VIP-News Magazine January 2023

January 2023

New ideas and proven experience

We feel the market has gone haywire

Mathieu Jaton CEO Montreux Jazz Festival

Julius Malmström and Emelie Löfmark Julius Production

MICRO TDH

Italy`s Live industry bounces back in 2022

The Milan Music Week served as the ideal setting for Italy`s copyright agency SIAE to offer an early look at its concertrelated financial data for the first nine months of 2022.

Delegates at the event discussed the data and how the pandemic had a big influence on the live sector in Italy during a panel discussion.

Despite the challenges faced at COVID-19, research indicates that Italy`s live entertainment industry is recovering.

13,013,269 people attended 24,119 concerts from January to September 2022, for a total of 24,119 performances. With an average ticket costing €35, box office revenue reached €450,587,051.

12,263,624 people attended 29,951 performances during the same same period in 2019, before the pandemic, with box office receipts of €369,443,660 and an average ticket cost of €30.

This demonstrates that despite fewer performances, attendance is up 6%, and box office revenues are up 22%.

Numerous venues, including the Circus Maximus in Rome and the Campovolo Arena in Reggio Emilia, hosted concerts. With 111,881 attendees at a pop music concert in May, the Trentino Music Arena also hosted the largest audience.

Although the SIAE claimed that young people had a strong desire to attend events again, the organisation also claimed that rescheduled tickets had contributed to the increase in attendance.

The first elaborations of the SIAE data for 2022 confirm a significant recovery, especially in the concert sector, according to SIAE general director Gaetano Blandini. These are positive signs that bode well but to complete the crossing of the desert the help of the State with targeted interventions, tax incentives and other measures that give companies the opportunity to invest in technology and security to overcome the challenges of the future.”

“Attendance is up 6%, and box office revenues are up 22%”

Family companies celebrating anniversaries

Two of our valued VIP-Booking.com members reached milestone anniversaries in 2022. Julius Production in Sweden celebrated 50 years and Central Line Entertainment in Finland 30 years. We spoke to both company founders, Julius Malmström and Petri Ekman, and their children,

New and traditional ways ...

Since 1972 Julius Production has produced and promoted a huge variety of entertainment in Scandinavia. From music productions at arenas, tours of concert halls in the northern countries, musical and theatre productions - mainly at the theatre Nöjesteatern (which is a part of the same company group) to exhibitions in both Malmö and Stockholm. The newest part of the company group is the venue Amiralen in Malmö - a venue with lots of opportunities; exhibitions, dinner shows, concerts, stand up shows. Julius Malmström is the man behind the company and since 10 years he is working closely together with his daughter Emelie Löfmark to drive the company forward for (at least) another 50 years.

What were your ambitions when you first started the company and could you ever imagine you’d still be going today?

Julius: In the 60s, I was a pop singer in a local band and in 1965 we were the support act for The Rolling Stones in Malmö, Sweden. During my high-school years I worked for free at the musicians’ union’s artist agency. Thomas Johansson, Live Nation’s Chairman of International & Nordics, did the same in Stockholm. We both got to know each other and had a close collaboration for many years. In 1971-72 I opened the Olympen concert hall in the

Julius Malmström and Emelie Löfmark Julius Production Owner / CEO

university city of Lund on behalf of the student organization. The students wanted me to develop this concert activity, which I appreciated but on the condition that I got to work with the assignment in my own newly started company. I could not for my life imagine that I would be able to work with music and theatre, and now also exhibitions, for more than 50 years. Now it is too late to retrieve my academic grade documents, which are probably kept safely in the University’s archives.

What have been the highlights so far?

Q2

Julius: That is an impossible question. During these years, we have presented over 7800 events and arrangements, from classical music to heavy metal to musical theatre and now also exhibitions. In other words - Experiences.

The highlight for me is enjoying eavesdropping on the visitors when they leave the venue. That hopefully contributed to a positive experience. Well, maybe I should mention one specific highlight, the man called “World’s Funniest Entertainer” - Victor Borge. I had the pleasure of being his Scandinavian impresario for over 20 years.

“New ways are not always the best. Old ways have worked for a reason but if you don’t try the new ways, how should you know?” Q1

Emelie Löfmark and Henri Ekman, about the experiences they’ve had so far and the plans they have for the future.

Q3

How has the business changed over the past 50 years?

Julius: When I was 21 and an inexperienced promoter, the whole Rock’n’Roll circus was in its infancy. We were all happy amateurs. We were small companies. Not publicly listed companies. “The capital” was conspicuous by its absence. Today, it’s “capital that rules” and there is not much room for improvisations - for better or for worse. The good: Order and order, professional attitudes both behind and on stage. The bad: The industry is possibly less charming and with less crazy ideas.

Emelie: I very much agree with my father in his answer, but I have a slightly different take on it. Since I only have 15 years’ experience myself in the business, I can only look back in “the history books” and imagine the bigger changes. I agree that the music business has transformed more to be a business and an industry. But I do not necessarily think that it inhibits the creativity – creators will always find their way to perform. I think that keeping the business in order opens for new layers of creativity that might not have been possible earlier. At the same time, some creative expressions might disappear…but every era has its own pros and cons. Overall, changes are good and Julius is a perfect example and a great role model of how to adapt to new times.

What are your plans for the company in the future?

Emelie: I want to continue developing the business with productions that me, my family, our colleagues and last but not least the audience, can enjoy in different ways. To do that, I want to find the perfect balance between running a business and working with creative, high-risk projects. I have my degree in Business and economics; strategy and control systems, which I think gives a certain colour to my work; I have a very strong picture of running a business with stabile and reliable finances so that we have the opportunity to make brave decisions and try new things when the opportunities arise. The financial results created in the company shall be reinvested in new positive experiences for new generations. Very much like Julius has done for over 50 years already.

What’s the best advice your father has given you over the years?

Q4 Q5

Emelie: I’m very happy to be able to work so closely with my father and he has given me so much knowledge over the years. One of the best things he has done for me is to trust me and let me do things on my own, letting me make my own mistakes, but with him very close to sometimes stop the biggest mistakes. That has taught me that new ways are not always the best, that old ways have worked for a reason, but if you don’t try the new ways, how should you know! Working with my father has also taught me that you are not strong on your own, it is always preferable to have a good team of colleagues and a great network of partners in the business. And finally, maybe the most important lesson, is to always find ways to have fun at work. Everything cannot be fun and witty, but try to keep joy in the work life and you can go so much further.

UNIQ U E AND DOU B LY GOOD

STUTTGART CATCHMENT AREA: MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE • HANNS-MARTIN-SCHLEYER-HALLE: UP TO 15,500 SPECTATORS • PORSCHE-ARENA: UP TO 7,500 SPECTATORS • 2023: …MICHAEL PATRICK KELLY, ROLAND KAISER, RIN, EROS RAMAZOTTI, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, DERMOT KENNEDY, LEWIS CAPALDI, SCORPIONS, BEARTOOTH, HELENE FISCHER, DJ BOBO, BLUE MAN GROUP, ANDREAS GABALIER, MONO INC, HERBERT GRÖNEMEYER, SIDO…

Just keep going and the results will come

Central Line Entertainment traces its roots back over a quarter of a century. Beginning with the youthful experience of booking and promoting international punk bands such as No Means No and Leatherface to name but a few.

The company turned pro in 1992 when Koetinkivi (Touchstone) was founded. In the early years, the agency included punk and metal acts, with bookings all over Europe. Since the turn of the millennium, the agency has focused more on pop/rock, including many of Finland’s hottest stars.

In 2015, as international operations expanded, a new name was unveiled: Central Line. In 2022, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary. The agency sells gigs, tours, organizes events, handles venues and is involved in esports and caught up in future events. The company’s offices are located in Helsinki and Tampere.

What were your ambitions when you first started the company and could you ever imagine you’d still be going today?

Petri: Everything started in the late 80`s, when I made tours for punk bands (mainly from UK, Germany, USA) and they were successful, well not financially, but in all other respects. At that time, no one really made these kind of tours. It left me thinking it can’t be so hard to manage bands.

In a way, it all started as a hobby. At that time gigs were arranged and produced through letter correspondence with Germany, England and America. Sure, the landline phone was also in use, but it always started through letter correspondence. After a while Fax became common and that was something to celebrate! Messages left and arrived during the same day. Well, you sort of got stuck in this business and there was no way

Petri Ekman, founder & Henri Ekman, promoter Central Line Entertainment Ltd

out - in a good way. Being here in 2023 was not my vision in the 80´s. Naturally business is goal oriented and we proceeded step by step, goal after goal and here we are running one of the leading independent agencies in Finland. Looking back, I poked and prodded and solved problems on my own for two decades but came to a point where I needed assistance to go further. We are family owned and running company and are happy the way things are now!

Q2

What have been the highlights so far?

Petri: In 1988 I was in Germany and saw this incredible American band called Toxic Reasons. I fell in love with them immediately. Such nice people and so hospitable. This kind of openness and attitude has affected me going forward. I will never forget this!

The first arena concert with Juha Tapio in 2014 followed by several others with him and other artists and concepts every year. In 2017 we had a 25th anniversary festival day in Tampere as a part of Tammerfest Festival. There’s a lot but let’s keep this short.

How has the business changed over the past 30 years?

Q3

Petri: When I started, the music business was more of a playing field for music lovers and enthusiasts. It was easy to join in. At the same time, the more professional music business developed. All the players in the music business and the actual shows evolved rapidly; event organizers, technological solutions for the shows, promoters, tour managers to mention a few. I got interested in this path of the business and was lucky to join the great years of the live music business in late 2010. In the beginning of 2020 a complete transition took place to the massive growth of live music industry. Now I find myself pondering how to minimize and manage all the risks and still go strong. Further solving the equation.

Henri: The main Principles around the music business are still the same but things are also changing. Social media and influencers are taking over more and more. Traditional “ marketing” is decreasing. Of course the music itself is constantly changing and evolving and all kinds of new music and artists are emerging. I wonder how this will change the live music business.

What are your plans for the company in the future?

Q4

Henri: Continuing what we have been doing well so far. I still like the idea of carrying the successful Central Line tradition of long-term thorough commitment to selected artists. Can’t really say what this brings but my goal is a constantly growing company domestically and internationally. For example we have now signed two International artists Günther and Pandora. Events bringing smiles to peoples faces bring smiles to our faces as well. Let’s not forget to have fun and spread this fun to others. From the old days, I believe Loyalty is Royalty.

What’s the best advice your father has given you over the years?

Q5

Henri: Just keep going and the results will come. When you’re a young lad, you’re impatient and you want results quickly and might get disappointed when it does not happen. Petri always repeats to just keep going. Common sense, loyalty and honesty is all you need. I’ve been with Petri at different venues and festivals since I was 10 years old. Firstly estimating capacities and audiences and then year after year I gained more know-how and then more responsibilities.

“

When you’re a young lad, you’re impatient and you want results quickly and might get disappointed when it does not happen. Petri always repeats to just keep going”.

11 UK grassroots venues receive MVT funds

Music Venue Trust (MVT), has announced the first recipients of its major new funding initiative, which provides grants of up to £5,000 for UK grassroots music venues.

The Pipeline Investment Fund was established with the support of members of the Music Venues Alliance and was primarily funded by donations from ticket sales of MVT’s recent ‘Revive Live’ programme of gigs around the UK, which was a partnership with The National Lottery.

Small scale grant applications (up to £5,000) were invited from UK based Grassroots Music Venues to support two key areas of work:

- Small scale capital projects; including lights, sound, access, ventilation and minor building alterations

- Staff and Training; workforce diversification, succession planning, skills development and strengthening local community ties.

11 grassroots music venues have now received almost £40,000 in total for a range of lighting, sound and associated equipment purchases, air conditioning units and building work.

The recipient venues were:

• Alexander`s Live (Chester)

• Venue38 (Ayr)

• The Louisiana (Bristol)

• The Grayston Unity (Halifax)

• Retro (Manchester)

• Chats Palace (London)

• Backstage At The Green (Kinross)

• Dorothy Pax (Sheffield)

• Servant Jazz Quarters (London)

• Snug (Atherton)

• Three Wise Monkeys (Colchester)

The fund prioritised support for organisations who may have been excluded from other available funding and was open to all venue operators and organisations that meet any of the three definitions of a Grassroots Music Space, which can be found here.

Music Venue Trust is actively seeking further donations, particularly from the wider music industry, to maintain and expand the Pipeline Investment Fund and make it a permanent source of support for Grassroots Music Venues. Please contact ozlem@musicvenuetrust.com for details of how this work can be supported.

Mark Dayvd, Founder and CEO of Music Venue Trust said, “The Pipeline Investment Fund is proof of what a huge difference relatively small amounts of money can make to local Grassroots Music Venues. Music Venue Trust is investing this money directly into facilities for artists and for local music communities improving venues for everyone. We’d like to see every stadium and arena show in the country making a small contribution to this fund.

Every headline artist should be able to know with confidence that when they reach the top of our industry the impact of their success ripples back to directly support the venues and communities where the launched their career. MVT has created the mechanism to make that possible, we need the music industry to come together and make it happen.”

Music Venue Trust is actively seeking further donations, particularly from the wider music industry.

Stockholm venue Kägelbanan reopens

After being closed for three years, one of Stockholm`s most iconic venues, Kägelbanan, will return under the management of Stockholm Live, the Swedish division of ASM Global.

Kägelbanan has previously featured performances by artists such as Coldplay, Ice Cube, The Libertines, First Aid Kit, Killers, and more. Stockholm Live`s portfolio of venues in the capital of Sweden includes the Avicii Arena, Friends Arena, Tele2 Arena, Södra Teatern, of which Kägelbanan is a part of, Annexet, Hovet, and the recently added outdoor arena, Betongparken.

Kägelbanan will be used by Stockholm Live for events and concerts. This means that unlike in the past, nightclub activities won`t be held there. Before reopening, Kägelbanan will go through renovations, including a new lighting and audio system for the venue.

“Kägelbanan is an incredibly important venue for Stockholm with all its history and great artists who have performed here,” said Andreas Sand, CEO of Stockholm Live.

With its capacity of close to 1,000 spectators, it fits perfectly into what is requested by our promoters, and with its location and atmosphere, it will be an important piece in Stockholm’s cultural scene going forward.”

The German Sustainability Awards

– proving that sustainable solutions can be implemented at small events

Coldplay’s “Music for Spheres” tour saw the band give great consideration to reducing the carbon emissions inevitably associated with a major tour as they looked at all aspects of the tour such as energy usage, fan travel, transportation and environmentally friendly set construction.

Particularly noteworthy was the band’s demand that the sound system had to be 50% more energy efficient than their previous world tour in 2016-2017. The company providing the loudspeakers for this tour was German Sustainability Design Award finalist, d&b audiotechnik, for their “d&b Certified Pre-Owned” Program - a carefully executed remanufacturing process turning used loudspeakers into high quality refurbished products.

Although the flagship project initiated by Coldplay received much praise across the industry, some people pointed out that globally successful artists enjoy certain privileges giving them completely different options for sustainable design compared to smaller events and tours.

The recent German Sustainability Awards, which took place in Düsseldorf on December 1, set out to prove that sustainable sound and lighting solutions can also be implemented at smaller events.

Leslie Clio was among the artists. The singer, who is as well-known as she is popular, was chosen for the award show not only because of her captivating live performances, but also because of her socio-political activities.

Düsseldorf based company btl next Gmbh was tasked with providing the technical equipment for the awards ceremony and once again turned to d&b audiotechnik to provide the sound equipment to meet their demands for both sustainability and quality. btl Group has relied on high-quality sound reinforcement solutions from d&b audiotechnik for many years and the company’s CEO, Michael Terwint, was quoted saying that the company “was delighted to be able to use an audio solution for the German Sustainability Award 2022 that offered significant savings potential compared to traditional sound reinforcement concepts while still impressing with its sound”.

Terwint continued: “When you’re dealing with sustainable event concepts for the first time, you sometimes don’t see the forest for the trees because of the complexity of the issue. At btl next GmbH, we have since realized that the big picture requires us to tweak every little detail. For example, we now source our work clothes from a Gladbeck-based fashion label that has its textiles manufactured in Germany and Portugal. The clothing is produced fairly and is therefore maybe a little more expensive than typical products from Asia at first glance – but also last much longer than cheap goods.”

Hamburg based consultant, Stefan Lohmann, has been responsible for artist relations at the German Sustainability Awards for many years and has succeeded in getting artists such as ZAZ, Michael Patrick Kelly, Nelly Furtado, Jack Johnson, Die Fantastischen Vier, Simply Red, Jamie Cullum, Rea Garvey, Angelique Kidjo,

Westernhagen, Jan Delay, Milky Chance and others onto the German Sustainability Award stage over the years. Lohmann, also an official partner of the German Sustainability Awards and the founder of “Sustainable Event Solutions” which uses an online platform (www.sustainable-event-solutions.de) and extensive networking activities to highlight sustainable solutions and suppliers from the event industry, was particularly pleased with the energy efficient solutions at this year’s event.

“To the best of my knowledge, d&b audiotechnik is currently the only manufacturer of high-quality audio systems that is already able to establish sustainability, recyclability, and top quality internationally as a sustainable business model. Coldplay and other superstars around the globe rely on d&b audiotechnik and value the company as a reliable partner that considers the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability. Off the top of my head, the key terms that come to mind are 50 percent less energy consumption for the same performance, longevity, value retention, recyclability, fair payment, refurbishing, education, knowledge transfer, and noise cancellation for events close to the city. From my point of view, d&b audiotechnik has rightly earned its place among the finalists for the German Sustainability Award Design 2022.” said Stefan Lohmann.

Leslie Clio was among the artists booked by Stefan Lohmann for this year’s event. The singer, who is as well-known as she is popular, was chosen for the award show not only because of her captivating live performances, but also because of her

socio-political activities. Leslie Clio actively strives to make her tours sustainable, as far as this is possible – on a club tour of a more modest scale, it is well known that the bands generally rely on the sound and lighting equipment available at the respective venue, meaning that the scope for design is limited. Nevertheless, the artist keeps the multifaceted issue top of mind and, for example, the catering on Leslie Clio’s tours is now completely vegetarian: “These are small steps, but when more and more bands make similar efforts, it does make a difference overall,” says Clio. “The products in my merchandising range are all 100% vegan and are produced in line with fair trade criteria. Incidentally, I don’t consider the latter to be something special, but simply a matter of course.”

Clio continued: “I heard that tonight at the German Sustainability Award Design, the sound system uses 50 percent less electricity than usual – I think that’s awesome and, of course, perfectly suited to the event!”

d&b audiotechnik’s Robert Trebus (d&b Director Global Sustainability) and Stephan Greiner (d&b COO) attended the “Night of the Finalists” and both reaffirmed their long-term commitment to comprehensive sustainability principles during the event.

“d&b audiotechnik has been environmentally certified since 2013, and since 2018 we have made a voluntary commitment to the requirements of effective sustainability, both through various national and federal initiatives and in line with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said Robert Trebus. “Firmly enshrining these principles at d&b audiotechnik together with our employees is our stated goal - now and in the future!”

Mathieu Jaton CEO Montreux Jazz Festival

We feel the market has gone haywire

After two years with limited touring the Live Industry is now back in biz, how has 2022 been for your business?

2022 was a very good year, with a lot of expectation from the audience and the artists to come back on stage. Our ticketing worked well and broke records compared to previous years.

What do you think are going to be the biggest challenges for the International Live Music industry in 2023?

We feel that the live market has gone haywire. The big tours are getting bigger and bigger and the middle capacity events are finding it harder and harder to keep up with the cost of touring. This expansionist madness where everything costs more and more without really adding value is never a good sign in an exploding economy.

Montreux Jazz Festival is a renowned music festival held annually in Montreux, Switzerland across two weeks in July. Now in its 57th year, the festival draws 250,000 music lovers from all across the world and artists from all music genres to the Lake Geneva shoreline.

Even though the last few years have seen many agents leaving majors and starting up on their own, we have also seen many companies being acquired by major promoters and agencies, how do you see this affecting the Live Industry?

The problem with this environment is that it is one of the only international economies that is not regulated by anything and where everyone in the chain is paid by commission. In such a system, the interests of the artist or the public are no longer at stake, but only the financial interests of each of the players in the chain. The immediate result is an attempt to cut out the middleman and consolidate an edifice that looks more like a house of cards.

Since the pandemic we have seen a reduction in the number of people involved in production (such as lighting, sound and security). How is the situation for you and what can the industry do to get enough staff members and bring people back to working in the live business?

This is not specific to the music industry, but it is a clear and real fact that the job insecurity that this sector offers is fundamentally challenging the commitment of some people to the business. The question is not whether it will be dangerous for our profession, but rather how we in the music business can make things change so that the working conditions of these people are more decent.

Do you expect the industry to grow in 2023 compared to 2022 and why?

2022 was a euphoric parenthesis. I fear that this return to normal was only the illusion of a stabilisation of a market, and that COVID has pushed us to a change that we actors of this business can’t all really already see.

Decline in ticket sales at Danish venues

Danish venues are experiencing a decline in ticket sales, particularly among the adult audience, according to Dansk Live, the trade organization for concert venues.

Many venues are struggling as the audience is not coming out to see concerts with new and adult programs, said Esben Marcher, secretary general of Dansk Live to DR in a longer interview.

While young people are actually going out more to hear music, the situation looks bad for the group of adult guests, particularly those who previously only went to concerts a few times a year.

Marcher attributed the decline in ticket sales to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the new habits it has created, as well as the fact that people are prioritizing their money. The lack of audience support is also bad news for talent development, as venues are essential for cultivating new talent and building an audience before moving on to bigger stages.

A survey conducted by Dansk Live among its members in October and November showed that the majority of participating venues experienced declining ticket sales in the past six months.

But when the interest in smaller and newer names has declined, how do venues get the audience back on board?

At Dansk Live, it is well aware that new thinking is needed.

“Venues need to challenge the audience and offer them something they are not used to being offered. There needs to be some development, and venues need to adapt to a new reality where they cannot just rely on the audience coming for the music alone,” said Esben Marcher.

At some venues, subscriptions and annual passes have been introduced, offering discounts on a range of concerts with smaller or newer names.

If ticket sales cannot be increased, it will have consequences for the overall music scene, according to Marcher.

“Tour activities for musicians will be fewer and it will affect the overall economy in the ecosystem that there is less concert activity,” he concluded in the interview.

Dragan

52 years

A new Jimi Hendrix or Prince will not fall from the sky

After two years with limited touring the Live Industry is now back in biz, how has 2022 been for your business?

Q1

It was a very good year for us, very stressful in the end with around 50 shows within 6 weeks, but very successful. Our good luck in this hard situation was that 80% of our festivals and tours were postponed with only 20% new shows and all the postponed dates went great, for the new dates it was 50:50. The corona pandemic was bad but the many direct consequences of the Ukraine war are worse. The energy crisis and inflation are now affecting everyone, not just parts. Everyone has much more costs and everyone holds their money. This is really bad for every single business company, but again much more for our live music business.

Dirk Stolzenberg CEO

Fabulous Germany Concerts

Dirk Stolzenberg has owned Rock and Blues Festivals for 30 years in the Northern part of Germany. Around 35 years with tours all over Europe. Artists including Canned Heat, Johnny Winter, Chuck Berry, Foreigner, Slade, Sweet, CCR, Nazareth, Omega, T.Rex, John Lee Hooker Jr., David Honeyboy Edwards, Louisiana Red and many more.

What do you think are going to be the biggest challenges for the International Live Music industry in 2023?

Q2

Hard to say. I think the year 2023 will be maybe one of the hardest ever! The pandemic is gone, we can’t rely upon any more local help, no more state aid, simply nothing. But if all the costs continue to rise and wages stagnate, people will continue to hold on to their money. Once again, this will mainly affect companies that offer services that are not needed for daily life. For example concerts, cinema, restaurant visits, theatres, entertainment parks, etc. I expect a very difficult year because the postponed concerts will be completed by the middle of the year and then it will be decided how the new concerts are received by the audience.

Even though the last few years have seen many agents leaving majors and starting up on their own, we have also seen many companies being acquired by major promoters and agencies, how do you see this affecting the Live Industry?

In the end, the market regulates itself. More competition usually stimulates business but if the focus is only on high profits and dividends then this will cause lasting damage to the entire live music business. I think that the many branches of live entertainment cannot be controlled globally and therefore you do not have to worry about it. You have to worry more about the next generation, because it will be increasingly more difficult for young talent, especially if they don’t make mainstream music. A new Jimi Hendrix or a new Prince or new Beatles or Rolling Stones will not fall from the sky.

Since the pandemic we have seen a reduction in the number of people involved in production (such as lighting, sound and security). How is the situation for you and what can the industry do to get enough staff members and bring people back to working in the live business?

This is really a big problem now. No hands, no technicians, no staff for the bar, merch, stage, tours etc! At the moment it is not a question of money to get enough staff, you must take what you get. We were the first training company in SchleswigHolstein, north of Hamburg. I have been a volunteer member of

the examination board for event managers for 20 years. In good years, at the beginning of a training year, there were more than 100 people in 4 large classes. Now there are still 15 trainees in a single small class! That’s 85% less than our market will really lack in 2 or 3 years. Maybe some will come back but the market will lack well-trained new people in the long run. In doing so, we also risk a lack of quality, quality in the care of artists and in the execution of events but of course, also in the organization and simply everywhere.

Do you expect the industry to grow in 2023 compared to 2022 – and why?

With luck, the market will remain at this level. Maybe it will climb in certain areas because there are still some big names that may go on tour for the last time and can still charge very high entrance fees but that will only affect maybe a dozen artists. Most artists and organizers will have to tighten their belts. The golden years are over for now. We will have much more costs on one side and less ticket sales on the other because most people are not able to pay the higher ticket price.

The Snow Queen – A Heartwarming Tale of Friendship and Helping Those in Need

Finland’s biggest performing arts production of all time, The Snow Queen, premiered at Tampere’s Nokia Arena on 30th December 2022. Postponed a year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ice ballet for the whole family tells, in a warm and humorous way, about helping those in need and the healing power of friendship.

The Snow Queen is based on the Danish H.C. Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale of the same name. Andersen set his classic story in the mythical Finnish Lapland, and at the heart of the new version is Finnishness, viewed from the outside like Andersen. The ice ballet was conceptualized and scripted by Canadian Melissa A. Thompson, who has previously worked as a creative lead of the Cirque du Soleil circus. Thompson is proud to be called something of a Finnophile.

“The Snow Queen is really a tribute to the famous Finnish ‘sisu’ in every sense. Last year, we received the news about the postponement six days before the world premiere. We were deep into the final dress rehearsals up north. As you might expect, the news was a hard blow to the performers and the rest of the team. But with determination and courage, this icy phoenix rose from the ashes stronger than ever” says Thompson.

The artistic team, which in addition to Thompson includes composer Tuomas Kantelinen, director and choreographer Reija Wäre, visualist and lighting designer Mikki Kunttu, costume designer Erika Turunen, synchronized skating choreographer Anu Oksanen and makeup designer Minna Pilvinen, was determined from the beginning to produce a high-end, novel art form and reach for new audiences both in Finland and around the world. The production has gained significant inter-national partners and aroused wide interest in Europe, where it is sold by the English Angus Baskerville, who is known as the agent of top artists such as Radiohead, Duffy, Jamiroquai, and A-ha.

“Visually, artistically, and content-wise, The Snow Queen is one of the most ambitious projects that I have encountered in my career. We feel the show has huge potential in terms of international touring particularly as the performance is built in an arena environment and there is currently nothing like it in the market. Finnishness is trending in the world, and the show’s themes of helping those in need, demonstrating the Nordic value base, are more topical than ever. We´ve had extremely promising discussions with the biggest arenas in Great Britain and Europe already,” Baskerville reveals.

The Snow Queen is a Tampere Hall and Kantelinen Company joint production. From 2019 until today, 498 professionals from all walks of life, from seamstresses to video producers and from skaters to ice hockey players, have been involved in making this domestic arena production come to life.

The role of the Snow Queen is skated by Laura Lepistö, Finland’s most successful solo figure skater of all time, who makes her long-awaited return to the ice with the role. The Snow Queen of the fairy tale is an icy witch who is vulnerable and lonely under her blunt shell. For Lepistö, the production’s themes of friendship and the fact that no one is left alone are important.

“Friendship is always an important theme and at the moment, reflecting the situation in the world, it is very topical. During last year’s rehearsal period, we, the performers and the working group, became a close-knit, multicultural community, and I think it’s great that through this work we can bring joy to children and adults and be part of doing something valuable together,” says Lepistö.

ESNS Exchange presents final 2022 results

The European showcase festival, ESNS Exchange, made a successful return in 2022, with 357 shows featuring 149 acts from 30 countries at 86 festivals in 28 countries.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the results were on par with pre-pandemic figures, giving organizers a positive outlook on the future of the event.

The most booked acts of the year were Priya Ragu from Switzerland, with 11 bookings, Alyona Alyona from Ukraine and CMAT from Ireland, both with 10 bookings, and Yard Act from the UK and Enola Gay from Ireland, both with 9 bookings. Other popular acts included Holly Humberstone from the UK, Altin Gün from the Netherlands, Go_A from Ukraine, Joe & The Shitboys from the Faroe Islands, and Wet Leg and Wu-Lu from the UK, all with 7 bookings.

Overall, the success of ESNS Exchange 2022 is a promising sign for the future of live music events, as artists and fans alike continue to navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic.

ESNS Exchange, formerly known as ETEP, is a European talent exchange program that was introduced in 2003 to facilitate the exchange of European artists across the continent. The

initiative, which is run by ESNS, helps to book European acts on festivals outside their home countries and generates media exposure for these artists through partnerships with Euroradio, export offices, and local media outlets. The goal of ESNS Exchange is to support the international careers of European artists and give them a boost in the industry.

Priya Ragu

NOW AVAILABLE FOR GLOBAL TOURING!

Tampere Hall & Kantelinen Company proudly present a new ice ballet spectacular direct from Finland: The Snow Queen

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic fairytale of the same name, the ice ballet was premiered to thunderous applause on the 30th of December 2022 at Nokia Arena, in Tampere in Finland.

The Snow Queen brings together high caliber athletes and performing arts talent, to create a show driven by captivating moments and stunning visuals for an arena-scale family entertainment experience like no other.

This unique production combines figure, synchronized and freestyle skating with contemporary dance and ice hockey and features revolutionary projection design, high-performance puppetry, and cutting-edge costume design.

The Snow Queen features an entirely original score composed by one of Finland’s most internationally renowned film composers, Tuomas Kantelinen

More info: snowqueenonice.com

Contact Ms. Paulina Ahokas +358 3 243 4100 / +358 40 551 1551 paulina.ahokas@tampere-talo.fi

Mr. Angus Baskerville +44 (0)7940 740 997

angus@pure-represents.com