INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SUMMIT ASIA-PACIFIC FIRST SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED
ARTIST SPEAKERS INCLUDE: PETE TONG, MBE, PAUL OAKENFOLD, RICHIE HAWTIN, DAMIAN LAZARUS AND STEVE ANGELLO
TOP MUSIC INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES FROM SPOTIFY, MINISTRY OF SOUND, AFEM, WILLIAM MORRIS AND PIONEER DJ
Global release, October 31, 2014: IMS Asia-Pacific (AP) has unveiled its first line-up of speakers for its Asian debut in Singapore on December 11 at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. The initial list of artists and executives span all areas of the business, comprising the who’s who of dance music in relation to Asia-Pacific, and the industry’s global thought leaders.Hailing from all corners of Asia, Europe, North America and, of course, host country Singapore artists include:IMS co-founder/presenter Pete Tong, MBE; Paul Oakenfold; Richie Hawtin (M-nus/ENTER./Canada); Damian Lazarus (Crosstown Rebels, UK); Steve Angello (Size, Sweden); Arjun Vagale (Sci-tech/Bedrock, India).Plus, music industry executives including:Ben Turner (Co-Founder, IMS/Association for Electronic Music/Graphite, UK); Lincoln Cheng (Owner, Zouk & Zoukout, Singapore); Brendan Long (Agent, William Morris Endeavor, UK); Chee Meng (Director of Label Relations, Spotify, Singapore); Dev Bhatia (Director, Unmute, India); Frank Cotela (Director, Onelove Recordings/SFX Totem/Stereosonic Australia); Frank Rodi (Deputy Director Writer Services, APRA AMCOS, Australia); Dr. Gino Yu (Dr of Music & Medicine, Hong Kong); Hideki Natsumura (Manager KUVO Planning Section, Japan); Jason Swamy (Promoter, Do What You Love/Robot Heart, Hong Kong); JC Ahn (Director Vuent / Global Gathering Korea / Life In Color, South Korea); Kurosh Nasseri (Co-Founder, Association For Electronic Music, USA); Mark Brimblecombe (Owner, Attica, UK); Mark Lawrence (CEO, Association For Electronic Music, UK); Peter Van Galen (Earproof, Holland); Ralf Kollman (Mobilee Records, Germany); Trent Grimes (Ministry of Sound, Australia).IMS AP 2014 was announced on Oct 14. The nine-hour event, presented by Radio 1’s Pete Tong, will be held on Dec 11 in Singapore to coincide with ZoukOut 2014, which takes place a day after, on Dec 12 and 13. ZoukOut, Asia’s biggest dance electronic music festival, draws over 40,000 revellers in Singapore and from around the globe annually.Ben Turner, IMS’ co-founder, says: “Singapore is the gateway to electronic music in Asia. The city was one of the first places in this part of the world to have a superclub. In the mid-90s, the media would cite Cream (Liverpool), Ministry of Sound (London) and Singapore’s Zouk as the world’s biggest club brands. Zouk’s extension into a festival has shown that Singapore remains very much at the centre of the genre’s development in this region.”With Singapore’s electronic music scene growing exponentially, Turner adds: “From the expansion of the slew of DJs coming to this region, the emergence of ZoukOut, to the number of brands based in Singapore wanting to work with the genre, DJs have also become accepted musicians in this region in the same way they are around the world. The market has evolved and matured significantly. We’re excited to bring together the key protagonists in the Asia-Pacific market as we hope to help mature and build this region for all to benefit – labels, agents, managers, artists and new producers.”The confirmed participants make up the final line-up of about 30 speakers at IMS AP. More speakers will be announced in the upcoming weeks. UK press contact infoFor more information, pictures and requests please contact Nate Taylor or Sam Shemtob at Name PR:nathan@namepr.co.uksam@namepr.co.uk Delegate ticketing informationThe summit will be hosted by Pete Tong, culminating with a Cocktail Party, and the IMS After-Party at Attica club with Paul Oakenfold performing on the same night. Badges to IMS AP, which include a buffet lunch; cocktails at IMS Cocktail Party; and entry to the after party, are affordably priced at:• 75€/S$125 Early Bird Special (Limited)• 99€/S$160 Normal Badge• 125€/S$205 Late Badge• 189.50€/S$310 Special IMS badge + ZoukOut 2014 ticket combo.Students in the music schools at SAE Institute and Republic Polytechnic enjoy a discount of 50 per cent off the Normal Badge price and all IMS delegates can enjoy a special room rate at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove at S$360 per night (from Dec 09-12). Badge purchases and hotel bookings can be made online at internationalmusicsummit.com.IMS has also partnered digital retailer/platform, Beatport, for a special industry delegate badge aimed at independent record labels. IMS and Beatport are offering a 50 per cent discount for labels for the first badge, in a move to support the label sector which IMS states is at the heart of the eco-system of the electronic-music world. More information from Beatport and IMS will be made available in the coming weeks.Labels wanting to take up the discount should contact promo@internationalmusicsummit.com. About IMS APWith some 30 artists and industry players expected at IMS AP 2014, the event serves as a perfect opportunity to unite the industry, as well as to educate the wider world about the opportunities, challenges and current successes of the region. The discussions will focus on topics relevant to the region with contributions from headline talent and industry icons from the region – connecting European/American leaders and regional heavyweights from the worlds of finance, technology, music and media – in a series of panels, keynote interviews, keynote speeches, workshops and tutorials.A diverse range of topics relevant to the region will be dealt with and discussed, from getting down to business with a complete discussion on how to penetrate and galvanise the market in Asia-Pacific. Musician-centric themes such as Get Played Get Paid by the Association for Electronic Music featuring speakers Richie Hawtin and Hideki Natsumura and the Director of Pioneer, Japan, through to Transformational Music by Dr. Gino Yu, in which he will discuss the role of music in healing the consciousness and facilitating personal transformation without drugs.IMS AP is an extension of the partnership between IMS and W Hotels Worldwide, which started in Ibiza. “W Hotels Worldwide has a longstanding passion for music,” says Arnaud Champenois, Asia-Pacific Senior Brand Director, W Hotels Worldwide. “Driven by what’s new next philosophy, we’ve been working with industry partners to support emerging talent, encourage sound exchanges around the world. From the first partnership with IMS in Ibiza to Los Angeles, we are very proud to play an instrumental role in taking the IMS to a global level with the launch of the first ever IMS Asia-Pacific at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. To celebrate this partnership, we have also prepared a series of happenings that will feature an industry icon and headlining talent at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove and W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak.” History of the International Music SummitRegarded as the premier platform for the thought leaders in electronic music, IMS is where announcements for the season ahead are made and deals are confirmed. With talks by some of electronic dance music’s foremost DJs, their managers and owners of the most significant brands in dance music, IMS is a place for everyone who is anyone in the dance music industry – estimated in an IMS business report this year to be worth US$6.2 billion (S$7.9 billion) annually – to network and create important business relationships.IMS aims to educate, inspire and motivate through the thought leadership platform dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, electronic music – the artistry related to DJ-ing and all related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of summits and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of the genre to art and culture worldwide.IMS began in Ibiza, which is a Mecca for electronic music. The island off the mainland of Spain is regarded as the No. 1 destination to experience new music and to catch the biggest DJs in the world. The island’s population of 85,000 increases to more than 300,000 during summer months. IMS is timed annually with the opening summer weekend of Pacha, Space, Ushuaia and DC10, where as many as 20,000 partygoers invade the island for the summer’s lift-off. Ibiza is home to some of the most palatial and state-of-the-art clubs in the world.