The International Live Music Conference - Issue 31 - ILMC 19 / February 2007 [Provisional Agenda]

Welcome to a special ‘agenda’ edition of ILMC eNews.

They say that every Mafioso has an agenda. Well ours is bigger and slicker than anybody’s. In fact, it’s packing so much punch that we’ve devoted an entire issue of eNews to it.

There’s just two weeks to go until the 'Godfather of live music conferences' opens its doors, its books, and a considerable amount of hooch. Below you’ll find the provisional agenda, which may be subject to slight alteration, so for final confirmation, cast an eye to your Globetrotters Guide on arrival.

Thursday, 8th March

12:30 – 18:00
Association Meetings
Once again, the ILMC will be providing some of the music industry’s most influential associations with complimentary rooms for their private meetings.

12:30 – 17:00
European Live Music Forum (ELMF)

13:00 – 17:00
International Association of Assembly Managers, Inc.(IAAM, Europe)

14:00 – 18:00
International Jazz Festivals Organisation (IJFO)

10:30 – 17:30
Association Meetings
For a second day, the ILMC will provide complimentary rooms for some of the music industry’s key associations to hold private meetings.

12:30 – 13:00
New Delegates’ Orientation
Alia Dann and Greg Parmley will extend a warm welcome to ILMC newcomers and explain how the conference is structured and how to get the best out of it. This informal session aims to educate new friends of ours, and encourage active participation in all aspects of the conference.

15:00 – 15:15
Flight Attendant’s Briefing
The Capo di Tutti Frutti, Martin 'Babyface' Hopewell, welcomes all of the Family heads, new Dons, wiseguys and girls to begin ILMC19. Leave your piece at the door of Room 1 and prepare for a truly memorable weekend.

15:15 – 17:00
Talking Shop
Chairman: Carl Leighton-Pope (LPO, UK)
Traditionally the best attended ILMC session, this audience with the Pope, or should we say, the Godfather, will consider the events of 2006 that have had an impact on the live industry and in many cases suggested the themes for the Conference. Referring to his well-thumbed diary, Carl Leighton-Pope, in his usual ‘take no prisoners’ fashion, will review the prospects for the ILMC weekend and for the business in 2007 and possibly beyond. No doubt recent US talent company incursions into London territory will feature, and the man wearing the wire informs us that certain surprises may lie in store!

The Emerging Markets’ Place: ‘Merging Markets’
Chairmen: Serge Grimaux (Ticketpro, Czech Republic) and T. Venkat Vardhan (DNA Networks, India)
What is the actual value of emerging markets, both now and potentially? Can a third-world income ever really support a first-worldprice tag? And with immigrant populations moving to the West, home-grown shows crossing borders and cultural cross-fertilisation ingeneral, is it more a case of ‘merging markets’? For the first time, our co-chairmen will incorporate tangible figures, market analysis and a smattering of technology into this perennial favourite, examining the growth potential in Central Europe, India and beyond.

The Engine Room: ‘Carrying the (Par) Can’
Chairmen: Chrissy Uerlings (Peter Rieger Konzertagentur, Germany) and Andy Lenthal (Production Services Association, UK)
When a touring production lands at a gig, the local promoter lacks detailed knowledge of the show’s development but is bound by local law, and health & safety guidelines. What happens when something goes wrong and who is liable?

We’re fusing our regular production and safety slots together, and will be developing both themes to include traditional bugbears between the promoter and the tour/production manager. Also on the table is the sell-off of radio wavelengths vital to live work, noise in the workplace and the escalating costs of a production and its subsequent effect on ticket prices.

The Grown-ups Room: ‘Protection Rackets and Revenue Men’
Chairmen: Martin Goebbels (ESR Insurance Services,UK) and Dick Molenaar (All Arts Tax Advisors, The Netherlands) No matter how streamlined the industry becomes, and how well we plan, the unexpected lurks around the corner. In the last few years, wars, terrorism and litigation from all sides have taken us by surprise – how do we cover ourselves? The expected can also cause us grief, and the taxman excels in this. We need champions to represent us and fight our corners; the recent scrapping of withholding tax in the Netherlands bodes well for similar moves in other territories. Led by our well-respected resident ‘consiglieres’, we discuss ‘taking care of business’.

The Green Room: ‘Cleaning Up Our Act’
Chairman: Geoff Ellis (DF Concerts, Scotland)
A year ago, phrases like “carbon footprint” and “sustainable development” were unheard of, but with the cost of environmental damage and global warming grabbing more headlines than ever, the live industry has to fall into line. Increasing demand from consumers and artists now means that all sectors of the industry must be arming themselves for the imminent green wars. Carbon-neutral festivals, rainwater caches, elliptical turbines and bio-fuel-driven buses… welcome to Live’s green future.

Sponsorship: ‘Putting the ‘R’ into ‘Bands’’
Chairman: Richard Taylor (Michael Simkins LLP, UK)
Branding and sponsorship is now an integral part of today’s business. The ever-increasing presence of the blue chips is altering the industry, whether it’s buying venues, as tour partners or an unquenchable thirst for content. How do the brands themselves see the future of live music events and can a tour or event now exist without them? We’ve invited telecoms providers and other big names along to try and determine just where the thick end of the wedge stops.

Music Publishing: ‘The Collectors’
Chairman: Malcolm Buckland (PRS, UK)
Diminishing record sales result in less mechanical royalties for publishers and writers, and as a result, more attention is paid to the collection of PRS accrued from concerts. Are these collections a one-way financial street? Publishers and competing societies argue that without their writers there would be no concerts, but when a promoter is effectively paying an act to TV advertise a show, who really wins? Many new deals are seeing the previously ‘ring-fenced’ publisher/writer income become part of the pot. Why shouldn’t this income contribute to the tour support shortfall no longer provided by the record companies? ‘The Collectors’ investigate possible new understandings and working relationships.

The Festival Forum: ‘Turf Wars’
Chairmen: Toffen Gunnufsen (Hovefestival, Norway) and Melvin Benn (Mean Fiddler, UK)

This regular meeting place knuckles down on the ever-expanding festival market. As some festivals continue to boom and sell-out in record time, smaller, more targeted events are also thriving. There is still competition for acts but common problems and considerations – legislation, green issues, an excess of events etc – give continued reasons for inter-event cooperation. Last year, proposals for an association of ‘long-range’ festivals were put forward, and the panel will examine its progress alongside the ongoing relationships with agents, artists and an audience travelling further than ever for festival magic.

The Venue’s Venue: ‘Casing Da Joints’
Chairmen: Geoff Huckstep (Nottingham Arena, UK) and
Don Elford (Acer Arena, Australia)
In our annual discussion about the state of the venues market, we’ll be throwing corporate sponsorship and naming rights into the mix, along with a look at the real costs of hiring a venue and the share of income at shows. Is it fair that, in most cases, the venue takes a large percentage of artist merchandise income but won’t split profits from food, beverage and parking? Skill shortages, bootlegging and the impact on local economies are all slated for discussion, capped with a look at the NAA and EAA statistics for the previous year.

Meet the ELMF
Chairman: Peter Jenner (ELMF)
Meet the ELMF (European Live Music Forum) is a chance to find out exactly why this pan-European association has proved itself so worthy so quickly. As well as a general introduction to the association’s aims and initiatives, topics slated for discussion will include progress in the withholding tax field, Health & Safety issues, and the escalating problems with visas and work permits for artists working within and outside of Europe. Also on the agenda is a discussion regarding the need for EU support to develop cross-border trade for artists, particularly during the early stages of their careers.

Meet the New Boss: ‘The Control Panel’
Chairman: Cris Hearn (Primary Talent International, UK)
From the new promotional worlds of MySpace and YouTube, to virtual communities like Second Life; through ticketing, webcasting, podcasting, live life is changing. And who better to discuss the new dawn of technology than the new bosses themselves? Just how will us analogue humans exploit these multiplying mediums while keeping our fingers on the ever-changing techno pulse? Self-professed techno geek Cris Hearn leads an all star cast of professionals who’ll guide even the most techno-phobic delegate into a world of next-generation business tools, promotion and iRiches.

Showbusiness: ‘Trade it for a Sack of Gold…?’
Chairmen: Matthias Müller (Avo Session, Switzerland)
and Koen Melis (Stage Entertainment, The Netherlands)
When you really can be in three places at one time, who wouldn’t want to tour with family, dance and theatre shows? The benefits of touring these shows are clear: without a star you’re free from tantrums, demands, illness and high fees, so just how different is booking a show when the production, not the faces are famous? With the absence of an artist, a whole different mechanic of touring appears and this regular ILMC session is a must for anyone looking to diversify away from the traditional artist-led shows.

The Breakfast Meeting with Doc McGhee
Host-with-the-most: Ed Bicknell (William Morris, UK)
For the truly fatigued, this might be a chance to sleep off the excesses of the previous evening, but for many, it’s the highlight of the conference. Fresh from opening William Morris’s new London office, the eminent raconteur, Don Ed Bicknell will be firing questions to an exceedingly special guest.

Seminal American manager Doc McGhee has sculpted the careers of a diverse group of artists including James Brown, Mink DeVille, Scorpions and Diana Ross. He founded the careers of Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Skid Row and reunited Kiss for their ‘96-’97 Alive worldwide tour. Collectively, his artists have sold over 250 million albums and his road stories are the stuff of legend. Expect the fastest hour and a half of the weekend.

Special Interest Meetings
Three private rooms will be kept free for meetings of your choice on a first-come, first-served basis. To book, shift your meat to the help desk during the weekend for more info.

The Booking Ring: ‘Wise Guys Go Straight.’
Chairmen: Nick Hobbs (Charmenko, Turkey) and Peter Elliott (Primary Talent)
Sharpening the thread of ‘opening da books’, we’ll be focusing on transparency and the law. What are the promoter’s obligations to the artist? What are the agent’s and manager’s obligations to the promoter? It might seem like an open and shut case, but throw in force majeure, disputes, contracts, riders and cancellations and see how many cans of worms start opening up. Throw in some issues of ‘honesty’ and this ILMC favourite looks to be more of a boxing ring than a Booking Ring.

The Sunday Supplement: ‘The Financial Pages’
Chairman: Allan McGowan (ILMC, UK)
Just when most sensible people are relaxing with the papers and looking forward to Sunday lunch, IQ’s Allan McGowan considers the outcome of the weekend’s panels. The session is a chance for delegates to make observations or provide insight on any of the conference’s topics, and borrowing from the Sunday papers’ financial pages, Allan will be questioning how, in such a volatile business, we maintain financial stability. Do we dabble in other areas, or have some of us developed methods to balance our commercial risks?

Special Interest Meetings
The final conference slot for private meetings – check in at the Help Desk for more info, or to book.

An Audience with Da Boss
Chairman: Feargal Sharkey (Live Music Forum, UK)
Are we taking our customers for granted? Fresh from his stint on the Live Music Forum, chairman, Feargal Sharkey will be welcoming a ‘punter panel’ comprised of audience members and those qualified to speak on behalf of the audience. How does new technology affect audience choice? How does branding affect their experience? Would they pay more for a festival ticket if the event was environmentally friendly? Part consumer research and part in keeping with the weekend’s ‘transparency’ theme, this session will be asking the ticket buyers for their views on the subjects covered throughout the conference.

‘The ILMC: Part 19’ Autopsy
If he hasn’t been bumped off, iced or burnt, Martin ‘Babyface’ Hopewell leads a sit down to chew over the weekend, relive the highs and bury the lows (along with the odd wayward delegate). The Autopsy is an opportunity for wise guys to make a few final points, and to give feedback and suggestions on the conference itself. It’s a round up with enough calories to keep your Sicilian grandmother happy, and should bring the formal proceedings to a timely end as the books are closed for another year.

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