Industry news & advice blog

The first raft of speakers have been announced for MusicTank’s one day event Easy Money? The Convention. The event will see funding experts converge on Somerset House, London on Tuesday 22nd October to deliver practical advice via presentations, case studies, workshops and 1:1 advice surgeries.
 

Kicking off the convention 6 Music/BBC Introducing presenter, artist and grassroots music champion Tom Robinson will interview author of Easy Money? The Definitive UK Guide to Funding Music Projects, Remi Harris, formerly of UK Music and AIM.

 

Kickstarter's New York-based  Director of Marketing and Outreach Kendel Ratley will present a case study and offer insight for artists gleaned during the platform’s first year in operation in the UK, as well as draw lessons from the considerable music successes seen in the US and beyond. Highlighting best practices drawn from thousands of successful (and unsuccessful) crowdfunding campaigns, Ratley will help attendees better plan, execute and assess their projects.

 

Other presentations include those from;

 

• Ian Moss (Director, Public Affairs, BPI) on the Music Export Growth Scheme, 

• Sarah Thirtle (Communications and Events Manager, PRS for Music Foundation)

        on the Momentum Music Fund, 

• Paul Bonham (Diversity in Arts Practice Relationship Manager for the South East,

        Arts Council England) on Grants for the Arts 

• Mary-Alice Stack (Chief Executive, Creative Sector Services CIC) regarding Creative

        Industry Finance loans and 

• Julia Payne (Director, the::hub) on Joining the Dots.

 

In addition, many of the speakers, including Ratley, Bonham and PRSF’s Thirtle will offer personal 1:1 advice surgeries in consultation rooms off the main convention space. Delegates will be able to book these sessions in advance, with booking opening shortly. 

 

The programmed sessions and advice surgeries will be complemented by a ‘funding marketplace’ running all day which will feature stands from Transmit Consulting: The Start-Up Loans Scheme, amongst others to be confirmed.
 

The event is dedicated to musicians, music entrepreneurs and professionals looking to fund a music project or increase their knowledge about music industry finance.
 

Said Remi Harris, author of Easy Money: “I’m very proud to take part in an event that will expand upon the areas I explored in the Easy Money? funding guide. The goal of the guide and the convention is simple: to help people at the ‘business end’ of the business get expert advice on financing music projects. MusicTank have put together a really strong event that will focus on the practical nitty-gritty of raising, spending and accounting for money. It promises to be an incredibly valuable day.”

 

Added MusicTank Chairman Keith Harris: "MusicTank has broken new ground with its instructional guide to acquiring finance, a logical next step is to get some of the key financial players identified in the guide together to speak for themselves, and that is exactly what we are planning to do for our conference on 22nd October, I am sure that it will turn out to be a very informative day.”

 

Venue                  The Portico Rooms, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Date                     22 October 2013, 10.00-16.00 hrs with networking drinks reception

                              taking place from 16.00-18.00 hrs

Tickets                 Advanced tickets - £50 student members, £90 members, £120

                              non-members - valid until 5pm Monday 14th October [thereafter,

                              Standard price £140] 

Bundle                 Oct 22 Easy Money? The Convention Ticket & The Guide (limited

                              bundle available until 5pm Monday 14th October) £145.00 

 

The convention is a counterpart to MusicTank’s recently published Easy Money? The Definitive UK Guide to Funding Music Projects, which features tips and tricks from a range of providers and includes case studies from several artists and entrepreneurs including End of the Road festival’s Sofia Hagberg, Red Grape Management and Carl Barât. The guide lists over 100 different funders of music across the six main sources of money – grants, crowdfunding, friends & family, loans, investment and sponsorship.

 

Price                     Easy Money? The Definitive UK Guide To Funding Music Projects

                              £34.99 

Bundle                 Oct 22 Easy Money? The Convention Ticket & The Guide

                              (limited bundle available until 5pm Monday 14th October) £145.00 

 

Individual membership of MusicTank costs just £45. Benefits include event discounts and access to premium content, covering all MusicTank reports and transcripts, including this guide.

 

Established in 2003 MusicTank is a unique, neutral information hub for UK music business...addressing change and innovation through informed debate, objective analysis and industry engagement. Owned and operated by University of Westminster, its content-rich website - www.musictank.co.uk - contains a wealth of industry information and resources, together with event transcripts and podcasts, news, reports and research papers. Visitors to the site can sign up to a free monthly email newsletter, and for a small annual subscription, become members, giving access to premium content.