Leadership Music’s Digital Summit Evolves

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Leadership Music’s annual Digital Summit returns this fall with a new title, new direction, and a renewed focus on educating and connecting music industry and digital marketing leaders. The nine-year-old conference is being renamed and rebranded as theLeadership Music Summit, a move that will allow for the theme of the event to address and incorporate the hot-button issues of the moment from year-to-year. Slated for Tuesday, September 10 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works, the 2013 summit is subtitled “Digital Solutions Powered by the Entrepreneurial Spirit.” Co-chairs for this year’s event are Leadership Music alumni Heather McBee (“America’s Morning Show,” Cumulus Media) and Cameo Carlson (Borman Entertainment).

“Our goal with this year’s event is to introduce members of the music community to the growing number of digital marketing and platform opportunities that are being developed by entrepreneurs,” says McBee. The Leadership Music Summit: Digital Solutions Powered by the Entrepreneurial Spirit will utilize panels, case studies, analytics, keynote speakers and networking to help educate, connect and bond these two communities. The 2013 event is targeted to attendees and participants ranging from college students to movers-and-shakers of the entrepreneurial community across the Southeast to a variety of music industry leaders and decision-makers, including artist managers, record label staff and executives, attorneys, business managers and members of the media, marketing and publicity communities.

Planned panel topics include “Bringing Content to Fruition” and “Marketing & Engagement.” An anticipated highlight is “The Dream Projects,” a competition where content “owners” (i.e. record labels, managers, publishers, artists) can pre-submit a need that would benefit from digital ideas and initiatives. Three “finalists” will be chosen from the pool of submissions; each will be provided a 10-minute presentation opportunity at the Summit. A panel of judges will choose a “winner,” and assist that content owner in connecting with potential digital solution providers. An inverse opportunity will also be provided to digital start-ups – three “finalists” will be selected from a field of pre-submitted initiatives, each will be allowed to present their idea of a dream project and connections will be made with music industry entities who can utilize the “winning” concept. In addition to receiving a cash prize, the winning projects will be included in the feature news in Music Row.

The 2013 Leadership Music Summit begins with a morning networking coffee hour. Panels, keynotes and discussions will follow, with a lunch break at midday. The day’s sessions will be followed by an early evening cocktail reception. Marathon Music Works is located at 1402 Clinton St., Nashville TN 37203. To sign up to receive updates on the Summit and the Dream Project, visit www.leadershipmusicsummit.org and follow us on Twitter @LMSummit. Advance registration is $249 with a discounted rate of $129 for Leadership Music alumni and $49 for students. Discounts will also be given to groups of 10 or more. On-site registration is $299. REGISTER HERE

Created in 1989, Leadership Music is a Nashville-based program that focuses on educating established leaders and exposing them to various topical issues within the music industry; facilitates collaboration and a better understanding of the issues; and fosters networking opportunities and a forum for the exchange of ideas which will equip them in their roles as decision makers.