As you will remember, faithful reader, the 2008 Music Matters conference gave us plenty to sink our teeth into. Asia’s preeminent music industry conference gathered together such heavyweights as U2 manager Paul McGuinness, Ian Chapman-Banks of Motorola Asia Pacific, and Harvey Goldsmith of Harvey Goldsmithdom. Diligently taking notes by day, we at the Radar loosened our ties (slightly) after sundown to hobnob and take in some of the region’s promising up-and-coming young bands at the Music Matters Showcase.
Fast-forward to now, and Music Matters 2009 is nearly upon us. The event will be held from June 2-4 in Hong Kong, and in these uncertain economic times, we’re going to be thrifty and capitalise on the early bird special: registering before April 1 saves you USD 200 off the USD 850-950 admission fee.*
The full programme has not yet been revealed, but the powers that be at MM have announced the first keynote speaker: Universal Music Japan CEO and Chairman Kei Ishikaza, who will hold forth in a Japan-focused session led by Ken Ohtake, President of Sony Publishing Japan.
Japan looks to be a key topic at MM 2009. Other issues up for discussion will be the exporting of Bollywood films, tapping into the market potential of Asia’s Social-Networking boom, and the growing importance of context — the various technological platforms that allow consumers to choose where and how they engage with music.
We’ll be posting some more projected highlights of MM 2009 over the next couple months as details of the schedule are confirmed. See you in Hong Kong!
* Full disclosure: China Music Radar is a Music Matters 2009 media partner, so perhaps they will let us in for free.