The Great Escape (TGE) has announced the first guest speakers and content themes for its newly revamped 2024 conference.
The conference forms a key part of the annual Brighton-hosted new music festival, which will be held this year from 15-18 May.
The 2024 festival's conference component will feature a host of the music industry’s top leaders and experts to ensure, TGE says, that it 'goes in-depth on all the specialist areas for a modern music professional'.
The first guest speakers at the conference have been announced today (28 February). CHVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry will discuss details of the ‘fun, freaky, sad, weird, joyful pop playground’ she's creating as a solo artist, while Night Time Industries Association Chair Sacha Lord will address the unique concerns of the night time economy.
A live recording of the They Think It’s All Sober podcast will also take place as part of TGE, with creators Jamie Osman and Tom Hollings set to discuss their journey of sobriety and what helped them along the way with a high-profile guest.
Elsewhere, The Council of Music Makers, NTIA, BBC Introducing and Youth Music will each curate a day at the conference. The Council of Music Makers' dedicated day on 16 May will cover a number of key areas for music creators, including streaming remuneration, the challenges of getting credited and paid for music, touring sustainability and how artists can build and manage a team.
The following day (17 May), the NTIA will provide a deep dive into the night time economy and the current state of play for venues and live entertainment, with sessions including ‘Global Perspectives and Approaches to Night Time Economy and Culture’, ‘Creating Safe Queer Spaces: The Importance of Inclusive Safeguarding’ and ‘The Empowerment of Youth and the Crisis of Political Faith’.
The final day of TGE on 18 May will see BBC Introducing and Youth Music focus on professional development for the next generation of emerging artists and entrepreneurs, covering how to secure funding; management and being manager-ready; small budget marketing for artists; and the ins and outs of the BBC Introducing platform.
TGE has also confirmed today that the Steve Strange Award will return for its third year. Named in honour of the late live agent and co-founder of X-Ray Touring, the award recognises a music act that is breaking through creative boundaries in the industry, with the recipient of the prestigious award receiving a cash prize of £5,000. In 2023, the prize went to Italian post-punk quintet MILANOSPORT, with this year's winners set to be announced on 20 May.
Delegate tickets and conference-only tickets are available now from here.
Rory Bett, CEO, MAMA Festivals, said in a statement: 'We’re incredibly excited for how this brand-new evolution of The Great Escape conference is shaping up. By bringing in some of the industry’s biggest and best networks and experts to develop the event, the scope of what’s going to be covered is more in depth and bigger and better than ever. This is the UK’s number one event for networking and getting ahead in the music industry like you’ve never seen it before.'
