ILMC 37 Launches Conference Agenda

The conference agenda for ILMC 37, which returns to the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, Feb. 25-28, 2025, has been launched today, boasting “the largest-ever program in the event’s history,” according to a press release.

Sessions range from touring, and festivals to wellness, question times and keynotes. “One focus of the conference outline,” the press release continues, “is a greater emphasis on cross-cutting issues.”

One example of this is a session on Feb. 26 on the hot topic of ticket pricing, called “Pricing The Ticket: Balancing expectations,” which will feature promoters, agents, ticketing companies, and venues discuss the difficult issue of price setting.

On Thursday, Feb. 27, a new Question Time session will see top industry leaders tackle questions submitted by conference delegates, moderated by Emporium Presents’ Dan Steinberg.

ILMC will also be convening its own fan focus group, so the industry can hear directly from regular gig-goers in a session dubbed Meet The Fans.

Another new element, Middle East Live supported by OVG (Pollstar’s parent company), sees two dedicated sessions – a state of the nation review and venue focus – focused on this rapidly expanding region for the live music industry, as well as surrounding networking elements.

Live Entertainment’s Golden Shores: (Annual Middle East Focus 2024)

ILMC’s 2025 Hotseat interview will be with Superstruct co-founder James Barton. Other conference topics across the three-day event include ethics & activism; marketing; the arena market; festival formats; electronic music; fan data tools; wellness; a series of genre spotlight sessions; and a workshop program including live music insurance, green riders, visas and programming gender-balanced events.

Greg Parmley, head of ILMC, commented, “We have gone back to first principles this year and completely refreshed the conference agenda, ensuring that we continue to deliver on ILMC’s core mission of being the premier place for the international live music business to discuss its most important issues. It’s the biggest ILMC agenda yet, and we’re excited to deliver the new sessions and formats in February.”

In addition to the core ILMC program, Touring Entertainment LIVE is a full day event for big-brand live entertainment, exhibitions and touring family shows, and the Greener Events and Innovations Conference runs on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Futures Forum returns on the last day of ILMC, when an additional delegation of early-career live music professionals invited to attend sessions on booking, new music, tour marketing, the festival business and more.

Key partners on ILMC 37 include Live Nation, Ticketmaster, CTS Eventim, ASM Global, Tysers Live, BWO Entertainment, AXS, Showsec, DEAG & LMP Group. Meanwhile, session chairs include Emma Banks (CAA), Rauha Kyyrö (FKP Scorpio), Sally Dunstone (Primary Talent International), Marie Lindqvist (ASM Global), Dan Steinberg (Emporium Presents), Tom Zaller (Imagine Exhibitions) and Clementine Bunel (Wasserman Music).

Over 2,500 live music professionals are expected to take part in the 2025 ILMC program, with full details available at 37.ilmc.com. Further sessions tba.

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