In conjunction with the Music Managers Forum and various state music industry
associations, the organisers of South by Southwest Music Festival and Conference announce an interstate ‘roadshow’ of meetings in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide in the first two weeks of August. The free seminars are geared to give a six month ‘heads up’ to artists, managers, labels and music business professionals who either plan to attend SxSW March 14-17 2007 or bands who wish to apply to showcase at the event.
The Music Managers Forum hosts the seminars as their regular monthly meeting in:
Melbourne August 1, 6 pm Corner Hotel 57 Swan Street, Richmond (in association with VicMusic)
Sydney August 7, 6 pm Roxbury Hotel, 182 St Johns Road Glebe (in association with MusicNSW)
Brisbane August 8, 6 pm at a venue to be confirmed (in association with QMusic)
Adelaide August 16, 6 pm at the FAD Bar-30 Waymouth Street in the City (in association with AWESAM)
Plans are to have a seminar in Perth later as well, but to make the information
universally accessible, SxSW organisers are recording the Melbourne show August 1 and will podcast it immediately thereafter on the Australian/New Zealand SxSW website http://www.themusic.com.au/sxsw. MMF will also record the Melbourne session and make it available on video on its web site for members– announcements will be made simultaneously on the MMF web site, www.immf.net.
With showcase submissions opening no later than September 1, the new application criteria will allow electronic submissions of material as opposed to the application and package that was previously required to be mailed to Austin SxSW headquarters. With submissions closing for international applicants October 27, SxSW is encouraging Australian artists to step up to the front of the queue and get a hearing from the talent committee in Austin before they are deluged at the deadline.
“Teaming the MMF with music industry associations in each state for these events will bring together the music communities in a critical mass for SxSW which has increased attendance from Australia & New Zealand almost tenfold in just four years.” South by Southwest representative Phil Tripp states. “With the support of Austrade over that period, the barbecue concert in Austin and side shows in Los Angeles and New York organised by the Australian Music Collective, government support from WA, NSW and NZ–as well as industry investment by APRA, Sony/BMG, EMI, WAM and MusicNSW–we had over 400 participants from AustralAsia with 200 registrants plus 33 bands of 54 invited which accounted for another 200 people.”
A set of SxSW veterans are being assembled to address the crowds at the SxSW seminars as well as being podcast. Speakers in each city will explain how to strategise way ahead of the rest of the world, how to work with Austrade, the realities of grants, visas, logistics and other issues. Advance PR, promotion and publicity tactics will be revealed. Working with the Australian Music Office in Los Angeles, SxSW attendees can gain valuable traction from programs initiated by it aimed at the event. And the Australian Music Collective (Mary Mihelakos and Glenn Dickie) will outline their plans for Austin based promotions as well as shows before and after SxSW in other cities.
As Tripp concludes, “SxSW, with over 10,000 music business attendees and over 1200 bands, has proven to be the launching pad for Australian artists into overseas markets through showcases, networking and export initiatives. We’re honoured and enthused that the MMF has teamed with us to get the word out to their members and that state industry associations have joined us to spread the opportunity to participate in SxSW nationally.”
For further information, contact Phil Tripp at tripp@sxsw.com or (02) 9557 7766
Details are on the SxSW Australian site at http://www.themusic.com.au/sxsw.