In a global and saturated market, could festivals be a space where hype and business can be put to the test?

“Festivals have become the physical manifestation of a digital world’’, noted Live Nation L.A.’s David O’Connor, at the second International MMOI Conference, July 28 at Hotel Opus.

In other words, through all the emailing, the downloading and the streaming, festivals help create an actual space that is much needed for today’s music industry to grow.

This opinion was shared on different levels by panelists from Germany, France, the States and Quebec, who discussed the state of affairs of the music business through issues specific to festivals.

Ontop of the cultural and social wealth of such events, strong identity and organisational sophistication were two topics that arose frequently over the two panels of the conference. (The first panel was based on what is needed for a festival to exist and survive, whereas the second one focussed on what festivals can give back to their communities on economic, social and, of course, artistic levels.)

Left to right: Sandy Boutin, Ralph Christoph and David O'Connor

For European delegates such as Jutta Unger (c/o pop) and Arnaud Monnier (EMB de Sannois, Réseau des lieux de Musiques Actuelles en Ile-de-France), logistics as well as networking and funding were key.

Makes sense as traditionally, all government levels in France are financially involved to support artists and various cultural endeavours. Similarly, the city of Cologne, host of the c/o pop festival for the past four years, has been fundamentally involved with the festival’s development, which has proven profitable for both parties.

For Ralph Christoph (also from c/o pop) as well as Sandy Boutin (Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue), investing in public space and rejuvinating derelict neighborhoods is a great way to give back to the city and its people, celebrating cultural diversity, and supporting local artists to boot.

Festivals have always been a place to share ideas and opportunities for agents, managers, promoters, labels, medias and trendsetters. Now, as a complement to our daily work, they are also about reinventing oneself and, most perhaps most importantly, have hands-on knowledge of what really works and what doesn’t.

All photos: Susan Moss