OVG Theater Alliance Benefit Honors WME’s Gayle Holcomb, ACL Live’s Colleen Fischer

Oak View Group’s fourth-annual Theater Alliance Benefit is set for Oct. 3 at FirstBank Stadium’s Commodore Club in Nashville, Tennessee, with a “Play For Purpose” theme and honoring two notable industry executives with Impact Awards.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which celebrates and supports the future of live stage performance in theaters across North America.

This sees a “Play with Purpose” theme introducing a new format built around networking, interactive games and friendly competition while keeping the event’s philanthropic mission at the center, the announcement says.

The 2026 event marks the fourth year of the Theater Alliance Benefit, which first launched in Nashville and has continued to contribute to the Theater Alliance Fund in different cities across the country.

“Play with Purpose is about bringing people together in the same spirit that defines live entertainment: connection, creativity, and community,” said Joe Giordano, Vice President for OVG Alliances. “This benefit gives our industry a chance to gather in a fun and meaningful way while contributing to and supporting theater missions across the U.S.” Oak View Group is parent company to Pollstar.

A presentation of the 2026 Impact Awards will recognize two live entertainment industry leaders whose work has helped strengthen the performance ecosystem across the country. Those two are Gayle Holcomb, Partner and Agent at WME, and Colleen Fischer, the recently retired Vice President and General Manager of Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater.

Holcomb has spent four decades with WME and William Morris Agency, as a Los Angeles-based agent representing major artists. She began her career as the receptionist at the Academy of Country Music before joining WMA/WME. A 2024 Pollstar Women of Live honoree, past Chairman of the Academy of Country Music and a founding member of ACM Lifting Lives, Holcomb is also recognized for her commitment to mentorship and relationship-building across the industry.

Fischer is a longtime leader in Austin’s live music community, helping guide ACL Live at The Moody Theater as one of the city’s premier music venues. She began her career at Rockefeller’s in Houston, working through multiple roles before landing on talent buyer. She continued her career with senior venue booking and programming roles, including her work with ACL Live and 3TEN ACL Live, as well as prior experience as a Vice President at Live Nation and its predecessor companies.

“The Theater Alliance Benefit is not only about raising crucial funds, but also about recognizing the people whose leadership and service continue to shape the performing arts – and this year we are honoring two trailblazing women,” said Noël Mirhadi, Senior Director for OVG’s Theater Alliance. “Gayle and Colleen have each made a lasting impact through their work with artists, venues, teams and communities, and we are proud to celebrate their contributions as this year’s Impact Award honorees.”

The Commodore Club at FirstBank Stadium is a hospitality space overlooking university venue’s football field. Guests are promised an energetic night of gaming, musical entertainment, a silent auction and premium food and beverage from OVG Hospitality, which operates the club, while raising funds for the nonprofit Theater Alliance Fund, which distributes proceeds equally to 25 U.S.-based nonprofits represented by OVG’s Theater Alliance.

Previous Theater Alliance Benefits have taken place at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 2023, Radio City Music Hall in New York in 2024, and YouTube Theater in Los Angeles in 2025. Past Impact Award honorees include Alex Hodges of Nederlander Concerts and Aaron Egigian of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/06/09/ovg-theater-alliance-benefit-to-take-place-oct-3-at-firstbank-stadiums-commodore-club-honoring-wmesgayle-holcomb-and-acl-lives-colleen-fischer/)._