19 June, 2017
How can you launch your band internationally in the era of viral videos, of social media and international fair, festivals and showcase system?
The artists that want an international career, contracts that will give them the possibility of development budgets or concerts at Eurosonic, Reeperbahn, Tallin Music Week, Where’s The Music, MENT, Novarock, Hurricane, Lollapalooza and other large international festivals have the unique opportunity of meeting in Sibiu the key players in the European music industry, reunited between July 27 – 29 for the first edition of East European Music Conference.
The first reunion of top representatives of European music industry is organized by ARTmania, supported by the Local Council and the City Hall of Sibiu. For two days, top experts in the European music industry will meet Romanian public, during a series of conferences followed by informal reunions, hosted by Thalia Hall, the elegant headquarters of the Sibiu Philharmonic. The complete conference schedule can be found on the official website, www.eemusic.ro
In the last couple of years, I have been present, as festival director for two festivals, to showcases and meetings of musical networks that represent a true launching pad for artists and bands emerging on the musical scene. Organized by the most important European producers, these types of events create the context where, on the one hand facilitates the access to the latest music trends and, on the other hand, creates the selection of artists and bands for future productions. Therefore, as a premiere for the Sibiu reunion, European decision makers that any band manager or European artist would go for miles to meet will be present, says Codruta Vulcu, CEO of ARTmania Festival, Blaj aLive and East European Music Conference.
Saturday, July 29, from 16:00, during the conference “ARTISTS’ AND MANAGERS’ CLUB” – How to launch your band at the European level? The international network of music fairs, the international system of cultural fairs and other contemporary solutions for band and artist promotion in international markets will be explained, during the East European Music Conference, by some of the most experimented top agents in Europe.
Ruud Berends, co-owner and co-founder of the famous International Festival Forum – iff.rocks (London, UK), consultant for Buma Cultuur agency – the Dutch program for the new members in the international networks that support cultural export. Rudd, consultant for Eurosonic Noorderslag,, one of the most prestigious international networks from marketing in the music industry, has worked for over 30 years with important bands from Nirvana to Soundgarden.
Grimur Atlason is general manager of the Icelandic Airwaves Festival – icelandicairwaves.is, in Reykjavik. Over 200 acts perform at 250 official shows over the course of 5 days. On top of that over 600 shows take place ‘off-venue’ at Iceland Airwaves. Among others, Grimur has worked with Bjork, Flaming Lips or Caribou.
Helen Sildna, former agent for the most important Baltic agency, BDG, has started her own company, Musiccase, which has organized concerts by the biggest international artists in Estonia. Decorated by Finland and Estonia for outstanding excellence services, Helen is the founder of Tallinn Music Week, tmw.ee, an event that started in 2009 as an international conference, hosting a show fair that has developed, turning into a complex event, that also includes arts, technology and gastronomy.
Manfred Tari has a 30-year experience at the top on the music industry, including journalism, working as correspondent for different prestigious publications for the industry, like Musicmarkt, IQ-Magazine, Music & Copyright or VIP News. Since 2004, Manfred has established the Popkomm agenda and in 2009 he has taken on the same mission for Reeperbahn Festival – reeperbahnfestival.com, in Hamburg.
Alin Dinca, DJ for Rock FM since the radio started, founding member and lead singer for Trooper, author of two poetry volumes and radio host for over 15 years, will moderate this conference.
“The showcase festivals create opportunities for the bands, artists and other professionals in the musical industry. The organizers of such festivals generate context where organizers, label representatives, journalists or other music industry professionals can see the most interesting or newest bands and musical products, where artists will meet people that can teach them how to professionalize their creative actions. This type of event is especially important in Eastern Europe, where the market is less developed, it’s still in its adolescent years. But we learn and we grow! It’s all up to each of you, the way you use all these opportunities so that you can take your creative effort to a new level”, Matjaž Manček, Directof or MENT Festival Ljubljana.
Among the most important platforms and European showcase festival there are:
o Eurosonic Noorderslag – Groningen, The Netherlands – https://www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl
o Where’s the Music?– Norrköping, Sweden – http://wheresthemusic.se/en/
o Ment – Ljubljana, Slovenia – http://www.ment.si
o Tallinn Music Week – Tallinn, Estonia – https://tmw.ee
o Reeperbahn festival – Hamburg, Germany – https://www.reeperbahnfestival.com/
o Waves Vienna – Viena, Austria – http://www.wavesvienna.com
o MaMA Festival and Convention – Paris, France – http://www.mamafestival.com
o Tune in Tel Aviv – Tel Aviv, Israel – http://www.tuneintlv.com
o Midem – Cannes, France – http://www.midem.com
“There are countless ways of launching an artist, a band or a show on the international market, in an era where social networks, YouTube and Vimeo and streaming platforms, correctly used, can bring over a huge notoriety. The international show fair is, also, an excellent platform for starting an international career. Artists and managers have to take part in as many international events as possible that reunite representatives of the music industry, in order to select them for their own events of festivals. Eurosonic Noorderslag, the event I know best, is a hue launching ramp for artists because it brings together artists and festival directors, who have countless and various offers. The conditions is to be good, very good, the music must be supported by an excellent show, and supported by a motivated and competent management team, capable of handling offers, and, when it will come, success!”, says Ruud Berends, co-owner and co-founder of the famous International Festival Forum – IFF (London, UK) and consultant for Eurosonic Noorderslag, one of the most prestigious marketing networks in the music industry.
TUDOR CHIRILA: “All the European countries have a talent export bureau”
Tudor Chirila and the band Vama, along with The Deep Sound of Maramures project are some of the Romanian artists joining the East European Music Conference program. Presented in Paris, The Hague or Bruxelles, The Deep Sound of Maramures, project that integrates in artists contemporary structures a concept of anthropological research from the traditional acoustic area will be one of the shows presented during the Showcase Festival mini-series included in this year’s edition of East European Music Conference. Interested in contemporary development ways and opportunities, Tudor Chirila and Vama band will be present at the East European Music Conference.
“Until long ago, I thought the destiny of an international artist is based on music, luck – and until recently – on social media use. And I couldn’t explain why, with few exceptions, Romanian artists of different genres, with songs in English, could not make the step outside the country borders. And then I understood that almost all European countries (except for Romania), have an export bureau that supports local artists in their attempt to promote themselves in foreign territories (Don’t Panic, We’re from Poland, Iceland Music Export, Hungarian Oncoming Tunes and so on). Because support it necessary, not just at the know-how level, but also financially and on a communication level. To communicate an industry and its music, not a case in particular. There are many ways of promoting, but either we don’t know them or they are hard to access. EEMC seems to be an excellent opportunity for Romanian artists to understand how things work internationally, how they can apply to different showcases and festivals, how they can organize a tour. We, Vame, are still thinking how to be in Sibiu and at our scheduled concerts, at the same time”, says Tudor Chirila of Vama band.
“Imagine the coolest festival line-up, with your favorite artists, that have never been to Romania before and that you would have to travel to other countries to listen to them. And also imagine that after every concert in the festival you would have the opportunity to receive an autograph and take a photo with every artist. This is how East European Music Conference will feel like, with the difference that the “artists” are some of the most influential people in the live-entertainment industry in Europe: festival promoters, booking agents, founders of show-cases and conferences that can change the career of any artist that looks for international success. I think it’s fabulous that all these people will be present in Sibiu for two days, and Romanian artist will have the opportunity to listen to them and, most importantly, to interact with them. I will take advantage of this opportunity for sure, says Carina Sava, manager for Vama band.
Tickets cost 190, 210 or 240 lei, according to the moment of acquisition and are available on the official conference website. Tickets grant access for both event days and are valid for all the seminars and conferences included in the program.
SIBIU – FESTIVAL CITY: East European Music Conference is co-financed by the Local Council of Sibiu and by the City Hall of Sibiu.
Event presented by: Banca Transilvania
Partners : AROC, Take a Stand
Media Partners: Rock FM, Zile si Nopti, Adevarul, Forbes, HotNews, Men’s Health, Catavencii, National Geographics, Cosmopolitan, Beau Monde, Agerpres, Radio Romania Cultural, IQ Magazine, Times New Roman, Sunete, Tribuna, Turnul Sfatului, Sibiu 100%, Ora de Sibiu, Stiri de Sibiu, Metropolis, ClujLife, Deezer, Feeder.ro, IConcert, InfoMusic, Traieste Muzica, urban.ro, E-zine, Let’s Rock, Informatia Harghitei, Vinsieu.ro, roevents.ro, anyplace.ro, maximumrock.ro.
by alexandra
