UK record label trade body the BPI has announced details of its fifth annual trade mission to Japan, which is organised in association with those United Kingdom Trade Investment chaps, and which will take place the first week in August. Reps from all sorts of UK music companies will use the venture to meet and network with key people from the Japanese music industry, Japan being the biggest music and entertainment market outside the US.
Julian Wall, Director of Independent Member Services & International Events at the BPI, told CMU: "Japan has always had an incredibly favourable disposition towards UK music, especially of the 'indie' genre, and the trade mission presents an unrivalled opportunity for those labels to begin and develop their business in this market. Everyone thinks that Japan is "difficult"...it's not, but it requires hard work, energy and enthusiasm to succeed there. Through the mission, in less than one week, delegates can meet and develop an invaluable set of contacts there that would normally take years - and possibly several thousand emails - to collect".