CANNES, France (VIP NEWS) — Midem has announced the first trio of keynote names confirmed for the 2016 conference program.
Neil Warnock, head of music worldwide at United Talent Agency; Gao Xiaosong, chairman of China’s Alibaba Music Group; and award-winning music supervisor at Saturday Music, Mary Ramos, will all be participating in keynote Q&A interviews to give Midem audiences the benefit of their insight into where the industry is headed.
From his position as head of music worldwide at UTA, Neil Warnock will speak on the evolving role of the agent. Warnock was formerly worldwide president and founder of The Agency Group. His career spans five decades, during which he has represented some of history’s most influential musical talent including the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel, Michael Jackson and Dolly Parton. UTA recently acquired The Agency Group to form UTA Music.
The keynote announcement follows news that the call for entries is open for the second edition of the Midem Artist Accelerator (MAA) – the program to fast-track budding musical talent into the global spotlight. The Midem Artist Accelerator aims to identify and develop emerging talent as well as support managers, labels, agents and publishers seeking to grow their artists’ profiles on the international stage.
The 12 upcoming artists selected by the prestigious 2016 Artistic Committee will get to play live at Midem, and will benefit from a tailored professional program onsite, including entry to selected conferences, coaching sessions with industry mentors and networking opportunities with key players from the international Midem community.
This year’s five conference tracks – Midem Keynotes, Copyright Summit, Legal Summit, Label Summer Camp and Innovation Factory – will feature all the hot topics impacting the industry, from copyright reforms in both the US and Europe, to monetization strategies for labels and right-holders, digital marketing, innovation and new trends.
Organized by Reed MIDEM, the Midem tradeshow takes place in Cannes, France from June 3-6, 2016.
