On September 14 Pearl Jam’s Management team visited MGMT 401 Event Management for a guest lecture on the release of a new record, touring schedule, and their personal experiences in the music industry. Their management team consists of long time manager Kelly Curtis, public relations manager Nicole Vandenberg, entertainment consultant and former president of Sony Records Michele Anthony, and Tim Bierman, manager of Ten Club, the official Pearl Jam fan organization. Each role in Pearl Jam's management is vital to their success. Communication between the team is important and weekly phone calls and emails add to their cohesiveness. The band also knows everything that’s going on too..

The team explained to students how the record company doesn't fulfill the roles it used to. They are less of a tool and aren’t the gatekeepers for the industry anymore..

On September 20th, Pearl Jam is set to release their 9th album, Backspacer. Pearl Jam is no longer under contract after an 18 year relationship with Sony. That began the two year process before the record’s release to assess the question who would release their album and how. Their team also needed to consider the re-issue of the catalog, studio album release, and a documentary in 2011..

"We needed to find partners that are sensible for all projects and hit every distribution platform including independent distributors, digital, and retail," Kelly Curtis, Pearl Jam’s only manager since 1990, explained to students. Their 9th album, Backspacer would come without a U.S. label, but a variety of like-minded partners including Target as the ‘big box’ retail partner..

The main vision for the team is to take care of the little guy and offer accessibility to Pearl Jam’s music. “They (Pearl Jam) have a very strong creative vision themselves that is a huge advantage for them in the industry,” Michele Anthony explained to students with regard to Pearl Jam’s two successful decades of music..

They also talked about how touring and promotions fit together. For example, Backspacer has received great feedback which creates more press opportunities and less money spent on promoting..

“The number one thing that engages the fan club is acknowledgement of them and keeping them in the loop,” Bierman, manager of Ten Club, explained to students. Ten Club has been the official Pearl Jam fan club since the 1991 release of the band's album, Ten. Ten Club's priority has always been to take care of the fans first. The club provides latest information on the band's music, tour schedules, side projects, and philanthropic endeavors. Fan club members have created a tight community that frowns upon scalping as well. Ten Club has grown into a successful interactive fan club model that is highly regarded throughout the music industry.