Saved by the Booth: Remembering Mr. Belding and How He Taught Me Face-to-Face Still Wins

Still in My Phone as "Belding"

It's impossible for me to write this week's blog without talking about the passing of my dear friend. The world knew him as America's favorite principal, Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell. Dennis Haskins passed away this week at 75, and for 25 years he's been in my phone as quite simply, "Belding." Always Dennis to his face, but in my phone when his texts came through, it was just funnier. Dennis was the kindest, most generous, most down-to-earth celebrity you could ever know.

Nearly 25 years ago, I was standing at the hotel lobby desk getting ready for a NACA college convention when the guy next to me introduced himself like any normal dude. "Hey buddy, after we check in, let's you and I get a drink at that lobby bar. I'm Dennis." It took me a double take and a giggle to figure out who I was talking to, but I said yes, and the rest was history. One of the best friendships of my life started in a conference hotel lobby. Remember that, because it comes back later.

How One Conference Hotel Lobby Led to Twenty-Five Years of Friendship

Dennis and I always "tried" not to make it about business, though he definitely got me to book him some appearances along the way. Our friendship was more personal. He was almost family to me, not just a friend. We traveled together. We stood side by side in the booth at many conferences. We celebrated his 54th at Studio 54 in Vegas. He got up on stage and sang with the band at my wedding while delivering our toast and then presented me with a plate of chicken fingers, of course. People loved him everywhere we went. He took every single possible photo, every time! That includes the time random kids popped out from behind a bunch of fake plants while we were casually eating lunch in the food court at the Mall of America. Later that day, he bought a hat in the store in the mall. The cashier took his card, looked up and smiled at him, and Dennis said, “Yup, let’s get a photo, my friend.” Instant glee for that young man. Dennis always signed every autograph, and I never let him live down the way he sweet talked us into steakhouses with a stack of Saved by the Bell signature cards in his hand. He never forgot to have a few for a fan, and the hostess.

On Monday night when my wife texted me the news, I was sitting awake late in a hotel room, the same way Dennis and I had done a hundred times together over pizza and wings. Back then, I'd sneak the remote and put on Saved by the Bell after a few beers just so I could mess with him and ask stupid questions until he got annoyed. This time I couldn't find it on TV, so I pulled up an episode on the computer. For the record, his favorite was "The Fabulous Belding Boys" episode, where his brother Rod bails on the kids' rafting trip and Mr. Belding steps up and takes them himself. Dennis told me it was the episode where the kids realized how much Mr. Belding loved them, and how much they respected him for it. That was Dennis, too.

From Concert Promoting to Bayside High: Dennis's Music Industry Roots

Here's the part a lot of people don't know. Long before Bayside High, Dennis was a Chattanooga kid who got into showbiz on the music side, working as a manager, agent and concert promoter in the 1970s with names like Tom Jones, Leon Russell and Gregg Allman, and doing his time on the road with some very popular bands. That was even before Dukes of Hazzard, which he loved to talk about, and Magnum, P.I. He talked often about his time on the road; how comfortable he got on the live stage in front of a mic; and boy was he amazing when he got that mic in his hand. It's probably why he was always so darn fascinated with my side of the business, while I was busy geeking out over Saved by the Bell trivia.

Dennis also spent years on college campuses with his own "Mr. Belding on Campus" show, represented by our very own Jeff Hyman. He never missed a chance to work a conference floor. So that's where I'm taking the rest of this week, because it's how he'd want it. Dennis would say, “Ari, the show must go on.” So, we’ll do just that, but not without thinking every minute about what you meant to those in TV-land, and me in real life. Rest easy, my friend.

Who Is Buzzing This Week

If you're heading to Nashville for IEBA, the room to be in is the keynote. LL COOL J is sitting down with Sixthman CEO Jeff Cuellar to talk about building Rock The Bells into a live and media brand since 2018. Think about that pairing for a second: a hip-hop legend and the guy behind some of the best fan cruises in the business, talking about how culture turns into a ticket. That's an intriguing conversation every buyer should put on their reminder list this coming week.

Greta Van Fleet announced the 59-date "Into The Beginning" tour on Friday, starting in Savannah and wrapping back home in Grand Rapids, behind their new album "Palace for the People." The part I love is the ticketing. Prices are fixed at face value plus fees, no platinum tickets, and they won't move between presale and on-sale. Support rotates through the run, with The Kooks and Portugal. The Man on select dates. That's a strong bill at a fair price; good work to make sure more fans have access to their live events.

On the country side, Riley Green put his That's Just Me Tour on sale Friday, on the back of his new album. Muscadine Bloodline is direct support, with Randy Houser joining select shows. As evidenced by the big country festival announcements recently, Riley is now a bona fide, top bill headliner.

Hidden Gems: Rising Stars Worth Your Attention

Hannah McFarland is also picking up select dates on that Riley Green run, and she's been on my list for a while. The Alabama native has opened for Kelsea Ballerini and Travis Tritt, made her Grand Ole Opry debut, and her "Broken Hearts" EP put her on a lot of radars in 2025. She won’t stay quiet too long, so buyers should act on her soon.

Arc De Soleil opens the early dates of the Greta Van Fleet run, and if you haven't heard it yet, go find it. It's the project of Swedish multi-instrumentalist Daniel Kadawatha, mostly instrumental, with surfy, psychedelic guitar grooves that feel like a sunset with the windows down. Let me know what you think.

Major Events, Festivals, and Industry Moments

I am not afraid to admit that I’m old school; straight up. Just ask my former assistants. I like to make phone calls. I still send lots of emails. And I make my Degy staff members put their cameras on in video meetings so that it feels like we’re engaged and staring at each other in the room. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: conferences are still where business gets done. Emails and Zoom calls are great, but nothing replaces shaking a buyer's hand, watching an artist win over a room in ten minutes, or grabbing a coffee with an agent you've only ever talked to on the phone. Dennis understood that better than anybody. Our whole friendship started in a conference hotel lobby, and for years he'd stand right off to my side in the booth, taking pictures, signing autographs and working the crowd to book his own appearances. Every one of those conversations started with a handshake.

This week, Team Degy is at five of them.

It started in Philadelphia at the NRPA Annual Conference, September 29 through October 1 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where Aislinn and I led an education session on taking back control of your city's concert series. Parks and recreation is one of the most underrated live music markets out there. The free summer series, the July 4th shows and the downtown festivals are where a lot of artists play every single year.

From there, Jeff Hyman and Sophie Low headed to Albany for APCA's Northeast Regional, October 2 through 4 at the Hilton Albany. That's the college world, where student programmers watch dozens of ten-minute showcases and book their calendars on the spot. Six Degy acts are showcasing this weekend (more on them below).

Nick DiRoma and I are off to Nashville for IEBA, October 4-6 at the Grand Hyatt and The Pinnacle. IEBA is the buyers and agents conference, and it's where I'll be running around to all the agencies and promoters getting our 2027 list together.

Evan Schaefer is driving up to Tucson for the 71st Annual IFEA Convention and Expo, October 5 through 7, with the festival and event producers who put on the parades, fairs and city festivals all over the world. Aislinn and Jeff fly out to complement our team on site for IFEA.

Lastly, Sophie does the ‘college double’. She heads from Albany right down to NACA Winston-Salem from Oct 8-10 to sit with our schools in the southeastern side of the country. She’ll be surprising our buyers with FREE (yes, I said free!) coffee to sit down with her at the coffee shop across from the expo. Brilliant idea by Sophie to get that extra face time and talk about business.

Five conferences, five different teams from Degy on the road in one week. Parks, colleges, fairs and festivals, and the agency world all in the same stretch. If you're at any of them, come find us.

My Top 5 Artists to Book This Week

You've read about LL COOL J, Greta Van Fleet, Riley Green and a bunch of other headliner names above. These next five below come in a bit different. I haven’t yet done this in a previous blog, so let’s give it a whirl. These next five are all Degy acts who showcased in front of college buyers at APCA Albany this weekend, the same kind of room Dennis used to work for his campus show. He would have run into my booth after each of them showcased to give them words of encouragement and take photos with all of them. I have dozens of those shots while watching him lift up the spirits of up-and-comers.

Sammy Anzer is part storyteller, part cultural investigator, and his stand-up makes you laugh and think at the same time. He's written for Kevin Hart's LOL Network, made his debut at The Apollo, and his album hit #1 on iTunes. Even better, he's also used being funny to raise $20,000 for St. Jude, with more to come.

Eric Dittelman was the first mind reader ever on America's Got Talent, where he made the Top Ten in season 7, and he's been on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Broadway with "The Illusionists." Mind reading mixed with stand-up and improv is a monster for a college crowd that has seen everything.

Devon Braxton is an R&B artist from Bloomfield, New Jersey who builds his songs live on stage with a looping setup, so a solo act ends up sounding like a full band. He's inspired by legends like Stevie Wonder but the production is all modern, and he's open about mental health in his lyrics, which hits home with students.

Jeff Klein is witty, sarcastic and self-deprecating, with an Amazon special and runs at the San Francisco, DC and Boston comedy festivals. He's the kind of comic students quote back to each other the next day.

Andrew Della Volpe was named a "Comedian on the Rise" by The Boston Globe, got his start as an intern at Sacha Baron Cohen's production company, and has been featured on CBS. He's working clubs and theaters across New England and beyond, and he's ready for a campus near you.

Wrap it Up, Ari! Time to Give Up the Microphone

Monday and Tuesday I'm in Nashville with Nick for IEBA, with a schedule packed with agency and promoter meetings from coffee to late night. Then it's on to San Diego for our Navy Entertainment #OperationMWR show with Pitbull and Gwen Stefani at Naval Base San Diego on October 10. A lot of miles, loads of handshakes, and hopefully much of 2027 getting built in one week.

I'll be thinking about Dennis at every one of these stops. He would have loved this week. He'd have hogged the mic at the conferences, taken a picture with every single person who asked, and talked his way into a few bookings along the way. He also would have been just texting to check on my kids, asking me how I’m doing on the road, and worrying about when he’d see me next. That was Dennis. Thank you for all of it, my friend. RIP, Belding. You will ALWAYS and FOREVER be everyone’s favorite principal! See you next weekend…

About Degy Entertainment

For more than 25 years, Degy Entertainment has been the team in the booth, on the phone and backstage, putting on nearly 3,000 events a year across more than 30 countries. Our talent buying and middle-artist booking teams work with colleges, parks and recreation departments, fairs and festivals, corporate events, military installations and private events, and you'll find us at just about every conference where those buyers gather.

Catching up at a conference this week, or want to start planning 2027? Reach out to Ari Nisman anytime or learn more at Degy Entertainment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Conferences, Networking, and Face-to-Face Business

Why do entertainment industry professionals still prioritize in-person conferences?

Conferences remain the epicenter of live entertainment business for several reasons: real-time artist showcases, handshake relationship-building, deal-making that happens face-to-face faster than email chains, and the ability to assess fit between artists and buyers in real time. Email and video calls supplement but cannot replace this concentrated in-person networking.

What's the NRPA Annual Conference and who should attend?

NRPA (National Recreation and Park Association) Annual Conference brings together parks and recreation professionals, city planners, and event programmers. It's an underrated live music market where cities book free summer concert series, July 4th shows, and downtown festivals. Entertainment professionals should attend to connect with parks departments and municipal buyers.

What's APCA and what happens at regional conferences?

APCA (Association of Performing Arts Presenters and Campus Activities) holds regional and national conferences where college student programmers watch artist showcases and book campus events. Regional conferences like APCA Northeast bring together college buyers who make programming decisions on the spot after ten-minute performances.

What is IEBA and why is it important for agents and promoters?

IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association) is the conference where booking agents, promoters, and talent buyers gather to discuss 2027 booking strategy, showcase touring acts, and build relationships that structure the touring year. It's the epicenter of touring business conversation and planning.

What does IFEA stand for and who attends?

IFEA (International Festivals and Events Association) Annual Convention brings together festival producers, event planners, and city organizers who produce parades, county fairs, city festivals, and major events globally. Entertainment companies attend to connect with festival programmers and understand programming trends.

What is NACA and how does it differ from APCA?

NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) emphasizes regional structure and cooperative buying through regional conferences. APCA offers a national conference model emphasizing performing arts presenters. Both serve college entertainment but with different conference structures and philosophies.

Why did Dennis Haskins' "Mr. Belding on Campus" tour work for college markets?

The character's cultural recognition from Saved by the Bell gave colleges immediate recognition, while Dennis's background as a concert promoter and music industry professional gave him authentic understanding of entertainment business. The combination made him valuable for college programming and campus events.

How does an artist decide which conferences to attend or showcase at?

Artists or their representatives evaluate which conferences reach their target buyers. A pop act targets college conferences. A country act targets fair and festival conferences. Artists with multiple market opportunities may showcase at 2-3 regional conferences to maximize exposure and booking opportunities.

What's the business value of having a booth at a conference?

A conference booth serves as the hub for real-time conversations, product demonstration (artist showcases), relationship building, and deal-making. Unlike virtual meetings, booth presence signals serious commitment and creates concentrated networking opportunities with multiple qualified buyers in one location.

How long has conference-based booking been the industry standard?

Conference-based booking has been the live entertainment standard for 40+ years. While technology enables some virtual booking, the in-person model remains dominant because artists must be seen live and buyer-artist fit assessment requires real-time chemistry.

Can emerging artists build careers without conference attendance?

Emerging artists can build initial following independently, but conference showcases provide critical exposure to professional buyers, agents, and promoters. Artists who skip conferences miss concentrated buyer access and industry credibility-building.

What makes a conference showcase effective from a buyer's perspective?

Effective showcases are 8-10 minutes of strong material that gives buyers clear sense of artist fit for their event, technical needs, and audience appeal. Buyers assess energy, engagement, technical competence, and whether the artist can win a room in minimal time.

How do conference relationships convert to actual bookings?

Conference relationships become bookings through follow-up. A buyer watches a showcase, exchanges contact info, then follows up within days with specific date and budget inquiries. The conference conversation started the relationship; post-conference communication completes it.

What's the ROI for talent agencies or promoters attending conferences?

Conference ROI is measured in booking pipeline development, relationship-deepening, market intelligence gathering, and direct bookings. Agencies expect to fill 10-20% of annual touring calendar through conference relationships and conversations.

How do conferences differ from virtual networking events?

In-person conferences provide real-time artist performance assessment, multi-sensory relationship building, spontaneous conversation discovery, and commitment signaling through physical attendance and booth investment. Virtual events lack sensory information and commitment signaling.

What networking mistakes do first-time conference attendees make?

Common mistakes include: spending time only at major agency booths, not visiting emerging talent booths, expecting bookings without follow-up, not collecting contact information properly, or overselling rather than listening to what buyers need.

How should someone prepare for their first conference attendance?

Prepare by: researching which artists will showcase, identifying must-meet agents and promoters, planning specific dates and times rather than wandering, preparing one-sentence pitches, bringing business cards, and scheduling follow-up system before leaving.

What's the relationship between conference networking and long-term industry careers?

Conference relationships often become long-term professional relationships spanning decades. Many entertainment industry friendships and partnerships originate at conferences, making them foundational to career longevity and industry integration.

How has technology changed conference dynamics without replacing them?

Technology (social media pre-event promotion, digital schedules, virtual booth options) supplements in-person conferences but hasn't replaced them. Conferences remain the one place where concentrated buying power and artist exposure intersect physically.

Why is face-to-face business still valuable in an increasingly digital industry?

Face-to-face assessment determines fit, builds trust faster, allows real-time problem-solving, enables spontaneous opportunity discovery, and creates relationship stickiness that emails and calls cannot replicate. For art form evaluation (music, comedy, performance), seeing it live remains irreplaceable.

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