MaMA Festival & Convention Preps For 10th Anniversary In Paris

Returning from previous years is “Avant-Garde,” a program dedicated to the export of French up-and-coming talent. Set up in partnership with European festival association Yourope, Avant-Garde gives eight French newcomers the opportunity to shine in front of 70 international buyers – festivals, venue programmers, labels, music supervisors and more – who can book or sign them on the spot. There will be ample opportunities to meet up with artists’ managements and agents.

The bands’ contacts and professional environment are major factors, when MaMA’s programming committee, led by head programmer Ségolène Favre-Cooper, decide on their export-readiness. 

The 2019 selection includes Calling Marian, Joanna, Mauvais Oeil, and Praa, who will take the stage, Oct. 16, followed by Alice et Moi, Awir Leon, La Chica, and Mottron a day later. Performances take place in the intimate setting of Les Trois Baudets, a 1940s café with a 200-capacity concert hall. MaMA promises that all bands are ready to play the world’s major festival circuit.

Yourope also makes its presence felt in another way, by hosting its Health & Safety Seminar during the convention for a second time in a row. Curated by the Yourope Event Safety Group (YES Group) and helmed by Prof. Chris Kemp, CEO of Mind Over Matter Consultancy, the two-day agenda will address the challenges at this summer’s festivals, new developments in crowd dynamics, the aim, approach and basic structure of evacuation plans and more.  

Four years ago, MaMA launched a daytime program dedicated to the most innovative technological startup ideas in music, called MaMA Invent. Of the 100 start-ups exhibiting their business models onsite, six will compete in front of a jury comprised of Séverin Merad (Napster), Perrine Guyomard (Warner) and Jean Perrissin (Cabaret Vert), who will choose a winner. 

In 2019, a nighttime program was added, showcasing technology discoveries in the music field. Throughout the three days, the public, artists and professionals will have the opportunity to visit different venues to see and experience what the tech community has been working on this past year.

In line with the goal of helping people develop innovative business models, MaMA also coordinates one of the first music programs to receive money from the EU’s Creative Europe funding program. The program offers three fellowships (one each year starting in 2019) to 10-20 participants from across Europe, giving them the opportunity to develop their ideas and benefit from both an extensive training and personalized tutorship over a period of nine months. 

The 2019 fellows include Lina Ugrinovska of TAKSIRAT Mentoring, who’s been pioneering the discussion around mental health in the live industry; Gwendolenn Sharp, an innovator in green touring for musicians and technicians; Faniak CEO Nuno Santos, the first AI band manager; and more.

Organizers around event director Fernando Ladeiro-Marquès expect some 6,000 professionals to make their way to Paris this year. CAA co-head Emma Banks, Paradigm Talent Agency agent Clementine Brunel, Lollapalooza Berlin director Fruzsina Szép, Ticketmaster UK MD Andrew Parsons, and MCT Agentur CEO Scumeck Sabottka are among the 400-plus speakers announced.

Sessions will address topics including ticketing, concentration in live music, ways for the sector to export talent and more.

Banks will talk about the development of her career as a talent spotter, a creator of multimillion-dollar tours, and a “trailblazer for women,” and also share her opinion on the present and future state of the international live music industry in a keynote interview with fellow agent Bunel.

Pollstar asked Ladeiro-Marquès why U.S. delegates should make the trip to Paris this year. His response: “Not just this year, they are welcome every year! MaMA is one of the most important festivals and conventions that takes place in the world. It’s a very specific market, and the best way to understand it is to come and meet its players. 

“The entire French music industry is present at MaMA. Whether it is the recorded sector, live music or others like institutions, politicians, lawyers, etc., everyone comes to MaMA.”

Last year, more than 5,900 delegates made it to Paris, in addition to some 5,500 passes sold to the public for concert access. “Logic would have it that there are a few more this year as we are celebrating our 10th edition,” said Ladeiro-Marquès, adding, “but we don’t seek to welcome more delegates every year. In 10 editions, we have gone from 1,500 to nearly 6,000 delegates, and I think that in the future there will be a limit – to guarantee the human aspect of MaMA.”