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Former PRS man to head up dance sector’s trade body
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 22 May 2014
As the dance music sector’s big IMS event kicked off in Ibiza yesterday, the Association For Electronic Music announced the appointment of its first CEO in the form of Mark Lawrence, formerly Director Of Membership at UK collecting society PRS For Music.
As previously reported, the AFEM launched at MIDEM in 2013 bringing together players from across the music business – including labels, agents, managers, promoters and lawyers – who have a dance music focus. The group’s new CEO will report into co-founders Ben Turner and Kurosh Nasseri.
Confirming the appointment, Turner – also co-founder of IMS – told CMU: “We have defined the mission of AFEM, our founding board members and ambassadors have demonstrated their support. It is now Mark’s responsibility to help us turn AFEM into an effective advocacy body which delivers real benefits to members”.
Lawrence, who worked in banking before joining PRS (or technically MCPS) in 2004, and who led the rights body’s Amplify campaign designed to better connect the society with the dance music community, added: “I am delighted and honoured to have been selected by Ben and Kurosh to run this organisation. AFEM has the opportunity to be something amazing – a global electronic music organisation representing everyone from labels to DJs to promoters to publishers, small or large, young or old. I am committed to turning that vision into reality”.
