Flying Dutchmen Focus On Home

This year’s European Talent Exchange Programme is still in progress, but the Flying Dutchmen from Eurosonic-Noorderslag are already planning next January’s gathering.

The 2011 conference and showcase festival, its 25th edition, will start a day earlier with the staging of the European Border Breakers Awards and the European Festival Awards.

As befits the anniversary edition of the Groningen event, the national focus will be The Netherlands.

The first keynote speaker to be announced is Bob Lefsetz, the author of the e-mail newsletter “The Lefsetz Letter,” which is reputed to have regular readers such as Steven Tyler, Trent Reznor, Bryan Adams, and Quincy Jones, plus music business honchos including Michael Rapino, Randy Phillips and Irving Azoff.

Famous for being beholden to no one and being blunt, Lefsetz regularly addresses the issues at the core of the music business: downloading, ticketing and the music itself.

Earlybird registration for Eurosonic-Noorderslag Jan. 12-15 costs euro 195 and is available until June 18, when the price will increase to euro 235.