Venues Day 2017 Rounded Off With Announcement Of Financial Support From Sony Music UK

20 October 2017 - Press release

Music Venue Trust’s annual networking event Venues Day 2017 took place on 17 October at Ministry of Sound. Attended by over 500 delegates, a successful day of panels, presentations and meetings was rounded off by a game-changing announcement. Sony Music UK is the first major music industry player to commit to financially supporting Music Venue Trust’s work to protect, preserve and improve the nation’s grassroots music venues.

Jason Iley, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music UK said: "Sony is committed to supporting and developing artists from grassroots to festival headliners. We recognise the vital role that grassroots music venues play in that journey, providing an essential platform for artists to be able to take their first steps and develop their audiences. These venues are the heart of our music communities, and we support the work of Music Venue Trust to protect, secure and improve them." 

The charity hopes that this commitment from Sony will encourage further financial support from the key players in the UK music industry. Grassroots music venues are the research and development department of the industry and need to be recognised as such by the companies who reap the rewards of their hard work. Support for Music Venue Trust is growing and developments such as the enthusiastic involvement of agents from 8 of the UK’s top booking agencies in agent and venue speed networking in ‘The Sandbox’ at Venues Day are extremely positive steps forward. However, the sector continues to face huge challenges and Music Venue Trust is struggling to cope with the demands on its limited resources.

“Post Venues Day MVT will be focusing on strengthening music industry relationships and working with our network of venues, the Music Venues Alliance, to fundraise to take forward priorities identified at the event. We hope to have news of Fightback gigs very soon,” stated Strategic Director and Venues Day Producer Beverley Whitrick.