’ll be able to have three, 4, even 5 worthwhile excursions, however you additionally normally do some occasions that don’t promote. We’re very, very tight on promoter-artist margins — in case you don’t promote 90% of the present, you lose cash, they usually’re getting costlier each time.
WHERE DO YOU SEE FTC IN FIVE YEARS?
Being within the high three impartial promoter corporations in Latin America. We’re beginning to transfer ahead on that.
WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS FROM HERE?
To maintain on rising and attempt to shut the most effective excursions attainable for the nation. Once we obtained The Strokes, [the government tourism body] stated, “We like it, how can we assist? You possibly can have billboards, you’ll be able to have buses.” For the primary time we’re working collectively. For instance, once I do a present, town opens the metro for yet another hour. It’s fairly attention-grabbing as a result of there have been plenty of articles about [the economic impact of] Shakira’s live performance: inns, eating places, bars, flights… It was unbelievable what Shakira left in Quito for these three reveals.
ARE PEOPLE GOING TO START LOOKING AT ECUADOR DIFFERENTLY?
After the success of Shakira and Aventura, individuals are already taking a look at Ecuador. I might say the boldness of Reside Nation and managers has gone to the restrict. I’m speaking about bringing the most important excursions to Ecuador. So sure, Ecuador goes to alter, belief me.
Trailblazers is supported by TuneCore. TuneCore supplies self-releasing artists with know-how and companies throughout distribution, publishing administration, and a spread of promotional companies. TuneCore is a part of Imagine.Music Enterprise Worldwide
