WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM VIP- News›› ›› PREmiUM VOL. 121 JANUARY 2010 McGowan’s Musings: Unfortunately we cannot bring you the Particularly in those areas unused and first News of 2010, without first giving unprepared for heavy and extended cold some thought to those in Haiti for whom weather, snow, and the aftermath, even things could hardly be any worse follow- if the act makes it many of the audience ing the disastrous earthquake, we can only can’t or will not even try, so some venues hope that much needed aid continues to must be struggling to cover their costs, get through and that a more than terrible and I doubt that their insurance would situation improves. There are various mu- cover any of this. If you have direct expe- sic industry benefit events being planned rience of this please let us know and we’ll and we urge you all to get involved and to feature the stories. let us know of anything you are doing so that we can spread the word. We can’t let this first news of 2010 be all bad, and in fact it isn’t, this year’s first ma- So – back to matters that seem relatively Allan McGowan jor conference and showcase event was unimportant in comparison to Haiti’s mas- very positive. Firstly Eurosonic Noorders- sive problems, but are after all, what we do. other story!) – they had to wait till the fol- lag sold out, and those that attended were There was a point last week where I was re- lowing day. there to do business, during the day the signed to not making it to Amsterdam and panels were full, and in the evening the therefore not getting to Groningen for the But in the end, as you will read in this News venues were packed. There were some many and varied things that I was due to all was fine, and a sold out and particularly great bands, I particularly liked Storna- do at Eurosonic Noorderslag. Getting out productive edition of the year’s first ma- way and Everything Everything, but of the house was the first problem as the jor Conference and Festival went ahead many new acts were being talked about pavements were just sheets of ice. OK, OK, pretty much as planned. Unfortunately in glowing terms. The conclusions of the I know a lot of you have much more snow the keynote interview with US blogger su- 20:20 panel which brought together four and it’s always a lot colder every winter preme Bob Lefsetz, did not take place. Any high level professionals with many years than here in the South of England and it of you that read the Lefsetz Letter will be of experience in the music business and just sounds like whinging – but we’re just aware that Bob has been diagnosed with four ‘newcomers’ in their 20’s underlined not prepared for it! What with delayed leukaemia and was advised not to travel; the fact that neither side were despairing trains and closed airports it wasn’t look- all at VIP-Booking wish him well. about the industry, and music, getting on ing good, however, because of an involve- with the job, and the future, are still what ment with the first ever European Festival Talking of the weather, we Brits apparently matters. There was even some good news Awards (see report in this issue) I left a talk of little else, it occurred to me that about recorded music, according to IFPI day earlier and lo and behold – all went although we usually talk of outdoor fes- Sweden music sales in the country posted smoothly! No such luck for those leav- tivals as the events which suffer from the a big turnaround in 2009; music sales were ing from the UK the day later – including effects of increasingly erratic weather pat- up 10.2% -- the first increase since 2000. the whole of the press contingent – flight terns, many indoor gigs of all sizes must cancelled signs was all they got – so apart have been disrupted by the recent snow So, on that positive note, Ladies and Gen- from a hardy and intrepid few (that’s an- that has beset much of northern Europe. tlemen – the News! The VIP-Booking European Live Entertainment Book Advertising in the VIP Book will make you visible to 10.000 business professionals all over Europe. You will find no better place to expose your company to the whole European Live Entertainment Industry. ›› RESERVE yoUR AD NOW ON WWW.VIP-BOOKING.coM 1 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - January 2010 c/o pop And Reeperbahn Festival Enter Into Cooperation Allan McGowan [email protected] The ongoing saga of the music conferenc- cooperation is a reflection of the fact that the es in Germany which kicked off last year decentralisation of music industry activities after the cancellation of Popkomm and in Germany is something else which has the the stepping up of activity by the other potential to open up a world of new chances German events to fill the gap and attract and opportunities. We would also like it to be the displaced delegates takes another a clear signal to our international partners.” turn with the announcement of a first time The name of the third big city event was cooperation between c/o pop Festival & however not to have its name spoken at Convention (23-28 June, Cologne) and the the brunch! Reeperbahn Festival and Campus (23 -25 September, Hamburg) The Reeperbahn Festival is to present a showcase night at this year’s c/o pop, and The first public display of this coopera- in return, c/o pop will develop new discus- tion took the form of a ‘business brunch’ sion panels which will take place both dur- in Groningen at the Eurosonic Festival on ing the c/o pop Convention in Cologne and January 15, 2010. Having been asked to say at the Reeperbahn Campus in Hamburg. In a few words at this event I was happy to say addition, both festivals intend to expand that I felt that this working together could their international partnerships and have only be considered as a good thing by the already developed a special affiliation international business community as Ger- with the Icelandic conference “You are in many is obviously a large and important control”(1-2 October, Reykjavik). Icelandic territory that should certainly be capable representatives will come to Germany to of sustaining more than one trade event, present a taste of the country at the two particularly if they displayed different German festivals, while the Reeperbahn characteristics. c/o pop CEO Norbert Ober- Festival and c/o pop are to organize joint haus, obviously agrees and stated, “This panels and showcases in Iceland. Cologne On Pop GMBH COLOPHON ›› At a Press Conference in Cologne on the with the IMM furniture and interior design VIP-News is published by: 19th January plans were revealed for Co- fair and the »Passagen« Design Week. VIP-Booking 26 York Street logne Music Week 2010. For the second London W1U 6pZ time c/o pop will present a compressed The seventh c/o pop – Festival & Conven- winter edition of the festival to coincide tion, will move from its traditional date, Managing Director: Ronni Didriksen this year it will take place at from June 23 [email protected] – 28. MD Norbert Oberhaus believes that new date brings with it some great oppor- General Manager: Peter Briggs tunities. As well as enabling more interna- [email protected] tional industry representatives to attend, an event outside the holiday period also Writer and editorial: Allan McGowan means that universities can be integrated [email protected] into the conference programme more eas- ily and makes possible collaboration with Writer: Manfred Tari the media forum medienforum.nrw. [email protected] Oberhaus added that the festival and in- For advertising enquiries pls. contact Peter Briggs [email protected] dustry gathering’s new home, Cologne’s or +44 870 755 0092 Rheinparkhallen, has finally brought c/o pop longer term planning security and Lay-out: Pekaye Graphics, Phuket – Thailand that as well as being an attractive new [email protected] venue for concerts, it also provides ideal Norbert Oberhaus 2 VIP-BOOKING.COM VIP- News - January 2010 conditions for the further development of wards the creative industry as a whole, the As well as being directed towards the mu- the c/o pop Convention. Despite the finan- festival programme too will receive new sic industry, this year’s Convention will cial crisis, c/o pop has been able to retain impulses. Not only will the fashion/music cater more than ever before to the other existing partners and acquire new spon- format ‘Chic Belgique’ be continued, a eleven creative industries, especially those sors and is now able to plan for the next similar cooperation with Cologne’s design with digitizable content and an interdis- few years. Thanks to the establishment of scene is also being planned. ciplinary structure. The number of inter- the network Sound of Cologne and the national co-operations and speakers is to company’s move to the new creative cen- Once again, unusual venues are the order increase significantly again, and in line with tre cc4711, the foundations of Cologne’s of the day and successful modules such as the expansion of the spectrum of topics creative industry are now considered to be the club night ‘Local Heroes’, showcases by covered, the board of advisers, which con- better networked than ever before.