Friday 10th March 2006

(Room 1, Lower Ground Floor, Royal Garden)
Chairman: Carl Leighton-Pope (LPO, UK)

In a characteristically exuberant opening address, Carl Leighton-Pope set out the ILMC's stall for another year. Citing the emergence of Live Nation from the shell of Clear Channel, and Live8 as the previous year's defining events, Leighton-Pope went on to establish a picture of an industry in vibrant health but somehow lacking that vital spark. "The search for joy in this business becomes harder and harder," he told delegates, observing that intrinsic suspicion of business associates means that the industry has become 'caked in mistrust'.

Looking ahead, Leighton-Pope called for venues to embrace diversification ("too many days are being spent in the dark") and asked for delegates to be vocal if the event is to be shaped more in their own image.

CHAIRMAN'S COMMENT:
I can't keep singing the same song. I have to be a bit controversial - that's how I am. I'm happy to admit that it's my opinion, but you're going to listen to it because I'm up here and you're not.
And if you want to be up here, stand up and get a microphone, and tell me to shut the fuck up!

But it is very difficult to get panellists and find people who are prepared to stand up and work the ILMC. I've almost got to say that if this is really what the ILMC has become...why not relax with what we have and become slightly more dictatorial? An awful lot of people [may be] saying that I don't like this, but if they're not telling you what they want, it gets very boring.

[Last year] we had Live8, which was great, and we had Live Nation, which was also great but the truth is that it's business as usual. The difference is that we are in an extraordinarily successful period it's the '80s all over again, and we are flying.

(Room 4, Lower Ground Floor, Royal Garden)
Chairman: Peter Elliott (Primary / Decked-Out!, UK)

The panel considered the possibilities afforded by the growth of dance music in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America, while taking stock of the long-term decline evident in previously buoyant markets like the UK and Germany.