[dropcap style=”font-size:100px; color:#992211;”]T[/dropcap]he entertainment industry is a sprawling animal of celebrity, sober lust and enthusiastic deceit.
***rescheduled to oct 7th***
Toothed and tentacles, it is both predator and prey, in your house, your home, your head. This is year’s Henley music conference is shaping up to be a real snapper.
Past events have been a high energy affair of knowledge, braggadocio, bluff and hill rolling players caging the long game in the shortest terms possible.
If longevity in the creative industries is your carpet bag then this event is unmissable.
Now in its third year, Henley Business School’s MBA for the Music and Creative Industries is continuing to play an integral role within the International Music Business landscape. Going from strength to strength, the program hosts a series of Creative Dynamics events throughout each year that have fast become essential dates in the music industry calendar.
On July 7th, Henley will explore the rise of the SuperFan and investigate the growth and mobilization of brand communities around artists and talent as a now essential route to success. Henley has invited Rafael McDonnell, Agent, Music Brand Partnerships at Creative Artists Agency’s (CAA) London office, to chair this one-day event.
SuperBrand to SuperFan will raise the question, how do pioneering and inventive talent partnerships, build and engage a digital community that will stimulate growth? The creative industries are reliant on a direct relationship with their fans and the need to generate income streams from these relationships, and in this digital era, brands are increasingly looking to partner with creative talent to capitalise on engagement. These partnerships can bring significant strategic value to all parties, becoming a highly cost efficient vehicle of engagement.
The event will be attended by senior executives from the music and creative industries, with a strong line up of guest speakers from; Henley, CAA, Universal, Splendid Communications & Influence Digital, who will share their expertise in building brand communities. The Creative Dynamics seminars also offer a unique networking opportunity for those working in the creative industries, along with the scope to share information, and brainstorm pioneering and entrepreneurial ideas, for their respective businesses.
Chair:
Rafael McDonnell: Agent, Music Brand Partnerships, at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Beijing, among other locations globally. McDonnell is based in CAA’s London office, where he helps guide the brand partnership and sponsorship opportunities on behalf of CAA’s music clients.
Prior to joining CAA in 2012, McDonnell served as the Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships, Licensing & Synchronization for EMI Music, where he was instrumental in creating the company’s Brand Partnerships group across Europe, brokering deals with such global brands as Coca-Cola, MasterCard, Microsoft, and Max Factor. He was also responsible for developing new revenue streams in advertising, film, video games, and television, on behalf of the label’s artists. Before joining EMI, McDonnell set up his own agency – RED Entertainment Marketing, helping brands including Coca-Cola work with music and entertainment partners. Previously, McDonnell spent six years heading up the UK Marketing Activation and Brand Experience Groups for Coca-Cola. In 2004, as Head of Strategic Marketing Alliances & Activation, he founded MyCokemusic.com, one of the UK’s first major legal downloadable music websites.
Speakers
Alec Samways: CEO, Founder – Splendid Communications. Alec founded Splendid in 2004 to build a communications agency that creates value for brands in the real world. His previous roles included head of global consumer practice at strategic research consultancy Datamonitor, and head of brands division at Slice, a music and entertainment PR specialist. With Splendid he has won Music Week’s award for Music and brand partnership of the year, activated music campaigns for brands like Jack Daniel’s, Smirnoff, Heineken and Lucozade, launched Spotify in the US and worked with talents as diverse as DJ Fresh, Destiny’s Child, Madonna and MC5.
Olivier Robert-Murphy – Global Head of New Business / Chief of Possibilities at Universal Music Group. Originally from Toulouse, France, Olivier had his first taste of the music industry by financing his studies through chauffeuring music artists around Paris. After serving as an officer in the French Air Force, he began at Procter & Gamble as a Key Account Manager, before joining the entertainment industry at PolyGram Video France. For 5 years he marketed and launched hundreds of audio-visual products, ultimately advancing to Vice President of Marketing at Universal Pictures International Video and relocating to London. Since 2001, he has been with Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, where after launching the audio-visual department, Olivier was given the added responsibility of managing the Strategic Marketing Division. He now heads up Universal Music & Brands globally, providing innovative and entertaining business solutions to brands.
Richard Marshall is the CEO and co founder of Influence Digital , a leading social & digital marketing agency working in music, entertainment, fashion and travel. He launched the agency following a 15 year career working in senior marketing positions at Universal Music, A&M Records and Warner Brothers. Key music clients the agency has represented include Above & Beyond, Ibiza Rocks, David Bowie, One Republic and We Are FSTVL, winner of Best Medium Size Festival at the 2014 UK Festival Awards. Influence also represents some of the biggest UK’s biggest companies and consumer brands including Elite Models, Thomas Cook and Arcadia. In 2014 Influence Digital joined forces with Independent Talent Group who represent many of the most celebrated talent across all forms of media including award winning actors Daniel Craig, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Colin Firth, Sir Ian McKellen, Steve Coogan and many more.
SuperBrand to SuperFan will be held at Henley’s stunning Greenlands Campus on the banks of the river Thames. Lunch and refreshments are provided. During the afternoon session delegates will have the opportunity to question two panels of speakers formed of artist representatives and the SuperFans themselves.
The Talent Panel.
Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman of ROAR Global, the UK’s leading independent talent management agency. The ROAR Global Group (incorporating Cole Kitchen) represents digital and intellectual property rights on behalf of talent in the fields of Broadcasting, Music, Acting, Branding, Comedy and Sports. Household names Jonathan has worked with include Mel B, Baroness Karren Brady CBE, Kelly Brook, Cher, Charlotte Church, Dame Joan Collins, Rebecca Ferguson, Katherine Jenkins OBE, Sir Elton John, Vinnie Jones, Kelly Hoppen MBE, Lorraine Kelly OBE, Myleene Klass, N-Dubz, Arlene Phillips CBE, Sir George ‘Beatles’ Martin, Pixie Lott, Sting, Tulisa, Gregg Wallace, gold medal winning Olympians and the winners of “Britains Got Talent”. ROAR Global Group have represented music stars who have sold more than 50 million CDs in their careers and talent whose names have sold £100 million plus of branded product. The company has also been responsible for building Britain’s most successful urban music roster with its artists winning 15 MOBO Awards as well advising on the careers of broadcasters on global television networks including CNN, BBC, ITV and Sky. Jonathan devotes many hours of pro bono work as a Trustee of The Chicken Shed Theatre Company, Variety, the Children’s Charity, and Patron of the Royal Television Society.
Dan Parker: In 2002, Dan started out at S Records, Simon Cowell’s joint venture with BMG Records. Over the next eight years, S Records became Syco Entertainment and during this time, Dan worked with two of the biggest entertainment brands in the world from inception – launched by Syco – The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. As well as this, he developed and directed many of the recording artists signed to S Records/Syco Entertainment for their entire campaigns, achieving numerous ‘Number 1’s’ and sales in excess of 20 million. In 2010 Dan launched 84 World, a Talent Management and Entertainment Agency, based in London. During this time, Dan has brokered numerous deals for his management clients across all areas of the entertainment business, and is proud to represent a wide range of talent that includes; Brian McFadden, Sarah Harding, Kimberly Wyatt, Vogue Williams, Dionne Bromfield, Neev Spencer (Kiss FM) & Amy Willerton
Dumi Oburota. As the founder of entertainment and lifestyle brand, Disturbing London, Dumi Oburota has always had a keen eye for business opportunities. Born and raised in South East London, he was inspired to forge a business that was proudly British but with international aspirations. Upon discovering the talented young rapper, Tinie Tempah, their combined passion and determination made a mark on the music industry and in 2006 Dumi set-up Disturbing London. Under Dumi’s management, Tinie has become the most successful rappers in UK history, with a string of #1 hits and multiple accolades and awards. As his roster expanded to include Jessie J, Dumi has also continued to diversify the company into the world of music publishing and fashion, setting up Disturbing Sounds and Disturbing London Apparel. Today Disturbing London is a multi-facetted company that delves into a variety of creative industries, with Dumi at the helm.
Andrew Armour – Chairs the SuperFan panel.
Andrew Armour is the founder of Benchstone Ltd and a marketing advisor who specialises in the technology, media and creative industries. His career spans senior marketing, rights licensing, content and business innovation roles at Yell.com, Walt Disney Films, PRS for Music and Television New Zealand (The America’s Cup). In addition to now consulting to telecommunications, agencies and investors he is a Guest Tutor at Henley Business School.
Juliana Meyer – SuperFan Panel
Young entrepreneur Juliana Meyer joins the SuperFan panel. CEO of SupaPass a digital music start up that gives music SuperFans VIP access to their favourite artists and their music. Named ‘Best European Start Up’ this year at SXSW, SupaPass links brands, bands and superfans in an innovative new ‘music ecosystem of the future’. Juliana is also an award winning songwriter, performer and Oxford Graduate.
Tickets are available via: http://www.henley.ac.uk/events/creative-dynamics-superbrands-to-superfans
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. – Aristotle
