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Great Escape networking sessions confirmed, plus vote in YMCAs

By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 3 May 2012

More details about the networking sessions at this year’s CMU-programmed Great Escape Convention have been announced. As well as the packed schedule of panels, debates and interviews that take place during the UK’s premiere music business conference, there are also numerous opportunities to meet, network and do business with other delegates from all over the world.

Three networking sessions will focus on different strands of the industry, with Meet The Distributors (Thursday am), Meet The Agents (Thursday pm) and Meet The Bookers (Friday am). Leading players from the UK distribution, booking agency and gig promotion sectors will be on hand to meet with those delegates interested in these services. Each session will include an hour of formal speed meetings, and an hour of informal networking open to all. For more information and to sign up, anyone with a Great Escape delegates pass should check this page here.

In addition to that little lot, for UK delegates there is UK Trade & Investment’s International Networking Sessions on Friday afternoon. As the official blurb says: “Meet a label from Japan, an agent from the States or a festival promoter from China – over 20 key international industry reps are on hand to talk about their markets and how to do business there”. Delivered in association with the Association Of Independent Music, UK-based TGE delegates interested in participating in this session should e-mail [email protected].

Finally, on a digital theme, this year’s convention programme will include a Digital Pitch Party and Digital Demo Party. At the former on Thursday afternoon, various companies who offer digital services for artists and labels will each make an elevator pitch and take questions via Twitter. Each pitcher will also bring a drink of their choice to the party which they believe represents their company. Once all the pitching is done, more informal networking will take place as all the drink is drunk.

The Digital Demo Party on Saturday afternoon will offer a more relaxed environment where both consumer-facing digital platforms and those offering digital tools for artists and labels can demo their products. Look out for more information of those companies taking part at in the next few days at www.escapegreat.com/networking

Finally from the TGE desk today, the shortlists are out for the Yearly Music Conference Awards. As previously reported, with The Great Escape taking place towards the end of the city-based showcase festival season, and as the music industry prepares to head to the fields for the big summer events, the YMCAs look back at the year just gone. Presented at a ticket-only brunch as part of the final day of the convention, the awards are also a chance for those agents, managers, bookers, business owners and export offices who visit many of these events, not to mention the people who organise them, to come together to eat, drink and be merry, and discuss the highs (and lows) of the music year.

The YMCAs committee has selected the shortlists for all of this year’s prizes, and wants the input of music types to decide the winners of eight categories. Shortlists and details of how to vote are online at www.theCMUwebsite.com/ymcas.

The CMU-programmed Great Escape Convention takes place next week from 10-12 May in Brighton, along the 300 artists+ Great Escape festival. For the full convention schedule click here, and for the full Great Escape festival line-up click here. You will also find an overview of the convention programme from CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke here. And delegate passes, if you haven’t already got one, are a bargain at £150 and available right here.