Today’s music industry is unabashedly playing monopoly, being more and more dominated by just a few large multinational corporations. This development is worth a closer look especially because the concert business—in contrast to the record industry—was not globally organised until just a few years ago. It previously mainly consisted of regional markets with a multitude of independent festivals, with local event- and national tour promoters, and agents whose activities usually didn’t range beyond their continent. European Agent and German tour promoter Berthold Selliger is giving a critical approach on today’s concert business in his keynote speech, followed with an interview by Pollstar’s Gideon Gottfried.

Berthold  Seliger - Konzertagentur Seliger (DE)
Gideon Gottfried - Pollstar (GB)

In 1999 MTV reigned, CD sales soared, and then the Web disrupted everything. In 2018 Social Media dominated and Streaming exploded. But did you even notice that we are speeding towards the next big disruption? Will we prepare ourselves this time?

Scott Cohen, ex The Orchard (GB)

When it comes to signing or booking artists, especially in regards to emerging acts and artists, who and what are the most reliable sources of information? Is it the festival business increasingly moving from booking-by-gut-feeling to a data-driven process? And if so, what data are reliable? Moderator Sammy Andrews (Deviate Digital) invites panelists with different roles in various segments of the music industry to discuss the relevant platforms, sources of information and services that matter to them.

With: Roisin O'Connor - The Independent (GB), Christof Huber - St Gallen Open Air (CH), Joe Wood - One Little Indian (GB). Robert Meijerink - Doornroosje (NL)

The idea of disruption and seismic shifts in how business is done across the entertainment industry are talked about so often that they don't seem all that dramatic anymore. But imagine a world where labels are a thing of the past, where more or less every act bypasses the process that we all assumed was cast in stone, and then suddenly that kind of mass disruption, which would affect thousands and thousands of jobs, really does seem like a big deal. But as streaming platforms mature as businesses it is merely logical that they should seek to expand and deepen their relationships with artists. But where does leave the labels, and what can they do to stay relevant and useful? And how does all this impact on the artists? Who will do their marketing and who will have their back when things aren't going so well?

Whether it's about sustainability, ethical values or morality; festivals can offer a big stage to encourage progressive ways of (inter)action. The future is being built. Plans are out of the drawer and in the laboratories to make them reality. In this panel we will show ideas, goals and progress of smart systems, modules and solutions. From circular economy to hydrogen energy - these measures will be implemented at the festivals and events of the future and we show you how.

With:
Claire O'Neill - A Greener Festival (GB)
Jacob Bilabel - Good Life Academy / Green Music Initiative (DE)
Jasper Goossen - DGTL (NL)
MichalKaščak - Pohoda Festival (SK)

Jan Smeets, oervader van het langstlopende festival ter wereld, viert in 2019 het vijftigjarig jubileum van zijn evenement. De festivaldirecteur staat erom bekend dat hij het hart op de tong draagt. Tijdens het keynote interview zal hij daarom openhartig ingaan op de bloemrijke geschiedenis van het festival, ongetwijfeld gelardeerd met vermakelijke anekdotes. Vanzelfsprekend blikt hij ook vooruit naar de komende, vijftigste editie en naar de toekomst van zijn festival.

Smeets heeft met Pinkpop een monument gecreëerd dat aangemerkt zou kunnen worden als nationaal cultureel erfgoed. Mede omdat zijn festival aan de basis heeft gestaan van belangrijke maatschappelijk-culturele, technologische en creatief-muzikale ontwikkelingen. De vijftigjarige historie wordt gekenmerkt door unieke, memorabele momenten maar ook hoogte- en dieptepunten die Pinkpop tot een uniek festival maken.

Van de Gulpenerberg via Geleen en Baarlo naar Landgraaf. Via Pinknick naar Pinkpop, omdat het festival oorspronkelijk altijd tijdens Pinksteren plaatsvond. De afgelopen jaren is in grote lijnen vastgehouden aan de oorspronkelijke opzet, maar wordt het festival elk jaar weer aangepast en verbeterd. Een aantal jaren geleden stapte MOJO in, maar in de afgelopen vijftig jaar was er altijd een constante: Jan Smeets. En als Jan Smeets met passie vertelt over zijn Pinkpop is het nooit saai.