AFEM’s Not Short On Advice

Having set up shop at MIDEM at the end of January, the Association for Electronic Music has now named all of the members of the board of international advisers that’ll help it see out its aims – there are 51 of them.

The list looks likes a “Who’s Who” of electronic music’s leading artists, managers, DJs, labels, promoters, publishers, agents, retailers and broadcasters. The original advisory board had 16 members.

AFEM launched as a worldwide trade body representing electronic music when Graphite media chief Ben Turner – who’s also a partner in the International Music Summit – and entertainment industry lawyer Kurosh Nasseri enlisted such dance music big-hitters as Cream founder and now Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton, WME agent David Levy, Sony Music president of electronic music Patrick Moxey and Maria May from CAA, agent for David Guetta, to help set it up.

It became the first new genre-based trade organization to be launched since the Country Music Association started in 1958.

AFEM announced the full advisory board lineup during the International Music Summit in Ibiza (May 22-24), while setting out a wide-ranging agenda embracing marketing, health and safety and the damaging effects of piracy.

Electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre and American producer, composer and guitarist Nile Rodgers were made AFEM ambassadors.

“There has been an incredible outpouring of support for AFEM. Everyone sees the opportunity to seize this moment of dance music’s high profile and make a lasting difference,” Turner explained.

The Ibiza summit also presented its IMS Legend award to Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), in recognition of the fact he’s “inspired an entire generation of DJs.”

At the Legends dinner May 22 Cook received video messages from the likes of Iggy Pop, David Byrne, DJs Carl Cox, Rob da Bank, Nervo and “The Wire” star Idris Elba.