Country Music Week Updates

Country Music Week 2008 and the Canadian Country Music Awards
Winnipeg - September 5-8, 2008
www.ccma.org

REGISTRATION
If you're planning to attend Country Music Week in Winnipeg, please register online or by phone before August 22. The online reigstration will be removed at that time and we will no longer accept orders by phone or fax. To register today, visit www.ccma.org/registration_08.aro

SEMINARS
This year’s Country Music Week seminars have been re-vamped to allow opportunities for artists and industry folk at different stages of their careers, the opportunity to gain knowledge and to stay on the cutting edge of this ever-changing business. The following represents a listing of this year’s panels. Some require pre-registration, so stay tuned to your inboxes the next few weeks as we announce the deadlines and specifications for these opportunities. If you’re trying to plan your schedule for the weekend, check out the schedule of events online at www.ccma.org/cmw2008/schedule.html.

Plugging In and Powering Up
Presented by QX104
If you only go to one seminar at Country Music Week, this is the one you don’t want to miss. On Friday, September 5, many of our guest panelists for ALL the seminars presented ALL weekend long will be at this one! This seminar will allow you an opportunity to put names to faces before the conference officially kicks off.

"DIY" - Mind Your Own Business
Presented by rdr music group
FYI, DIY means "Do It Yourself". Find out how to secure funding, create a product and then get that product out to the listening public. And you can be the one in the driver’s seat. This panel will be fully stocked with representatives from Marketing, Radio Tracking, Publicity, CMT, FACTOR and DMDS.

Taking It to the Streets - Your 'Country' in Every Country
You’ve got a CD, a hot band and you’re making some waves locally. Now, how do you get to that next level? Panelists will introduce you to Artists, Agents and Managers who have plenty of experience in the international arena.

Songwriting Super Session
Presented by ole
No, we’re not going to hook you up with CDJ. This will be a round-table style seminar, where you get to sit down and ask questions to expert Publishers, Managers, Agents, Hit Songwriters, and SOCAN personnel in a face-to-face situation. Get as many questions answered as you can before the bell rings and you move on to the next group of experts.

Hitsville
Presented by ole
What better time than Saturday afternoon for a game of baseball? But this game is just a little different. You’re a songwriter and the umpires are music industry experts. You head for first base where they listen to your finished song on CD. If they don’t like it...You’re outta there! If they do, you head for second base where another group of experts listen and make the call. If they don’t like it, time to hit the showers. But if they do, then steal third. If you and your song can get all the way around and slide into home plate, you’ve just won yourself a Publishing Contract with ole Publishing. Think you’ve got what it takes to slug it out in the big leagues? Get off the bench and find out.

Note: For this seminar, only ‘release quality’ CDs will be considered. No rough demos, work tapes or ‘live’ performances please.

I Won’t Work Without A Net - The Pluses and Pitfalls of Technology
What exactly is facebook, MySpace, YouTube and all the other latest online networking connections? How can you use them to create a buzz? How can you cash in on all the latest cyber-crazes? Our panel of hi-tech industry heavies will explain to you how it all works. And more importantly, how to make it all work for you!

State Of The Industry or State Of Flux?
The whole business of music is changing; from buying CDs in a store to downloading MP3s for your iPod; from the big record label deals to the swing toward grassroots guerrilla-style marketing; from the high-priced arena shows to highly profitable house concerts. The only thing that’s constant these days is ‘change’. If you want to stay on the cutting edge, join our panel to explore, understand and confront the flux of today’s music industry.

Crossing Borders
Presented by Trade Routes
Trying to perform or showcase n the U.S market and have questions on how to cross the U.S border? The panel will address U.S Customs and Visa Requirements for the Canadian Country Music Industry.

Date with a Demo
Presented by SAC
This could be your date with destiny. Think you’ve got a killer number one hit song on your hands? Well bring it here, before you go blowing the baby’s college fund on recording it. A panel of experts made up of representatives from Radio, Publicity, Management, Songwriting, Publishing, and even an Artist will be on hand to critique your demo recording. Get an expert opinion you can take to the bank, before you go breaking the bank.

Note: A ‘Demo’ recording can be as simple as voice and an instrument. We can only accept songs in CD format, no ‘live’ performances. Make sure the lyrics can be clearly made out and bring along some lyric sheets for the panelists. Don’t bother bringing fully finished recordings. Save those for "Hitsville" (Saturday).

This Little Singer Went to Market
How do you want to be perceived by the music-buying public? A panel of marketing experts will be convening to answer all your questions and provide an overview of how marketing works and what’s been done in the past to break the big acts. This panel allows artists and management to present samples of their promotions/marketing materials for review and critique.