The Association Of Independent Music, the trade body representing independent record labels in the UK, has confirmed the full line-up for its annual member gathering AIM Connected, taking place at London’s Barbican Centre on Thursday 12 Sep.
Commenting on the event, AIM boss Gee Davy told CMU, “AIM Connected is the UK’s key forum dedicated to the realities of operating an independent music business, with best practice and knowledge sharing at its core”.
This year’s event will see Tim Dellow and Toby L, co-founders of the renowned indie label, publisher and management company Transgressive, take to the stage with their label signing The Waeve - Elinor Rose Dougall and Graham Coxon of Blur - for a keynote interview with music journalist Pete Paphides. Looking at Transgressive’s two decade track record of signing and developing talent, including artists such as Arlo Parks, Foals and SOPHIE, the interview will explore Transgressive’s “vision for the future”.
Pitched at music “entrepreneurs, strategists and senior execs across the independent sector and beyond”, AIM Connected has become a key date in the UK’s music business event circuit, representing an opportunity for companies and individuals from the thriving independent sector to come together for structured and informal networking, learning and discussion.
For the first time, AIM is offering an additional discount to AIM rightsholder and distributor members who are not based in London. This is on top of its already subsidised members’ ticket pricing and recognises the additional costs that non-London members face attending the event. Davy says that AIM hopes that this initiative ”will help business leaders and business builders from across all regions and nations of the UK to come together for this 2024 edition” of the event, adding, “As always, we have focussed on making sure the event is packed full of valuable insights, while ensuring it is also cost-effective to attend”.
In addition to keynote sessions and networking, there will be panels exploring topics including investment, creator remuneration, AI, streaming fraud, and sustainability, as well as sessions on how to make the best use of AI in music, and fairness and best practice in artist deals.
One key session of interest to many in the music ecosystem will look at the impact that the upcoming Employment Rights Bill might have for music businesses. That bill, announced in the King’s Speech, and due to be introduced in Parliament in October, will ban zero hours contracts, end “fire and rehire” and make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal a day-one right, as well as making flexible working arrangements the default for all workers.
Other speakers confirmed include AIM Chair Ruth Barlow, ERA CEO Kim Bayley and Secretly Group VP Of Operation Chloé van Bergen, as well as Blue Raincoat General Manager Aine Markey, FUGA SVP EMEA Liz Northeast, Too Young Founder and MD Fred Schindler, IDOL UK General Manager Roo Currier and Snapper Music Managing Director Frederick Jude.
Sponsors for this year’s event include Amazon Music, AudioSalad, beatBread, Merlin, Meta, PPL and Vevo.
Tickets are available at aimconnected.com, and enquiries about subsidised tickets should be directed to [email protected]