In The City announces key line-up

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In The City plans to cut through the “constant hum” of bullshit and verbiage at this year’s event by fielding a raft of innovators and radical thinkers under the banner Everything Else Is Just Noise.

The October 18-20 event has already rounded up a raft of creative leaders, including young entrepreneur and Hype Machine creator Anthony Volodkin, Bella Union founder Simon Raymonde and the iconic music photographer Gered Mankowitz.

Volodkin, who founded the live index and music-streaming site Hype Machine in his teens, will deliver one of the most eagerly anticipated keynotes at The Midland Hotel in Manchester.

Bella Union founder and former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde, who was behind the success of Fleet Foxes and Howling Bells, has also been invited to sit down for a conversation with the broadcaster – and former Chelsea and Celtic footballer – Pat Nevin.

Mankowitz, who took a series of iconic shots of The Rolling Stones in the Sixties, provides a link with last year’s joint host, the band’s former manager Andrew Loog Oldham.

Mankowitz, who shot the Stones’ album covers Out Of Our Heads and Between The Buttons, in addition to stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Marianne Faithful, Elton John, Slade, Eurythmics and Kate Bush, will talk about his career and work.

In The City founder Yvette Livesey, who developed the event in partnership with Anthony Wilson, says this year’s event will offer a platform to debate the challenges facing the industry. However, she adds, “We will also be celebrating the huge efforts that have been made in recent times to develop new ways of working, new business models and new ways to ensure the survival of our industry.”

Livesey says, “As always we take the three key themes of inspiration, education and interactive as our main tenets and our programme of events will reflect this.”

Livesey has also revealed that this year’s event will feature a panel called Break On Through, where a team of successful executives will talk about their careers and give tips on how to get into and survive the modern music industry.

Among the other panels, celebrity interviews, masterclasses and seminars will be an examination of the emerging music markets of India and Africa with input from some of the key players on the ground.

ITC general manager Jon-Paul Waddington says this year’s theme is a comment on how true creativity will always find a voice.

Waddington adds, “True creativity, innovation and radical thinking should always be heard and will always make itself heard. Therefore, everything else is just noise. Be it music, art, film, photography, web 2.0 or even the business of being creative, talent will be heard above the constant hum of mass communication.”