Julia Huie-Martin ensured that there was enough star power at her inaugural International Music Conference in Atlanta to decorate a Christmas tree.
A veritable who’s who of internationally beloved songwriters, producers and other industry insiders from North America, Europe and Africa filed in and out of Artmore Hotel in Atlanta as if it were a highly stylized awards program. Everyone from music maestros Bryan-Michael Cox, Jazze Pha, Rico Love, Chuck Harmony, Drumma Boy Bangladesh, Miykal Snoddy Dready and J Que came to host panel discussions, host producer contests and DJ battles and dispense knowledge to those trying to break into the business. And why not? These songwriters and producers have won enough Grammy awards to fill up a hardware store. The attendees simply wanted these superstars to breathe on them.
“With the wealth of talent in Atlanta and the unique music community in England, we want to make it easier for people to connect and do some real business.” said Huie-Martin, who also founder and owner of The Bridge PR “Particularly for those who have been trying to make it in the industry for a while, the IMC offers individuals a real chance at tapping into foreign market place and exploring innovative and different routes in getting their music heard.”
Up-and-coming producers battled it out to win a chance to work with a chart-topping artist from Europe. The winner, Hannibal, was announced at the end of the showcase and walked away with Dallas Austin’s Beat Thang Machine as well as a private one-on-one session with Dallas Austin, in addition to free publicity to help launch his international career.
The likes of DJ Trauma, DJ Green Lantern, DJ Don Cannon and 1xtra’s DJ Play from the United Kingdom judged IMC’s DJ Mix-Off competition hosted by Core DJs CEO Tony Neal. Deejay Pnut out of Lansing, Mich., won an all expenses trip to London to guest host at a top radio station and DJ at an exclusive event in the city. He also walked away from the competition additional prizes totaling over $10,000.
“IMC is one of the only conferences of its kind to provide a massive gathering of artists, songwriters, sponsors, music industry executives and music fans from the UK, Europe and North America with a common goal… to showcase opportunities and connect artists with clear routes of collaboration within the international music scene,” said founder Julia Huie-Martin. “The International Music Conference is set to become the main music event to encapsulate the new music industry worldwide. It is the best place to create, communicate and participate in the global multi-billion pound music industry forum.”
The entire conference included an opening reception hosted by Miss Black Britain as well as an artist showcase along with ongoing networking opportunities throughout the four-day extravaganza.
–terry shrosphire
See the photo gallery from this intense affair:
