Preview: ILMC 28

Delegates for this year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC) are already arriving in London ahead of today’s Space Invaders Opening Party and a packed schedule of meetings and social events over the next three days.

Today’s activities include the ninth ILMC Production Meeting (IPM) which is being held in the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington to accommodate the growing number of delegates eager to participate.

As part of IQ’s expanded news service, we’ll be bringing you reports the morning after the various panel sessions, parties and networking gatherings, so spare a thought for our bleary eyed editorial team when you’re digesting the news.

ILMC 28 itself begins tomorrow morning when Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino opens proceedings with a keynote interview, conducted by ILMC managing director Greg Parmley, before Live Nation UK’s Phil Bowdery invites the likes of Michael Gudinski (Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group), Superfly co-founder Rick Farman, CAA’s Mike Greek, James Sandm of Red Light Management and ITB’s Lucy Dickins on stage to discuss the past year in live music and current issues affecting the business.

But it’s ILMC’s social aspect that provides delegates with the greatest opportunities to network and meet friends, old and new, and Friday’s line-up is stellar

Other highlights on Friday include a market focus on Australia, an examination of the live music industry’s relationship with performance rights organisations, the dance club, the annual festival forum and a debate about the digital audience. Friday’s workshops see the likes of Google and YouTube sharing their knowledge, sponsorship guru Jeremy Paterson talking about branding partnerships and for those wanting to discover the latest leaps in environmentally friendly initiatives, A Greener Live workshop will be the place to be.

But, of course, it’s ILMC’s social aspect that provides delegates with the greatest opportunities to network and meet friends, old and new. And Friday’s line-up is stellar, kicking off with the IEG Power-Up Lunch. United Talent open their extensive drinks cabinet to provide a well-oiled start to the evening’s programme, while our good friends at BUMA Cultuur host yet another of their Dutch Impact showcases in Bodo’s Schloss, next door to the Royal Garden Hotel. Later in the evening, ILMC’s high-rollers will be engaged in a battle of wits in the Hi-Score Texas Hold’em Poker Tourney, while in the adjacent AEG’s Barcade, our own Terry McNally will be referee for the Multiplayers Table Football Coupe de Monde.

To keep up to date on all the event winners and conference details, be sure to check our daily news bulletins on the IQ website. And if you’re lucky enough to be attending ILMC 28, then don’t be camera shy – our candid snappers will be in evidence at all the panel sessions and extra curricular events to capture the great and the good of the world’s live entertainment industry doing what they do best… entertaining, of course!