Annual ‘Music Biz’ Conference to Remain in Nashville Through 2020
Mayor Megan Barry and Music City Music Council Applaud Announcement
After drawing its largest audience in more than 15 years in 2017, the Music Business Association (Music Biz) is “tripling down” on Nashville, booking conference dates through 2020. The already announced Music Biz 2018 will be held from May 14-17, 2018, at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Music Biz 2019 and 2020 will follow from May 5-8, 2019, and May 11-14, 2020, at the new JW Marriott Nashville, which is currently under construction and slated to open in July 2018. The annual event first came to Nashville in 2015, and has shown strong year-over-year attendance growth and critical acclaim each year since then.
The decision to return was enthusiastically endorsed by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and the Music City Music Council, an association of business leaders charged with developing strategies toward heightening the awareness and development of Nashville’s worldwide reputation as Music City. The Council is Co-Chaired by Barry and music industry veteran Joe Galante.
Each year, the Music Biz conference draws top executives from major companies to Nashville, including Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, and many more. Many of these companies have since opened offices in Nashville or expanded their presence in the city.
“The Music Biz conference has grown steadily over the three years we have hosted it in Nashville, topping 2,000 attendees last year for the first time since 2001,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “The music business sensibility of Nashville and its Music City Music Council aligns so well with our efforts on behalf of music services, stores, labels, artists, songwriters, managers, publishers, entrepreneurs, startups, educators, students, and everyone else in or looking to break into the industry. We’re thrilled to make it our flagship conference’s home base for at least another three years, and look forward to exposing more music companies to Nashville and the many opportunities it provides.”
“When people think of music, they think of Nashville, which means there’s no better place for the Music Biz conference than right here in Music City,” said Barry. “We are committed to supporting the thriving music industry in Nashville while nurturing its growth by attracting top talent to our city. The Music Biz conference has proven its ability to bring in major executives, not only from the U.S. but also from around the world, to see what we offer and establish or expand their presence here. We could not be more pleased to hear that Music Biz has booked an extended stay.”
“The Music Biz conference has been a benefit for our city, and we’re excited to have them back for the next three years,” said Galante. “Music is a global industry, but there’s no city in the world quite like Nashville with its mix of high-level creative and business talent. Having Music Biz here helps us spread that message by bringing in elite new visitors to experience it first-hand. We can’t wait to continue to show Music Biz’s attendees what Music City is all about.”
Music Biz is the music industry’s premier event, giving the commerce and content sectors a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. The 2018 event will feature the presentation of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to Cary Sherman, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and a Breakthrough Artist Award to Republic Records singer/songwriter Julia Michaels, with much more to be announced. Those who would like to propose ideas for presentations, panels, case studies, or interviews can do so via the event’s official Call for Presentations, which is open now through November 10. Registration for Music Biz 2018 is open now at http://musicbiz2018.eventbrite.com, with special early bird rates available through March 2, 2018. For more information, visit www.musicbiz2018.com.
About the Music Business Association
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources, and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile, and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.
Music Biz Media Contact
Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications — laurie@jaybirdcom.com, 646.484.6764
