Zap, Kapow – ILMC’s Big Hitters

They may not relish being described as comic book heroes but some of the speakers lined up for the upcoming ILMC are arguably the music biz’s equivalent of Superman, Batman, or whoever.

This year the conference’s theme is comic book heroes. It has Live Nation global music chief Arthur Fogel, who’s run tours for U2 and Madonna, AEG Live president and co-chief exec John Meglen, who does the same for The Rolling Stones, Solo Agency chief John Giddings – who’s been agent for all three acts at one time or another – and top German live music business execs Peter Schwenkow (DEAG) and Folkert Koopmans (FKP Scorpio), presumably two of Die Fantastischen Vier.

The mentoring sessions, where normal delegates can learn what it takes to achieve superhero status, will offer the chance to take tips from Latin American promoting legend and Move Concerts CEO Phil Rodriguez, Depeche Mode and Roger Waters agent and tour producer Andrew Zweck (Sensible Events), and leading European promoters Pino Sagliocco (president of Live Nation Spain) and Jackie Lombard (Inter Concerts, France).

“It’s taken just over six months to build the new conference schedule, and we’re confident that it runs the gamut of today’s contemporary touring and festival businesses,” said new ILMC managing director Greg Parmley, who last year took over the event from conference founder Martin Hopewell in what’s believed to have been a leveraged buyout.

“Overall, there’s 50 percent more panel content than we’ve ever had, including a new educational workshop programme and some new panel formats.” ILMC is at the Royal Garden Hotel in London March 5-8.