International Festival Forum
ITB’s Pizzagirl was the first band that a number of delegates had seen perform live in 18 months
Cassyette was one of Paradigm's showcase artists
X-ray's Ian Huffam paid a heartfelt tribute to colleague and friend Steve Strange
CAA's Maria May conducted the keynote interview with Melvin Benn and Folkert Koopmans
“It’s been amazing to see everyone in the family again. It’s been really emotional and I would not have missed it for the world.” Beatrice Stirnimann | Baloise Session
But he predicted that not only will the 2022 season go ahead, but “it will be the biggest year ever. And I suppose the next years will just grow. I'm super optimistic.” Benn concluded that the industry can also take a lead on sustainability. “Now it feels like everybody is on the same page – artists, managers, promoters, agents, suppliers, and fans – and collectively there’s a lot we can do together, and that needs to be one of the greatest collaborations that the music industry can continue with.” Elsewhere, The Agency Business panel examined the recently announced CAA and ICM Partners acquisition, with panellists agreeing
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that the deal could provide opportunities for independent agencies, while former CAA staffer Jon Ollier admitted to being “fascinated” by the merger, noting that CAA will be determined to preserve the company’s culture. And it was Ollier, now boss of One Fiinix Live, who shared his belief that one potential outcome of the Covid pandemic may be that the industry will lose its winter season. “There might not be a complete shutdown, but booking a European tour in February, at the height of flu season, will be a huge risk. So why not follow the sun around the globe to mitigate that risk?” ATC Live leader Alex Bruford noted that re-
building consumer confidence would be a major challenge, while he predicted a more flexible approach to touring where acts may put on a series of arena dates at short notice as market conditions change. The conference’s opener involved a Therapy Session where delegates shared stories from the past 18 months, alongside plans to rebuild and reopen their various markets for live events. With Barnaby Harrod (Mercury Wheels) and Claire Courtney (Earth Agency) onstage to represent the different parts of the business, those in the room heard a number of tales, with arguably the most inspiring related by Georg Leitner of GLP, who revealed that Syrian refugees are being recruited by security firms in Germany to help that sector get back to full strength ahead of the 2022 season. Paradigm’s Clementine Bunel, meanwhile, moderated The Roaring 20s? where she and her guests examined whether the rest of the decade
