ABOUT THE GREAT ESCAPE CONVENTION
The Great Escape convention is the UK’s premiere music business conference, bringing together thousands of music industry practitioners for three days of panels, conversations, networking, parties and showcases every May in Brighton. With its hub in the Brighton Dome complex, the convention runs alongside The Great Escape festival, Europe’s leading festival for new music, taking place in venues across the city.
A delegates pass gets you into the whole convention, including panels, parties and networking sessions, as well as priority access to festival venues, subject to capacity. A small number are still available for TGE Convention 2013, click here to secure yours now!
PANELS
By day delegates at The Great Escape attend a packed programme of panels, interviews and insight sessions, hearing and learning from, and debating with, leading figures in the new music industry, including artists, managers, promoters, agents, publishers, label owners and digital experts.
Key topics from across the wider music industry are covered, including music rights, artist deals, live events, digital platforms, music marketing, the role of brands and the media, and the state of different international markets. Meanwhile the art of music making is discussed through one-to-one interviews with leading artists, producers and songwriters. A passion for new approaches, independent thinking, and great new music runs throughout The Great Escape panels programme.
Amongst the speakers to appear at The Great Escape in 2012 were: Michael Eavis, Rob da Bank, Brian Molko, Trevor Horn, Martin Mills, Seymour Stein, Domino’s Richard King, Tru Thoughts’ Robert Luis, Skint’s Damian Harris, Holy Roar’s Alex Fitzpatrick, Xfm’s John Kennedy, Radio 2′s Jeff Smith, Drowned in Sound’s Sean Adams, 6Music’s John Hillcock, Amazing Radio’s Matt Jamison, This Is Fake DIY’s Stephen Ackroyd, CMU’s Chris Cooke and many more.
For an overview of the 2013 convention click here – and keep an eye on our convention Twitter feed and the CMU Daily for further updates.
PROGRAMMING
The Great Escape convention is programmed by the team at CMU Insights, the training and consulting side of CMU, the biggest news provider to the UK music business. With CMU reporting on and analysing the wider music industry on a daily basis, coupled with original research into trends and best practice, the Insights team are fully up to speed with the very latest developments in the new music business, and bring that knowledge and expertise to the convention’s programme.
CMU Insights works closely with a number of great content partners to create some of the programme, in particular PRS For Music, who produce a whole day of sessions on day one of the convention, including the always acclaimed keynote from their Chief Economist Will Page. Other content partners have included PPL, the Music Publishers’ Association, ACUMEN, the Music Development Association, LIVE UK and MusicTank.
NETWORKING
While delegates can learn and debate via the panels programme, The Great Escape is also a place for the music industry to do business, with thousands of delegates from across the world seeking to find new talent, new partners and new opportunities.
There are numerous formal networking opportunities, allowing delegates to meet UK and international music business professionals from different strands of the industry. Plus informal opportunities to meet, chat and do business abound. There are also several free parties exclusively for delegates, plus those specifically looking for meetings can register with and utilise the online delegates directory. The main convention bars also provide a free meeting space, while bars and cafes to suit every persuasion fill the streets around the main convention venues.
Registered delegates will receive information about networking opportunities in early Spring, so buy your ticket now to ensure places at all the key networking sessions.
GIGS AND SHOWCASES
The Great Escape festival is Europe’s leading festival for new music, with over 350 bands playing in venues across Brighton, with big names, the buzziest new acts, and brand new artists from across the world on offer. Delegates get priority access into festival venues, subject to capacity.
Various media, trade bodies and export offices host themed showcases both during the day and in the evening, selecting bands from The Great Escape’s festival programme. These can be helpful for delegates wanting to see as many new artists as possible during their three days in Brighton. The festival programme, website, app and text service can also help delegates navigate all the great music on offer.
TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION
Brighton is just one hour from London by train, with train services from both Victoria (Southern Trains) and London Bridge (First Capital Connect) station. The London train line also calls in at Gatwick airport, which is just over half an hour away from Brighton. By road, London to Brighton takes about 80 minutes on the A23.
Brighton is full of hotels, B&Bs and hostels, meaning there is somewhere to stay during the three days whatever your budget. The official convention hotel is The Queens, right on the sea front and seven minutes walk from the Dome. A great place to stay at any time, The Queens Hotel is the late night hang-out for delegates at The Great Escape, with the delegate bar open throughout much of the night.
A room for three nights is available from £420, with a flexible deposit system in place for those managing cash flow, but keen to secure a room right now. There’s more information about The Queens here. For those on a tighter budget, this year the TGE hostel of choice is Journeys, which offers three nights bed and breakfast for £90. More information here.
SOME FACTS AND FIGURES
3000 industry delegates attend The Great Escape convention annually.
30% are from outside the UK and travel to TGE from all over Europe, the US, Canada, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Among the delegation you will find: A&Rs, agents, brand managers, broadcasters, colleges, composers, digital companies, distributors, event organisers, export offices, festival bookers, festival promoters, financial advisors, journalists, labels, lawyers, managers, marketers, merchandisers, music publishers, producers, promoters, trade bodies, venue operators and more.
61% of the delegates surveyed post TGE had seen an artist that they wanted to do business with.
89% of the delegates surveyed said that they made new contacts useful to their business.
