The MAC Conference is hosted by music producer Steve Ivey, a Grammy, Emmy, Dove and Telly award winner and nominee whose work has reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts 17 times. He has produced and recorded artists including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Carly Pearce, Mountain Man from “Duck Dynasty,” The Oak Ridge Boys and Aaron Neville. He has written music for films including “Four Good Days” and “Coyote Ugly” and television shows including Showtime’s “City of Angels,” “Renovation Nation” and “The Vampire Diaries.” He also has written music for The Weather Channel and more. Steve graduated with a music degree from Mercer University, where he started his company that now spans 21 countries globally.

Grammy award-winning, platinum-selling writer Bobby Boyd is a veteran songwriter who wrote one of the biggest songs of our modern era, "God Bless the Broken Road," which was recorded by artists including Rascal Flatts, RMR, Carrie Underwood and Jamie Slocum and was featured in “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” Bobby also wrote songs recorded by Aaron Tippin, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Marcus Hummon and more.

Tanvi Patel, owner of Crucial Music, is a leader in the music industry. While in graduate school, she started working with One Music, which later became Crucial Music, the company she now leads. For decades, Tanvi has been responsible for getting music in movies and TV shows, as well as series for HBO, Fox, Cinemax, CBS, Apple TV and more.

Grammy award-winning engineer and producer Rob Dennis has recorded and produced some of today’s biggest artists including Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt, Zac Brown Band and more. For three decades, he has been working on Music Row, right in the thick of the action.

No one gets far in the music business without a smart music business attorney, and Rush Hicks has served that role for four decades. A graduate of Mercer Law, Rush operates his law practice in Nashville and has made recording and publishing deals for artists including Kelsea Ballerini, Alan Jackson, Paul Overstreet and more.

As CEO and founder of Cadence Music Strategies, Martha Kenny gets music onto major global playlists. Martha began her music marketing business as a senior in college, and her experience and talent has set her on a fast-paced track for success in a difficult era of music streaming and marketing.

Bryan Ward is an artist manager, brand manager and label/marketing services manager with The Fuel Music, which handles artist management, distribution and marketing, label services, consulting, multi-channel network/YouTube management, and publishing administration for artists including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Pat Barrett, Vertical Worship, Meredith Andrews, TFK, Adelitas Way and more. Bryan, a music business veteran of 29 years, has worked at Sony as vice president of marketing and EMI/Capitol Music Group as director of artist development. Other artists he’s worked with include Steven Curtis Chapman, Elevation, Hillsong, Third Day, Matthew West and TobyMac, just to name a few. Bryan said he is “always a student” of the music business because it changes daily, and it is the best job in the world.

Leroy Wilson, an extremely accomplished percussionist, started touring the Atlantic Seaboard at the young age of 13. His tour set the stage for an impressive, exciting journey that included being chosen as the drummer for the “Tops in Blue” premier Air Force tour group and being a member of the R&B group, Patrol. Wilson honed his skills and became the artist he is today studying under David Chambliss of the Petersburg symphony at Virginia State University. Wilson has been on tour with countless artists worldwide, some of which include: Grammy award-winning Hootie and the Blowfish, Kid Rock, Blues Traveler, Restless Heart, Jamie O’Neal, Lee Greenwood, Jessie James, The Chris Hicks Band, and The Marshall Tucker Band. Working with Sony Entertainment’s European branch, he backed recording artist Paris Red. His United States list of artists is also nothing short of extensive and incredible. Some of his stateside performances include, Take 6, Aaron Neville, Brian McKnight, Gordon Goodwin of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Vital Information, and Angie Johnson. Nowadays Leroy works as the house drummer for Capricorn Studios in Macon, GA. Some more of his current work involves being an audio technical systems consultant.

Rob Evans is a recording, broadcast and concert engineer, music producer and co-owner of Creek Media, LLC which includes 100.9 FM The Creek and Soundandsoulonline.com. Rob is also the founder of Star Motel Recording Studios and Star Motel Records. Rob serves as Chief Engineer at Capricorn Sound Studios and was instrumental in its restoration. Rob currently oversees the Mercer Music at Capricorn complex which includes Capricorn Sound Studios, The Capricorn Museum and the Capricorn Music Incubator.

Rob studied recording with and assisted Athens recording engineers and producers David Barbe and John Keane whose credits include The Indigo Girls, The B-52s, R.E.M., Wilco, Drive By Truckers and many more. Past projects have garnered regional and national attention and awards including a Tellie Award for sound design and Best of Show “Cherry Street” by Floco Torres. Rob serves as personal engineer to Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones and has collaborated on projects for The Pistol Annies, Richard Ashcroft, Jon Anderson and the Theme song for the 2022 World Games. Recent projects include Blackberry Smoke’s “Live from Capricorn Sound Studios”, Gregg Allman’s “Back to Macon” live concert film at The Grand Opera House, Les Brers live at the Capitol Theatre, Creek Sessions which include Shovels and Rope, Drew and Ellie Holcolm, The Secret Sisters, Hayes Carll, Ben Dickey, Great Peacock, Sam Morrow, Jim Lauderdale, Tyler Childers, Lindsey Lou, Caroline Spence, Charley Crockett, and projects for local musicians as well.

Rob was also guitarist with the band Hank Vegas. The band’s work was recognized in Paste Magazine (CD sampler # 38), Georgia Music Magazine, Flag Pole, the Eleventh Hour, Atlanta’s Creative Loafing, and many others. As a member of Hank Vegas, Rob shared the stage with numerous touring acts including: Cracker, The Drive by Truckers, The Zac Brown Band, Manchester Orchestra, Augustana, The Whigs, Billy Joe Shaver, Lucero, Dead Confederate, Blue Mountain, The Dexateens, and many more. Hank Vegas was voted the best overall music act at the Eleventh Hour Readers Choice Awards in 2007. Rob also founded the Athens, GA based rock band The Shreds and toured throughout the south eastern United States playing universities and clubs from 1986-1991 and a 2 month tour of Europe in 1989. Rob endorses Reverend Guitars.

For several years Rob served as the Technical Director and Front of House Engineer for the Hargray Capitol Theatre and has worked with many national touring acts including: Sturgil Simpson, Tyler Childers, Kansas, Marcus King Band, Bootsy Collins, Moon Taxi, Steve Earle, Gregg Allman, Drive By Truckers, Jim Lauderdale, Chris Stapleton, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dale Watson, Great White, Jars of Clay, Robert McDuffie , Chuck Leavell, Randall Bramblet, Travis Tritt, Justin Townes Earle, Junior Brown, Abbey Road Live, Dickie Betts, Galactic, Jamie Johnson, The Kentucky Headhunters, Lera Lynn, Leon Russell, Colby Dee, The Zombies, The Black Lips, Nikki Lane, Drivin n Cryin, Kelsea Ballerini, Kev’n Kenny, Angie Aparo, Of Montreal, T. Hardy Morris, Count M’Butu, Jason Isbell, Live at the Fillmore, Otis, Lucero, Saint Francis, The Lone Below, The Last Bison, The Steel Drivers, Whitey Morgan, American Aquarium,The Black Lillies, Lilly Hiatt, Drew Holcolm and the Neighbors,, Les Brers, Travis Denning, Bobby Rush, Marc Broussard, Baby Bee, Ceelo Green, The Secret Sisters, Saint Paul and the Broken Bones,… and many more.

A graduate First Presbyterian Day School ‘84 and the University of Georgia ’89 B.A Psychology, Rob continued his musical development by completing courses in Protools at the new Music Business program at the Terry College of business at the University of Georgia.

Rob also has a Masters Degree in Business from Mercer University, and served as a founding board member of the Bragg Jam Music and Arts Festival.