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State of Play’s TL;DR
- IEBA’s 2026 Industry Awards recognized Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in two casino-related categories.
- The resort won Casino of the Year and Drew Dixon, Yaamava’ VP of entertainment operations, was named Casino Buyer of the Year.
IEBA’s 2026 Industry Awards gave Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in San Manuel, CA, two casino-related wins, naming it Casino of the Year and recognizing resort VP of Entertainment Operations Drew Dixon as Casino Buyer of the Year.
The honors came at the trade group’s annual conference in Nashville, where IEBA also recognized top venues, buyers, agents, and promoters across live entertainment.
The International Entertainment Buyers Association held its 2026 Honors & Awards on Oct. 6 at The Pinnacle Nashville as part of its 56th Annual Conference, which ran Oct. 4–6 at the Grand Hyatt Nashville and The Pinnacle Nashville. Comedian Derrick Stroup hosted the event.
Awards focus on live entertainment
While the awards are centered on live entertainment rather than gaming operations, the results show where casino venues continue to intersect with the broader U.S. concert and event business.
IEBA said its annual Industry Awards are voted on by the association’s membership.
IEBA Executive Director Brian Wagner said the honorees reflect both “the history and the future of live entertainment.” In a statement during the ceremony, Wagner said, “Tonight represents what IEBA is all about – the people who make live entertainment happen.”
Gene Simmons, Hall of Fame inductees honored
The event also included several major honorary recognitions. Gene Simmons of KISS received IEBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. IEBA inducted Chubby Checker and Gil Cunningham into its Hall of Fame, and introduced the new Barbara “Mother” Hubbard Mentorship Award.
Other 2026 category winners included The Pinnacle Nashville for Club of the Year, ACL Live for Theater of the Year, Madison Square Garden for Arena of the Year, The Gorge Amphitheatre for Amphitheater of the Year, Minnesota State Fair for Fair/Expo of the Year, and Bourbon & Beyond for Festival of the Year.
Additional individual winners included Sonia Grover of First Avenue, EastCoast Entertainment, Jim Cressman of Invictus Entertainment, Lisa Sexton of OC Fair, Tom Hoppa of Danny Wimmer Presents, David Kells of Bridgestone Arena, Spencer Zubrow of Pinnacle Entertainment, Ed Traversari of Point Park University, Heath Baumhor of Reliant Talent, Becky Gardenhire of WME, and Rich Schaefer of AEG Presents.
Founded in 1970, IEBA is a not-for-profit trade organization for live entertainment professionals who buy, book, and sell talent. Wagner said:
“IEBA has always been built on relationships – people doing business together, learning from one another and creating opportunities for the next generation.”
Based on reporting by K-Jewel 99.3.
