Kevin Lyman, creator and producer of Vans Warped Tour, was recently named as a Distinguished Lecturer by the Morris Family Mentor & Lecture Series and Belmont’s Curb College.
A graduate of California State Polytecnic University, Ponoma with a degree in recreation administration, Lyman is known for “Vans Warped Tour”, the longest-running touring festival in North America drawing approximately half a million people annually. Lyman has produced others tours including “Taste of Chaos Festival” and “Down From The Mountain Tour,” among others.
To produce several of these events, Lyman founded 4Fini, inc., a California production company and agency for talent and brand strategy with a second Nashville office. Lyman sits on the Board of Directors for Saint Archer Brewery and the LA County Fairplex, and was honored as Billboard’s 2009 Humanitarian of the Year for creating Unite the United Foundation. Lyman has most recently founded The Entertainment Institute to utilize his 35 years of music industry experience and apply his knowledge to new industry professionals and students, while also touring the country for several speaking engagements.
While at Belmont, Lyman had lunch with a small group of students, then moved to the Bunch Media Hall for a larger seminar. After a brief introduction to his personal life and career, Lyman was determined to answer student questions. Some topics discussed included the future of his tours and Nashville, professionalism and hard work. Lyman heavily stressed the importance of treating people well and taking care of those around you.
