THREE DAYS THAT NO ONE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY CAN AFFORD
TO MISS OUR RUNNING ORDER OF TOPICS, TIMES & TRUTHS

Conference Panel Website Links - Click here!

Thursday August 2:Dealmaking Without Digits - Music Business Techniques But No Technology

Though Internet & digi-distribution is revolutionising our industry, the first day's two keynotes & four panels focus on pure business realities of music trends, artists, deals, & where the future lies.

Following a keynote address by a major artist, our panel of top recording and performing artists discuss the issues facing them now & in the near future. Is our local market sufficient to sustain them? Is touring desirable or even necessary? Radio airplay, TV exposure & new media outlets--are they real or an illusion? Are we heading to reality TV and manufactured pop bands or is there a new genre waiting to happen? Are we ignoring our local songwriters in favour of overseas tunesmiths? And what are our new markets for music--film, tv, commercials, games, compilations, or are our markets shrinking?

SPEAKERS: Tim Farriss (INXS), Paul Mac, Diesel, Andy Van (Madison Avenue), Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), Dave Gleeson (The Screaming Jets), Neil Pike (Pagan Love Cult), Sarah McLeod (Superjesus), Iva Davies, Phil Tripp is moderating

We've assembled some of the most experienced and newer artist managers to deal with the issues from their level of the industry. The transition from self-managed artists to fully represented; changing responsibilities & terms of relationships including artist/manager loyalty; how to handle record company and publisher demands balanced with local or overseas touring & promotion; going corporate as managers and as artists; new tax laws and other regulations--are they killing the industry? And is there a shortage of good managers that impedes Australian artists making the leap to overseas markets?

SPEAKERS: Millie Millgate, John Watson, Heath Bradby, Carlene Albronda, Kim Thomas, Grant Thomas

After a keynote, our top executives in major or independent record and publishing companies discuss the future of music as it merges into the entertainment software industry. They'll also point the way to the future in light of corporate buyouts, consolidations and mergers, the effects of file swapping erosion and digital distribution potential. It's our most compelling & controversial panel.

SPEAKERS: Paul Dickson, Matthew Donlevy, Shaun James, John Sackson, Jon Satterley, David Williams

Our incredible A&R panel includes the top talent scouts for record companies & publishers as well as a major label business affairs manager plus a leading music business lawyer. What stimulates the tastes of the talent seekers and what turns them off? How to get noticed in a herd of artists and a stampede of demos? And once pursued, how to close the deal without losing out to bad negotiating tactics or dumb strategies. Also getting the best deal for the money without losing the name, credibility & spirit of the artist--the art of buying in rather than selling out!

SPEAKERS: Peter Billing, John O'Donnell, John Watson, Adrian Fitz-Alan, Paul Baylis, Brett Oaten, Peter Karpin

Friday August 3: Music & Entertainment Media Online - Where Music & Technology Converge

This is the second level day for enabled & empowered music professionals. It combines business & technology--internet/ interactive marketing, media, e-tail, airplay & digital distribution of music.

DOWNLOADING DISPOSABLE SONGS VS DIGITALLY DISTRIBUTING COMMERCIAL MUSIC AM10:40-11:50

Just a year after Napster hit the courts, a dozen new file swapping methods make songs a musical toilet paper via the Net while the major labels are rolling out their Œpay-for-play' business models. Can we effectively battle sonic shoplifting free music with legal sticks while dangling carrots of greatest hits, custom compilations, subscription services and other digital distribution methods to the consumer? How can you profit from new pipelines & not lose your songs forever? What's working now & what will work in the future?

SPEAKERS: Richard Clarkson, Simon Vella, Andrew Hoppe, Richard Mallett, Bruce Haring, Ted Cohen, Charles Caldas

Publicity, promotion, advertising, sales and marketing are all being remodeled for the combined online and traditional ways of pushing music & artists to consumers. Just being wired is not enough to overcome the power & spend of major companies in the combined environments of mainstream or new media. What are the secrets to making an online presence attract eyeballs and combining it with an offline drive to sell product? Case studies of successful campaigns, tips & techniques of survivors and penetrating media by industry experts will turn you into a self-evangelist!

SPEAKERS: Tessa Morris, Jon Simon, Beth Appleton, Eric Persijn, Jon Satterley

While small retailers are still disappearing from the streets, etailers--once the next big thing--are joining dot.com victims of unsustained e-commerce. This panel mates the survivors of the online retail wars with their bricks Œn' mortar counterparts. Add some key distribution figures from the fulfilment sector and see where last year's predictions met this year's result and coming years' projections. Where do your recordings & other products fit into the future?

SPEAKERS: Ken Outch, Rob Appel, Gavin Ward, Drew Jorgensen

A couple of years ago, online radio was hyped to be the saviour of underplayed artists or genres while mainstream broadcasters faced an uncertain future as their licenses and revenue streams were challenged by aspirants and new media. Have the additions of new radio stations and music video channels increased artist expsoure or just rehashed formats? Will online radio recover from its death throes? Will new players and increased competition open up playlists and nurture new music? And are digital TV or radio viable sooner or later as new airplay & sales outlets?

SPEAKERS: Jacquie Riddell, Adam Johnstone, Hamish Cameron, Richard Kingsmill, Mike Summers, moderated by Keith Welsh

Saturday August 4: Power Users - Sites, Rights & Fights - Heavy Entertainment Technology

Digital rights management, e-commerce, P2P, B2B, B2C and all the jargon and buzzwords of technology logistics and legalities. A high end series of seminars on the industry's digital future.

Just out of infancy, streaming is growing as technology & bandwidth expand with concerts, awards programs (like our own ONYA!s) and special events such as festivals becoming daily viewing or listening choices. How big are the audiences and are they worth the budgets expended? What are the players' markets and which one rules the masses or which are missing? What are the markets for stand-alone streaming events and how will they integrate with other media such as radio and TV? Where's the potential? When will it pay?

SPEAKERS: Gary Wisniewski, Mark Muggeridge, Hamish Cameron, Frank Arrigo, Phil Dempster

With the launch of Wiredrecords.com here, the same sort of promises & problems that happened with overseas legit downloads happened but when will the experimental move mainstream? With competing & conflicting digital rights management programs and the need for secure, simple payment procedures, how will the consumer take to getting their music without packaging direct to home or office? What are the impediments to growth in this fast-evolving digital distribution business model? Is it fast and convenient enough to launch or too early?

SPEAKERS: Frank Arrigo, Richard Mallett, Richard Clarkson, Greg Melloy, moderated by Chris Gilbey

Anywhere, anytime and any device--digital downloads, streaming events and broadband access are all mobile commerce promises that the telecommunications companies, mobile phone manufacturers & PDA/computer gurus are hyping. Beyond personal ringtones and SMS messaging, will we accept our entertainment & information in motion? How secure is music over devices & how viable is broadband to tiny screens? Who's paying for the investment in this new medium and who's going to pay the bill down the track?

SPEAKERS: Chris Flintoft, Jonathan Skelly, Tarquin Swift, Andrew Hoppe, moderated by Chris Gilbey

DVD, DVD-AUDIO, MiniDisc, HipZips, Memory Sticks, DataPlay Discs, CD-ROM, CD-RW... what is the consumer going to accept as the new hard carrier? Is the consumer suffering format fatigue or are they ready to accept a tinier carrier of music, video and information? This session looks at what's worked, what's planned and how these will integrate with digital delivery of audio/video properties in a protected commercial market. From designer CDs to digital kiosks in retail stores or at airports, will consumers opt to create their own on the run or rip, mix & burn free at home?

SPEAKERS: John Pin, Paul Ibbotson, Jim Taig, Bear Stanley, Bill Lee, Brett Campbell