Ethical secondary ticketer TicketSwap has appointed music industry analyst Chris Carey as head of international marketing.

As the founder and CEO of London-based Media Insight Consulting, Carey has worked with clients including Spotify, Sony and the O2 Arena. Prior to starting the consultancy firm, he served as global insight director at EMI Music and Universal Records.

In 2015, Carey founded the future-focused FastForward Music Conference in Amsterdam, later launching editions in London and Sydney.

Carey will bring experience in marketing, research, data analysis and consumer insights to aid TicketSwap’s marketing and growth strategy.

“I’m excited to bring my background and industry insights to TicketSwap and bridge the gap between talent, events and the secondary ticketing marketplace,” says Carey.

“I’m excited to bring my background and industry insights to TicketSwap and bridge the gap between talent, events and the secondary ticketing marketplace”

“TicketSwap’s marketplace offers the best fan experience and is rapidly growing internationally, and I am thrilled to be a part of that success story.”

“We have been on a steep growth journey since we started six years ago and I’m proud to add Chris to our team as we continue to professionalise and expand even further,” adds Hans Ober, CEO of TicketSwap.

“I’m excited to see how the combination of his data-driven methodology and international experience will fuel our marketing strategies in 2020 and beyond.”

Over four million fans have used TicketSwap to buy and sell tickets since its 2012 inauguration. The platform caps the price of resold tickets at 20% above face value, working with over 300 partners to help venues and promoters to take more control of secondary ticketing.

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FastForward Sydney is returning for its second edition this year, as the forward-looking music industry conference explores topics including the power of live music, eco-friendly touring and the future of music festivals.

The second outing of FastForward Sydney takes place from Thursday 11 to Friday 12 April in the Aerial UTS Function Centre at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

The Sydney edition is the third leg of the FastForward conference series. Media Insight Consulting chief executive Chris Carey founded the flagship Amsterdam event in 2016, adding a London-based conference in 2017, before expanding into the Australasian market last year.

The conference consists of a series of keynotes, panel discussions, mini-keynote presentations and networking opportunities.

Keynote talks this year come from Heidi Lenffer of Australian alternative rock group Cloud Control, who will discuss solutions for greener touring, and Genevieve O’Neil of In Chorus, who will present ideas on how to accelerate the process towards diversity and inclusion in the music industry.

The Sydney edition is the third leg of the FastForward conference series

Australian singer-songwriter Emma Donovan will also appear in a keynote talk, joining journalist Rod Yates in conversation.

Mini-keynote sessions include Live Nation Australasia’s Michelle Lucia, who will present on the power of the live industry for artists, brands and fans, and Rachel Maria Cox of Australian promotions and events agency Sad Grrrls Club, who will speak about their experience running a gender diverse agency and record label.

Panels include ‘Are Niches the Future of Music Festivals’ and ‘Key Trends in the Global Music Industry’. A discussion on how the music industry may influence government policy features representatives from Music New South Wales, Australian music rights organisation APRA AMCOS and the New South Wales shadow minister for music, John Graham.

Last minute conference tickets are available on the FastForward Sydney website for AU$285.

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FastForward London today announced the second line-up of speakers for its sophomore event, taking place at the British Library on 28 September.

Delegates from Warner Chappell (Eric Mackay, EVP of digital strategy), Lewis Silkin (partner Cliff Fluet), Abbey Road Studios (head of audio products Mirek Styles), ATC Live (agent Matt Hanner), War Child (Rich Clark, head of music and entertainment) and Kilimanjaro Live (Karma Bertelsen, marketing manager) join the likes of Sony Music, Global Radio, AWAL, Ferocious Talent and Sony/ATV Music Publishing as speakers for the future-focused conference, which is aimed at, but not exclusive to, under-35s.

Chris Carey, CEO of Media Insight Consulting and founder of FastForward, says: “We are hugely excited to return to London this year. Whether you’re an artist looking to bring together a team to release your record, an executive at a record label or a promoter, FastForward is the perfect platform to meet and learn from the most progressive thinkers in our industry.”

“FastForward is the perfect platform to meet and learn from the most progressive thinkers in our industry”

Panel and keynote topics in 2018 include the art of songwriting, how to sell out shows, the future of music and technology, the relationship between data and A&R, video strategy and radio and an insight into how music can effect positive change in tackling poverty and international violence.

“We’re proud to bring together a brilliant network of music lovers who are delivering relevant and practical insights to foster a more effective and future-proofed music industry,” adds Carey.

Tickets are priced at £135 until 31 August. For more information, visit fastforward.xyz or universe.com/fastforward-london.

FastForward debuted in Amsterdam in 2016, and now comprises five conferences in Amsterdam, London and Sydney.

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Music industry conference FastForward has finalised the speaker line-up for its debut London event.

Held at the British Library on Friday 15 September, FastForward London will offer a combination of keynote speeches, panel discussions and ‘FastFifteen’ rapid-fire solo presentations, complementing the flagship FastForward event in Amsterdam.

New speaker additions include Sophie Crosby, SVP of marketing at Ticketmaster International, who will give a keynote on Reaching the Changing Consumer; Dusko Justic, VP of international marketing at Sony Music; and Australian singer-songwriter Chiara Hunter. They join previously announced speakers and panellists including DHP Family’s Kenny Bennaton, artist manager Ellie Giles, Bandsquare’s Chloé Julien and Spotify head of content insights Samantha Mandel-Dallal.

Full details can be found at the FastForward website.

The flagship FastForward event has taken place in Amsterdam for the past two years; IQ news editor Jon Chapple moderated the Future of Ticketing panel at the 2017 conference in February.

https://www.facebook.com/fastforward.xyz/videos/1888655004792116/

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