SME Entertainment Group has achieved its success by assembling a unique team of experts in their respective fields who have years of experience and close personal relationships with artists, speakers, and their representatives. This enables us to act as consultants taking into consideration a variety of factors to zero in on your specific needs. From the proposal stage to talent negotiations, to on- site management and overseeing event production, we take a hands- on approach so that our clients can focus their energy and time on the big picture. The success of every event depends on trust – having people you trust to plan the myriad of components on your behalf, who bring creativity to the table. As a division of Live Nation, SME has the experience, the relationships, a wide array of dependable production vendors and the expertise to produce your event from the ground up. Our goals are simple – to become a trusted and dependable member of your event team who consistently delivers the “Wow Factor” you are looking to achieve at each and every event.

Corey Shopoff

President | Founder

Corey Shopoff

President | Founder

A Political Science graduate of UCLA, Corey started his career in 1989 with the William Morris Agency working closely with many of Hollywood’s premier writers, directors and actors. From William Morris, Corey transitioned to Sports Management Group, the St. Louis-based company that managed the careers of legendary sportsmen including Jerry Rice, William “Refrigerator” Perry, Ryne Sandberg and Randall Cunningham. A “Jerry Maguire” style football agent, Corey was in charge of recruiting players, and marketing and negotiating contracts in the fiercely competitive environment of professional football. In 1992 he became SMG’s Director of West Coast Operations where he helped position it as one of the region’s pre-eminent sports management companies.

While working for SMG, Corey recognized a growing interest from corporate America for prominent musical acts, comedians, and keynote speakers in the area of sports, politics and business. He made the decision to focus on marketing to corporate America and founded Sports Marketing & Entertainment, Inc. in 1992 with SMG as a minority partner. Building on established relationships with talent and sports agencies within the entertainment world, and his excellent negotiating skills, Corey was able to secure some of the biggest names in show business and sports on behalf of his corporate clients. As the company’s reputation steadily grew, Corey’s talent list expanded as well with such notable additions as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Willie Mays, professional coaches such as Joe Torre and Phil Jackson, and entertainers such as Jay Leno.

In 1995, Corey was able to acquire his partner’s minority interest and assume sole ownership of the company he founded. Over the past decade, SME has orchestrated high profile events for clients such as Mercedes Benz, Starbucks, General Motors, Goldman Sachs and Hewlett Packard. The roster of entertainers and keynote speakers he has worked with spans such luminaries as Sir Paul McCartney, Jerry Seinfeld and President Bush. Corey is well respected by his clients in both the corporate world and the talent business for his professionalism, dedication to customer service and commitment to excellence. He is also actively involved in a variety of charitable organizations, most notably Adopt-A-Minefield (AAM). Corey has produced the Annual AAM Gala featuring Sir Paul McCartney since 2002 and is honored to hold the Executive Vice Chair.

Craig Sinclair Keys

Legal and Business Affairs

Craig Sinclair Keys

Legal and Business Affairs

Craig oversees business affairs for the private entertainment and media division of SME, Live Nation Entertainment Group. His expertise includes business strategy, legal entitlements and licensing, and media policy. As senior vice president, Craig manages business and legal affairs for event bookings and productions world-wide; Craig also advises SME’s President, Corey Shapoff, in matters of business strategy and development.

Prior to joining SME Live Nation, Craig consulted in the entertainment industry for iconic live event venues, and for recorded music and visual media content producers and distributors such as: Miramax Films, OM Records, Fox Films, Boutique Media Inc., Danny B Productions, Spundae Records, The End Up, A&R Select Studios, LA Supper Club, and The Walt Disney Company. Keys previously headed up legal and business affairs for Mixology Agency. Prior to joining Mixology, he served as Associate Senior Executive Vice President, and as a lecturer and law clinic director at University of Southern California. Keys also previously served as Director of Government Relations for the law firm of Westin Benshoof et. al. LLP.

He earned bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and social science from the University of California at Berkeley, where he is a Fellow of the Order of the Golden Bear. Craig also holds joint Juris Doctorate and Master’s degrees from University of California, Hastings Law School and Columbia University. His law and policy research papers have been published in academic journals by UCLA, the University of California at Berkeley, and Columbia University of New York.

Craig holds other distinctive honors including having been a Dean’s Lecturer in Law for the USC Gould School of Law, a law professor at the New College of Law; a Dean’s Graduate Research Fellow at the UCLA School of Public Administration, and a Thurgood Marshall Law Fellow at the San Francisco Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights where he oversaw a business law clinic serving community artists and entrepreneurs. A life-long arts and music enthusiast; Craig helped to found and served for 7 years as the Music Director for Praxis Project dance productions, and continues to serve on non-profit boards of organization dedicated to enhancing community access to the music and the arts.

While at USC he designed and taught entrepreneurial classes in entertainment and technology in partnership with the USC Marshall School of Business. He currently serves as a board member of the 24th Street Theater in Los Angeles; and on the Board of Directors for the Pullum Center for Performing Arts. His prior board seats include having served on the Board of Trustees for Antioch University; and as an Import/Export Commissioner for the United States Commerce Department.