EDMbiz 2013

James Barton, Perry Farrell, Marc Geiger, Rob Light and Pasquale Rotella lead a group of marquee speakers
Conference takes place during EDC week in Las Vegas, June 18-20, 2013

EDMbiz launched last year to promote and facilitate thoughtful discussion on the most pertinent topics relevant to dance music culture, including best business practices, new technology platforms, social media, festivals, direct-to-fan relationships, licensing, sponsorships, and sustaining community and during a period of significant growth.

At the second annual conference, attendees will enjoy a comprehensive schedule of inspiring panel discussions and riveting keynote addresses, plus networking events at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas during Electric Daisy Carnival Week on June 18-20, 2013.  Attendees will also have access to EDC Week nightclub parities at Marquee, TAO, Lavo and others.

One of last year’s keynotes, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino commented, “EDMbiz was a great experience.  The entire dance music ecosystem was there, truly the epicenter of EDM.”

This year’s keynotes will include a conversation with CAA Managing Partner and Head of Worldwide Music Rob Light. Rob will discuss CAA’s global EDM strategy, its relevance to the agency’s film and TV business, and the Daft Punk effect. 

Another keynote will be a conversation between Marc Geiger (head of William Morris Endeavor's music division) and Perry Farrell. During their session the two will reflect on their collaboration as co-creators of the game changing festival “Lollapalooza” in 1991.  These two pioneers will offer insight into the progression of electronic dance music by recalling their own experiences and engaging the audience in an open discussion about the genre’s effect on the modern music scene.

“I was most impressed with the quality of discourse and participation last year. People came ready to learn and contribute to the growth of the scene,” said returning host and co-curator Jason Bentley. “There were big thinkers and big ideas in the room. People come to EDMbiz to make a difference.”

“On the one hand EDMbiz is about creating business opportunities, learning and networking, but on the other hand it’s also about discussing the steps the industry must take to preserve the unique elements of dance music events that make them so special,” said Pasquale Rotella, CEO and founder of Insomniac. “We place a lot of focus on the fans and their voice will be heard at this year’s conference alongside artists, visionaries, and executives.”

EDMbiz has added mentoring sessions with top industry professionals and small-forum breakout discussions that will give aspiring newcomers an opportunity to engage industry leaders directly. Also planned is the first EDM uber-fan panel, the launch of the SkyLight project to promote the advancement of women in the business of dance music founded by Stephanie LaFera (owner of Little Empire Music) and Kerri Mason (dance music journalist and Billboard contributor), and the third meeting of industry advocacy group, the Association For Electronic Music, founded by Ben Turner (director of Graphite) and attorney Kurosh Nasseri.

Below is the first batch of confirmed panelists and speakers for the conference.  Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks:

• Lee Anderson, Agent, AM Only
• James Barton, President, Live Nation Electronic Music
• John Boyle, Chief Growth Officer and Interim CFO, Insomniac
• Todd Chaffee, General Partner, Institutional Venture Partners
• Ted Cohen, Managing Director, TAG Strategic
• Bruce Eskowitz, COO, Red Light Management
• Perry Farrell, Artist and Founder of Lollapalooza
• Shelly Finkel, Vice Chairman, SFX Entertainment
• Marc Geiger, Head of Music, William Morris Endeavor
• Geronimo, Director of Programming Electronic/Dance Format, Sirius XM
• Steve Goodgold, Agent, The Windish Agency
• Allan Hardenberg, CEO, Alda Events (A State of Trance, Armin Only, I Am Hardwell)
• Chris Kantrowitz, Founder and CEO, Gobbler
• Mikhail LaPushner, CEO and Founder, OneBeat
• Vivien Lewit, Director Content Partnerships Music, You Tube
• Rob Light, Managing Partner and Head of Worldwide Music, Creative Artists Agency
• Neil Moffitt, CEO, Angel Management Group (Hakkasan)
• David Moricca, Founder and CEO, Mixify
• Kurosh Nasseri, Attorney at Law and Co-Founder, Association for Electronic Music
• Gary Richards, CEO, HARD Events
• Pasquale Rotella, CEO, Insomniac
• Rick Stevens, CEO, Y Entertainment Group (Ron Burkle’s music investment arm)
• Jason Strauss, Managing Partner, TAO Group
• Tommie Sunshine. Label Owner, Brooklyn Fire  and Writer, Huffington Post
• Mike Tunnicliffe, Chief Growth Officer, GroupM/WPP
• Ben Turner, Director, Graphite and Co-founder, Association for Electronic Music
• Joel Zimmerman, Global Head of Electronic Music, William Morris Endeavor
• Brian Zisk, Managing Director, SF MusicTech Fund and Executive Producer, SF MusicTech Summit

For more information on speakers and registration, please visit www.edmbiz.com.

For more information on programming, sponsorship and business development, please contact info@edmbiz.com.