After celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the ILMC is raising delegate numbers to top 1,000 for the first time in 2009. The increase comes after another successful event which saw 940 delegates from 96 countries gather in London last month

“We had a record attendance this year and at the end of the weekend it was unanimously agreed that we needn’t have turned so many people away,” says conference head Martin Hopewell. >>more

With the traditionally informal nature of professional development in live music, a company offering a paid contract for management training even before a job offer is unheard of. But, according to UK crowd management specialists Showsec, it’s the way forward.

Formalising an operational career path within the security industry, Showsec has launched a managerial academy, offering a year-long mix of classroom and vocational training. The company is so convinced of the importance of the Showsec Academy that it’s committing a significant chunk of company turnover to the plan. >>more

After promotional work at the ILMC, it looks as though SMG Europe’s new client – Bolton Arena – might shortly be adding itself to the UK arena map for live music events.

SMG Europe has been appointed by the 9,000-capacity venue to attract, manage and advise on its repositioning as a live music venue. The £15million (€19m) arena opened in 2001 but until now has been used as a centre of sport excellence. >>more

By trying to poach his clients during a company changeover, the action of rival insurance brokers has backfired, gaining insurance broker Martin Goebbels two new accounts.

When a company director working in the credit and bonds division of ESR Insurance Services was suspected of having acted fraudulently, the management alerted the Financial Services Authority, who in turn called the police. Finally, administrators were appointed in February. >>more

North American-based companies will spend an estimated $1.04billion (€0.66b) to sponsor music venues, festivals and tours this year, a 4% increase from $1b (€0.63b) in 2007, according to Chicago-based IEG Sponsorship Report.

The increase is partly due to bundled offerings for sponsorships such as Citigroup’s Citi Cards multi-year deal with Live Nation that was announced in February and includes tour presentation and venue naming rights, pre-sale ticket offers and VIP hospitality. >>more

Vince Power’s return to the UK festival market is the first step in creating a string of strategic alliances and partnerships across Europe for “back-to-back” outdoor events.

When Power sold the Mean Fiddler Music Group to Live Nation and Irish promoter Denis Desmond in 2005, he signed a three-year non-competition clause, and focussed instead on purchasing a share of Benicassim Festival in Spain (in 2006), and opening a string of London nightclubs. >>more

AEG Live has confirmed the first show via its new Middle Eastern office with former Mirage Promotions’ GM Thomas Ovesen – a Bon Jovi concert in association with the Government of Abu Dhabi and Mubadala.

 

Ovesen left Mirage in January this year, shortly before Live Nation purchased a 65% share in the promotion company. His much rumoured move to AEG Live was announced last month, seeing the two largest global promoters both move into the Middle East almost simultaneously.

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A report into the UK music industry has quantified the extent of its carbon emissions and made a clear set of recommendations on what must be done to reduce its carbon footprint by between 60% and 80% by 2050, in line with European directives.

 

The report, titled First Step, was commissioned by music industry greening group Julie’s Bicycle (JB) and compiled by the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. It has revealed that the live music industry was responsible for 65% of the UK music industry’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2007.

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The actions of a rogue South African promoter have bankrupted a ticketing agency and forced his competitors to take out adverts to reassure ticket buyers about their own shows.

Duncan Heafield, head of Kusasa Commodities Entertainment, was arrested earlier this month on multiple fraud charges, and according to a series of stories in Pollstar, Heafield is being pursued by numerous creditors including investors and suppliers, and some of the 40,000 fans who purchased tickets for a cancelled Josh Groban tour. >>more

As part of a plan to establish a pan-European network of classical music promotion offices, Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG) has purchased a 75% stake in UK promoter Raymond Gubbay for an estimated amount of close to £10million (€12.4m).

DEAG has worked closely with Raymond Gubbay for several years, and according to CEO Peter Schwenkow, it’s a good match: “We want to increase our activities in classical music, so Raymond Gubbay was perfect,” he says. “It’s a sound company and a very profitable business, but they do not have the superstars in classical music which we can bring.” >>more