ILMC’s Breakfast With Giddings

Regardless of whether Ed Bicknell asks him if he can count how many times he’s bought and sold his company or how many millions it would take to sell his Isle Of Wight Festival, the ILMC Sunday-morning interview with John Giddings could be one of the highlights of the conference.

“Several” is likely to be Giddings’ response to both inquiries, being a master of giving unhelpful – albeit amusing – answers to straight questions.

“I bore myself, let alone other people,” Giddings told Pollstar, admitting that doing ILMC’s hot-seat interview has made him a little nervous. “At times I have to stop myself halfway through a sentence to wonder if I have any idea what I’m talking about.”

Having the agent for The Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna and Lady Gaga, among others, do the annual popular Q&A with Bicknell is one of a number of reasons to believe this year’s gathering could score well for entertainment.

Some recent ILMCs have reinforced the annual conference’s reputation for being at the cutting edge of live music industry issues. But, somewhere along the way, some of the panels appeared to lose – or temporarily mislay – their sense of fun.

Going without the traditional opening and the irreverent ranting of Carl Leighton-Pope, last year’s conference seemed stuck over how to replace him.

Former IQ editor Greg Parmley, who’s now with RFID ticketing pioneer Intellitix, will try to keep a light-hearted “Have I Got News For You?”-styled session on track with Jay Marciano (AEG Europe), Emma Banks (CAA), new Live Nation president of concerts John Reid and Wayne Forte from U.S.-based Entourage Talent.

Others lined up for panel appearances include Denis Sullivan from U.S.-based World Wrestling Entertainment, German promoter Carlos Fleischman (Creative Talent) and Bojan Boškoviÿ, who heads Serbia’s award-winning Exit Festival.

The conference has recently announced Phil Bowdery (Live Nation), Serge Grimaux (Intellitix), Nagi Baz (Buzz Productions), Bryan Grant (Britannia Row), Brian Kabatznick (AEG), Roger Barrett (Star Hire), Michael Chugg (Chugg Entertainment), Dick Molenaar (All Arts) and Leighton-Pope will also be having their say.

The 24th ILMC – and the first post-apocalyptic one – is at London’s Royal Garden Hotel March 9-11.