Day 1 - Wednesday 5 October

9.30-onwards - Registration

Welcome Introduction
Dan Silver, MD, Value Added Talent

Full House
10.15-11.15 – Ballroom
Whether they are running clubs or stadia, most venue operators have long-since stopped relying on the next incoming show to decide their fortunes. This session covers the numerous ways that venues can build a powerbase that attracts both audiences and artistes and generates maximum revenue.

Moderator: Mick Wall, Broadcaster & LIVE UK writer

Panellists:
Jim Frayling, Head of Music and New Events, Wembley Stadium
Daryl Robinson, MD National Promotions, HMV/MAMA Group
Carl Bathgate, Commercial Development Manager, Academy Music Group
Ian Congdon, Arena Sales Manager, Echo Arena Liverpool
Cymon Eckel, Co-founder, XOYO

Rights to Royalty
10.55-11.40 – Berkley
With PRS For Music’s rates review in abeyance, the focus moves to PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd), which is in consultation with proposals to dramatically increase rates when a DJ plays the tunes. This session will discuss what sums are fair for the performers and labels, as well as the song-writers, to earn from live shows and club nights? 

Moderator: David Messer, DMP

Panellists:
Steve Forster, MD, VMS Live
Anton Lockwood, Promotions Director, DHP Group
Jonathan Smith, Managing Partner, Poppleston Allen
Keoghan Litchfield, Acting Head of Commercial Team, PRS for Music

 11.40-12.00 Coffee break

Masters of the Universe
12.00-12.50 – Ballroom
Despite two giant US booking agencies opening in London, it is still British agents that dominate the global touring business, working across more countries than their American cousins and constantly helping to open new markets, whether it be Vietnam, Tunisia or Ecuador. Top players explain how they do it.

Moderator: Sarah Waddington, Lawyer & Consultant.

Panellists:
Rob Hallett, President of International Touring, AEG Live
Paul Boswell, MD, Free Trade Agency
Geoff Meall, MD, The Agency Group
Jeff Craft, Co-founder, X-ray Touring
Dave Chumbley, Senior Agent, Primary Talent International

 
The Production
Lunch Sessions

Supported by The Event Production Show
and the Production Services Association

Two sessions – one each side of lunch; the first will focus on the radio frequency issue, which threatens huge swathes of the live entertainment sector; the second will review safety procedures for stage structures and crowd management, in light of recent tragedies overseas.

Wireless Warning – Situation Critical
12.00-12.50 – Gloucester
Wireless microphones, in-ear monitors and wireless instruments are the norm and taken for granted in most productions these days – with artistes such as  U2, Take That and Madonna, as well as West End musicals, using scores of radio links. This panel reviews the Government and Ofcom's spectrum policy, the radio frequency sell-off and warns that, if the industry doesn’t wake up and fight it's corner, there are potentially disastrous consequences.

 1.00-2.30pm  -  Sumptuous Buffet Lunch

Re-assessing the Risk
2.30-3.20 – Ballroom
Extreme and unpredictable weather conditions have reeked havoc at festivals in North American and in Europe, resulting in deaths and scores of injuries. Despite all our precautions in the UK, is it just luck that we have escaped a similar event here. Work on at least one festival site was halted for several hours this summer, when extreme winds made it unsafe to continue. This panel reviews recent events and the safety measures on place to protect both festival-goers and production crews.

Moderator:  Andy Lenthall, General Manager, Production Services Association

Panellists:
Tim Roberts, Director, The Event Safety Shop

3.20-3.45 Coffee break

The NXT Sessions

Focusing on the business people who drive the unsigned and emerging artiste sector, ensuring a future for the industry.

Making the Most of DIY
2.30-3.20 – Gloucester
Reviewing the plethora of tools and resources available for launching and developing new artistes, from ticketing, downloads and social networking to tour packaging, fan club development and merchandising.

Panellists:
Joel De’ath, Manager, Mythophonic Music Management
Mark Meharry, Co-founder, Music Glue

What’s in a Name?
2.30-3.20 – Berkley
Building a brand identity can be just as important for a club and indie promoter as it is for a venue chain or arena. Creating a business image that is stronger than the artiste has huge advantages. So who’s done it, who’s doing it and how does it work? 

Panellists:
Andy MacLeod, Co-founder, Club Fandango
David Stopps, MD, FML International
Tony Moore, Manager, The Bedford
Dan Monsell, Head of Live, Rockfeedback 

Tech Talk                                                                       3.45-4.30 – Berkley
This is an informal meet and greet with some key people pioneering web tools and technological solutions within live show and music marketing and promotion. Expect presentations, discussions and Q&A opportunities.

 
The Discovery Panel
3.45-4.30 – Gloucester
Promoters and agents who used to rely on labels to deliver new talent are having to resort to other methods, as the labels reassess their business models. So with more people involved in the process of A&R, how’s it working? This panel brings together talent-spotting agents, promoters, A&R scouts and artiste managers.

Panellists:
Emma Hogan, Agent, ITB
Ally Wolf, Promotions Manager, The Old Queen’s Head/The Nest
Kerry Harvey-Piper, Co-founder, Red Grape Records
Matty Hall, Head of Bookings, The Lexington

Selling the Show
3.45-5.15 – Ballroom
An ever-increasingly dynamic force in live music, especially in light of Vivendi’s recent takeover of See Tickets, the ticketing sector is the first point of contact for the public and, on many occasions, even beats the promoter for gross receipts.

This session commences with Last Second Tickets' Zoie Gibson reviewing the dramatic surge in mobile phone ticketing and associated marketing, and reveals the company’s ground-breaking deal with telecoms provider Orange.

Then, in two parts, the panel first discusses the latest developments and thinking across the board. Part two focuses on what appears to be a growing consensus against touting and the resale sector - is it justified, or should secondary ticketing now simply be accepted as part of the mix?

Moderator: Mick Wall , Broadcaster & LIVE UK writer

Panellists:
Steve Roest, European Business Development Manager, Viagogo
Will Quekett, General Manager, The Ticket Factory
Dan Silver, MD, Value Added Talent
Matt McNeill, Partner, eTickets
Paul Stacey, Director, Fatsoma Ltd

Who Dares Wins

In association with the Music Managers Forum
4.40-5.30 – Gloucester
Leadership, mental agility, tactical and strategic skills, endurance, stamina and the courage to forge ahead when all around you are saying ‘no way dude’  … managing artistes is not for the faint-hearted. This panel assesses the challenges faced by those brave souls who do.

Moderator:  Jon Webster, CEO, Music Managers Forum

Panellists:
Laura Taylor, Manager, Everybody's Management
Hiroki Shirasuka, Co-director, Giant Men Management

Day 2 - Thursday 6 October

9.30-onwards - Registration

Maximum Exposure
10.25-11.25 – Ballroom
The coverage of live music in the media, and especially on television, has never been greater and the music industry as a whole benefits enormously from the exposure. This session explores whether the media is simply meeting consumer demand or helping to create it, and asks what can the live sector do to maintain interest?

Panellists:
Stuart Williams, MD, Bauer Media (Q, Mojo, Kerrang!, Empire)
Ben Chapman, BBC

 
Good Causes and Effect
10.30-11.30 – Berkley
While parts of the music industry have supported various charitable organisations in gaining public profile and solutions to sensitive issues, the charities themselves have also found live music events a highly successful vehicle to further their causes. This panel brings together key players to heighten awareness of their activities.

Panellists:
Andy Page, Director of Fundraising, CRISIS
Gideon Feldman, Project Manager, Attitude is Everything
Katie Alcott, Founder/Director, FRANK Water Projects

11.30-11.50 Coffee break

 
Branding Integrity
10.55-11.40 – Gloucester
Certain sectors of the live music industry would be a lot poorer – in more ways than one – without the support of consumer brands. As well as cash, they bring marketing and creative input and the more pro-active ones help to drive new music initiatives. So with brands now part of the family, how can we improve relations yet further?

Panellists:
Jasmine Skee, Head of Music Sponsorship, O2

Mass Movement
11.50-12.50 - Ballroom
This session focuses on the fan – the source of 90+ per cent of the live music industry’s revenue, from tickets, merchandise and concessions, to instant recordings to live show downloads. Delivering value for money and keeping their goodwill is vital to the industry, so are they really getting the care and attention they deserve? 

Panellists:
Jeremy Goldsmith, MD, Event Merchandising
Steve Jenner, Digital Director, Kilimanjaro Live

Criminal In-tent
12.00-12.40 – Berkley
Criminal gangs, fraudsters working across multiple platforms and mere chancers trying to beat security are targeting festivals and their campsites, to exploit music fans at their most relaxed. This panel reviews the initiatives set up to combat criminal activity by festival organisers and the police, who are working ever more closely together.

Moderator: Mike Gartside, Senior Writer, LIVE UK

Panellists:
Kevin Walker, Detective Constable, Leicestershire Police
Reg Walker, Operations Director, Iridium Consultancy
Steve Daly, Operations Director, ID&C Ltd

 1.00-2.30pm Sumptuous Buffet Lunch

Licensed to Play
2.45-3.45 – Gloucester
With an anti-red tape initiative just launched by the Conservative Government, Labour MP Sharon Hodgson campaigning against secondary ticketing and Lib-Dem Lord Clement Jones’ live music bill successfully passing through the House of Lords, the opportunities for change are there. This panel features leading interested parties from politics and the live sector.

Panellists:
Sharon Hodgson MP (Labour)
Hamish Birchall, Campaigner and Musician
John King, Campaigner and Musician

Digital Future of Festival

                                                                                                             2.45-3.10 - Ballroom
The leading website for festival fans presents a festival season review video, highlights from the Virtual Festivals’ annual  census and digital solutions for festival organisers.

Presenter:  Steve Wild, CEO, Virtual Festivals

Fields of Change
3.10-4.10 – Ballroom
A few smaller ones have fallen by the wayside and many events have seen both ticket and concession revenues fall as economic pressures bite deeper. Then there is the issue of stage structures and extreme weather, following recent tragedies elsewhere. This session reviews how the sector is coping and what the future might hold.

Moderator: James Drury, MD, Festival Awards

Panellists:
John Giddings , Founder, Isle of Wight Festival
Stuart Galbraith, CEO, Kilimanjaro Live (Sonisphere, Wakestock)
Fiona Stuart, MD, Green Man Festival
David Farrow, Founder, DMF Music Ltd
Fred Fellows, Director, Secret Garden Party

4.10-4.30pm Coffee break

The Music Chamber
4.30-5.20 – Gloucester
Following in the footsteps of politicians such as John Whittingdale MP (Con) and Lord Clement Jones (Lib-Dem), who have fought for years to reverse damaging aspects of the Licensing Act, are Sharon Hodgson MP (Lab) who is campaigning against secondary ticketing and Jon Ashworth MP (Lab) who trumpeting Leicester’s live music assets. This session brings MPs together with some leading live sector players to discuss vital issues.

Panellists:
Lord Tim Clement-Jones (Liberal-Democrat)

Live UK events reserves the right to alter session times and content at its discretion.

For previous years' events, check out the Archive.