Music Industry Gathering Heats Up Winnipeg in the Middle of Winter

WINNIPEG, MB - Manitoba Music is heating things up in the middle of winter with its second annual industry gathering, January Music Meeting.

Running January 30 to February 1 in Winnipeg, the event welcomes some of Canada’s top music industry pros in a conference format that includes panels, workshops, discussion groups, and one-on-one meetings. Reps from the label, agency, management, festival, publishing, and publicity sides of the industry will converge on Winnipeg to discuss the state of Canada’s independent music industry and provide concrete advice on how to succeed in the ever-changing music business. 

The January Music Meeting offers Manitoba's music community a rare opportunity to network with a cross section of tastemakers and experts from across the country while connecting with local artists and industry peers. Invited panelists include: Burnt Tree Entertainment's Jason Burns (Hey Rosetta!, Rich Aucoin); Bumstead Productions' Tim Des Islets (The Trews, Poor Young Things); Vapor Music's Heather Gardner; The Agency Group's Darcy Gregoire (Bobby Bazini, Current Swell); Core Music Agency's Matt Safran (Ben Mink, Jesse Zubot); RGK Entertainment Group/Road Angel Entertainment's Jill Snell (Corb Lund, Paul Brandt); BreakOut West's Robyn Stewart; Paquin Entertainment Group's Michelle Szeto (Del Barber, Buffy Sainte-Marie); and MROC's Julia Train.

The event takes place during the annual Big Fun Festival, which will host a Manitoba Music Showcase at The Good Will on January 31 featuring Yes We Mystic, Rayannah, and Slow Leaves.

"We're thrilled to bring January Music Meeting back in 2015," says Manitoba Music's executive director Sean McManus. "Hosting BreakOut West and the JUNOS last year reinforced how events like these offer a chance to show off our creative community, help our industry stay in tune with best practices in the music business, and provide an important opportunity for Manitoba's artists and companies to make key connections and build their business relationships. Those relationships are the foundation of any career in music."

In January, Manitoba Music will also kick off the winter session of MusicWorks professional development workshops, including panels and presentations providing an in-depth look at timely topics, the popular DIY Series of music business fundamentals, and one-on-one mentor meetings with local industry pros.

All January Music Meeting and MusicWorks events will take place in the Manitoba Music Industry Resource Centre, 1-376 Donald Street, unless otherwise listed. Space is limited and advance registration is strongly encouraged. For complete workshop descriptions, please visit manitobamusic.com/workshops. For more information or to register, please contact us at 204.942.8650, training@manitobamusic.com.

MusicWorks is made possible by the generous support of the Province of Manitoba through Industry Services of Manitoba Jobs and the Economy, FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters, The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, and The SOCAN Foundation.