Music Futures announce first wave of speakers for 2015 conference

27 July 2015 - Press release

Joe Harland (Radio 1 and 1xtra) / Simon Cole (7 Digital) / Chris Price (New Slang Media) / Kim Bayley (Entertainment Retailers Association) / Martin Talbot (Official Charts Company) / Melanie Armstrong (HMV) / Lee Morrison (Believe Digital) / Alison Donald (Columbia Music UK) / Jim Chancellor (Fiction and Caroline International) / Caroline Elleray (Universal Music Publishing) / Tim Ingham (Music Business Worldwide)

Further panellists to be announced shortly

Thursday 12^th November 2015

Sage Gateshead // St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR

Early Bird Tickets £80 + VAT

Generator has today announced an initial stellar line up of panellists for the Music Futures Conference set to take place at Sage Gateshead on Thursday 12^th November.

Having already promised that this will be the most significant gathering of music business leaders, strategic thinkers and industry experts they have been shaping a programme that looks to discover what is next for one of the UK’s most productive creative industries. The following panel themes and line ups look certain to live up to the high standards promised so far.

First up, Joe Harland (Head of Visualisation, Radio 1 and 1Xtra) and Simon Cole (CEO of 7 Digital) are lined up alongside panel curator and moderator Chris Price of New Slang Media to discuss ‘The Rebirth of Radio’.

2015 has been the year radio was redefined, with the tech giants hitherto serving up algorithmic ‘radio lite’, have started to take curation and presentation seriously, with Apple poaching Radio 1’s star music broadcaster Zane Lowe along with several of the station’s top producers.

This panel explores the fascinating space where broadcast and Internet radio collide. How have listener habits changed? Who are the most exciting players in this space? What is Radio 1 doing to remain relevant to young listeners in the smartphone era? What does it mean for labels and promotion?

In recognition of the increasing influence that streaming is having on consumption and distribution models Music Futures, will also explore ‘The Future of Retail’ from all aspects including the affect this will have on downloads, physical record stores and of course the vinyl revival. Already confirmed to take part in this discussion are Kim Bayley (CEO of the Entertainment Retailers Association), Martin Talbot (MD of The Official Charts Company), Melanie Armstrong (Director of Music Category, HMV) and Lee Morrison (General Manager UK, Believe Digital).

With recent reports suggesting that A&R in the UK are lazy, underperforming as they are too reliant on data and aren’t getting to the real core of art – the music, the conference will be asking the question Crisis what Crisis? In the light of massive success of British music in the USA is this really the case? Is the record industry spending too much time looking for the big one too quickly and relying on signing artists that already have significant traction? Is it becoming all about getting the deal done and spending little time on long term vision with little or no follow up once acts are signed?

Already signed up for this debate are Alison Donald (Co President of Columbia Music UK), Jim Chancellor (MD, Fiction Records and Joint Managing Director and Head of Music at Caroline International) and Caroline Elleray (Head of A&R, Universal Music Publishing) with Tim Ingham at Music Business Worldwide taking the helm this panel is shaping up to be a miss it if you dare feature of the conference.

With guests still to be announced for the final key panel theme, ‘Music Publishing in the Digital Age – Are things about to become a lot clearer?’ and a whole host of further names for ‘in conversation’ sessions, insight presentations and roundtable discussions, Music Futures is definitely setting its stall out as the UK’s most important industry event of the year.

As Generator CEO, Jim Mawdsley comments, “We aim to make this the must attend conference for the UK Music Industry and as such have aimed high to encourage a line-up of senior music industry executives to take part in panels and debated that will look over the horizon on where we are all heading too. We are also adding to our strong line up of partners and with HMV, the Musicians’ Union on board as sponsors and Music Week, Music Business Worldwide, Music Ally and Motive Unknown working on the conference content with us, we are really pleased at the response we have so far been shown by everyone we have invited to attend and with much more to come this is definitely proving to be the must attend event of the year.”