NASHVILLE (Hypebot) – The granddaddy of music business conferences, Midem, has become less popular, hurt by shrinking traditional music companies and the growth of startups better served by tech gatherings. But one old school conference shifted gears leading to impressive growth. Music Biz conference attendance was up 40% last year.
The annual Music Business Association (Music Biz) convention is returning to Nashville in 2016 form May 16 – 18, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, a larger venue closer to Broadway and its attractions and live music clubs.
“Our first year in Nashville exceeded all of our expectations, which prompted our move to a bigger property that will allow us to grow the event with more hotel rooms, more meeting space, and more sponsorship opportunities,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “In that vein, we are happy to announce that major label group WEA has already agreed to sponsor the Music Biz 2016."
Last year's convention drew 1,300 attendees, an increase of 40% from 2014. A post-event survey showed 95% saying that the event was worth the investment of time and money, 95% of suppliers made new contacts or increased business, 96% of retail and wholesale attendees said they discovered new vendors, products, or artists and 93% of individual attendees (artists, consultants, educators, lawyers, managers, and students) said they made valuable contacts.
