by alexhrEast European Music Conference’s first edition brings top European live music industry reps and top acts to Romania
ARTmania announces the inaugural East European Music Conference (EEMC), which will take place in Sibiu, Romania, July 27-29, 2017. The conference will gather top representatives from the European live music industry for a series of panels held in the breathtaking 18th century Thalia Hall located inside an old fortress in one of the most charming and picturesque medieval cities in Transylvania.
CONFERENCE & CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
East European Music Conference (EEMC) was launched with the aim of promoting healthy debate between the Eastern European music sector, international experts, and the state authorities involved in the legal regulation of the event industry, which has witnessed incredible growth in recent years.
The first edition of the EEMC will bring together over 400 experts, authorities, local and regional promoters; editors and correspondents from leading international publications such as IQ Magazine, Pollstar and VIP-News; international tax experts; and the main players from the European festivals market, to network and encourage an exchange of ideas.
Among those loaning their expert voices to the event will be Fruzsina Szép, Festival Director of Lollapalooza Berlin; Stephan Thanscheidt, CEO of FKP Scorpio – the largest festival organiser in Europe; Christof Huber, head of Yourope (The European Festivals Association) and director of OpenAir St.Gallen; Thomas Zsifkovits, co-owner of Barracuda Music and promoter of Nova Rock and Frequency Festivals; and Greg Parmley, the head of the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) and of the International Festival Forum (IFF), London.
Confirmed local speakers include representatives from major Romanian festivals and companies, such as: Mihai Paun – director of Electric Castle Festival; Guido Janssens and Laura Coroianu from Emagic, one of the most important promoters in Romania; along with many well-known journalists and representatives from authorities directly involved in legislative regulation of the industry. A comprehensive list of international and local speakers, confirmed so far, can be found at eemusic.ro/en/speakers/
The conference is organised in partnership with AROC (The Romanian Promoters Association), which was established with the aim of bringing legislative changes to the local event industry after the 2015 Colectiv Club fire tragedy. AROC comprises the most important event promoters and festivals in Romania, such as: Emagic, Electric Castle Festival, Summer Well Festival, ARTmania Festival, Blaj aLive Festival, and Twin Arts, to name but a few.
East European Music Conference (EEMC) is an initiative co-financed by the City of Sibiu, an active supporter of cultural and educational events.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
Hot topics already confirmed for debate include the functionality of state authorities, their duties and responsibilities, as well as topics such as security and the predictability of festivals in a troubled Europe; along with discussions relating to specific issues such as management and crowd control; clauses; responsibilities; rights hidden within international artists’ contracts and riders; and marketing strategies for large-scale cultural events.
The full conference programme is available at eemusic.ro/en/schedule
CULTURAL PROGRAMME
British singer-songwriter Alex Clare and Dutch act My Baby have been confirmed to perform at the launch of the very first EEMC. The highly acclaimed artists will meet their fans during the event’s opening ceremony, held on Thursday, 27 July at 19.30, in Sibiu’s Large Square.
At 19:00 on Friday 28 July and Saturday 29 July, after the conference sessions, all conference participants are invited to party to the rock and gothic tunes of artists such as The Devin Townsend Project, Lacuna Coil, Tarja, You Me at Six, Beyond The Black, Riverside and Walkways, at the 12th edition of Romania’s oldest boutique festival – ARTmania, held in Sibiu’s Large Square.
Furthermore, at sunset, delegates are invited to enjoy access to all Sibiu’s leading tourist attractions such as museums, numerous medieval and baroque churches, and to take advantage of the cozy bars and restaurants, all located within Sibiu’s fortress walls.
Tickets for the upcoming 27-29 July event, can be purchased from eemusic.ro/tickets. Tickets cost 190 lei (€42) and include full access to all conference sessions, ARTmania festival shows, plus museums across the city.
LOCATION
The city of Sibiu – one of Romanian’s most important cultural hubs – was listed in the top 10 cities to visit in 2017 by TripAdvisor.
The conference will take place in Thalia Hall (filarmonicasibiu.ro/en/thalia), a true architectural wonder built in 1787 by Martin Hochmeister, the founder of the first bookstore in Romania. Musical performances will take place in Sibiu’s Large Square in the centre of one of the most charming and picturesque medieval cities in Transylvania. (turism.sibiu.ro/en).
Bursting with grand architecture and with history seeping from every art nouveau façade and gold-embossed church, Sibiu is positively awash with Transylvanian elegance, and has remained at the forefront of Romania’s cultural scene since composers such as Strauss, Brahms and Liszt played there during the 19th century.
In recent times, acts like Scorpions, Die Toten Hosen, Europe, Jethro Tull, Serj Tankian, Nightwish and many more have rocked the old city walls, while performances from artists such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ohad Naharin, and Lev Dodin, have delighted audiences in the city’s theatres.
Transylvania in the words of Lonely Planet: “Best known as the mysterious land of bloodthirsty vampires and howling wolves, Transylvania, ‘the last truly medieval landscape in Europe’, is a land full of mysteries and stories, known for medieval fortress towns, mountainous borders and castles and hundreds of fortified churches.”
So, what are you waiting for? Buy your ticket. Book your flight. Pack your garlic.
