Lunden To Chair IMMF

Petri Lunden marked his appointment as chairman of the International Music Managers Forum by reminding the industry that, whichever way it’s heading, it won’t get far unless it carries the artists with it.

Days before the first International Manager Summit, staged at MIDEM and co-organized by the IMMF, The International Managers’ Forum (MMF) and The International Artist Managers’ Association (IAMA), he told Pollstar that part of his role is to help his organisation ensure that the major labels and the big live music companies are continually reminded that all activity is created around the artist.

As the various managers were preparing to go to Cannes to discuss fundamental issues such as the new functions of the manager in the era of 360-degree contracts, Lunden says he sees nothing wrong in it as a business model as long as the particular company is the best at delivering merchandising, marketing, publishing, records and whatever else it wants to profit from.

"Having worked as an artist manager for many, many years I would say we always worked the 360-degree model. The artist in some capacity controls all those aspects of the industry, i.e. the artist representatives, which means the managers control the 360-degree model in terms of whom we choose to work with," he explained.

"The possibilities for artist managers and their clients are endless; my aim is that we assist our global MMF members to avoid the pitfalls, sharing ideas and education, ensuring that this and future generations of managers are creating and championing new playing fields for artists," he said in an IMMF statement.

Lunden, who was elected chairman at the IMMF General Assembly held at the Eurosonic-Noorderslag conference-cum-festival in Gronigen, Holland, January 10, replaces legendary U.K.-based manager Peter Jenner, who has represented such acts as Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, The Clash, Billy Bragg and Kevin Ayers.

Lunden recently sold his Gothenburg-based Talent Trust business to Hagenburg, where he’s stayed on as executive chairman, and currently manages The Cardigans, Europe, Neverstore, Peter LeMarc and Danish rock band D-A-D.

He recently sold Supreme Royal Deluxe, the Hultsfred Festival booking agency he co-owned with Janne Kleman, to Anschutz Entertainment Group.

Lunden also is a non-executive director of TixDaq, a site that monitors data from multiple online sources within the ticketing market, and owner and co-founder of KlickTrack download technologies.

The Groningen meeting commended Jenner, who has decided to retire from the chairman’s role, for his work and gave him the honorary position of emeritus president.

Longtime executive director Michael McMartin, manager of The Hoodoo Gurus, is stepping down from that position but will continue his IMMF involvement as vice chair for Africa and Asia.

Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt, MMF U.K. board member and managing director of International Royalties Rescue, was elected executive director.

The IMMF is a non-government organisation created to ensure the safeguarding, respect and protection of the moral and professional interests of its members and the worldwide community of artists they represent.