About
The Association of Artist Managers (AAM), in partnership with Sounds Australia, are thrilled to announce MICC - the Manager's International Conference Contribution.
The first ever MICC manager's delegation will centre around Reeperbahn Festival 2023, taking place September 20-23, 2023. Held annually in Hamburg, Germany, Reeperbahn Festival is one of Europe’s premier music festivals and conference events for the discovery of new music from around the world.
MICC: Reeperbahn Festival Edition 2023 will see AAM member artist manager members who are attending Reeperbahn Festival with a showcasing artist automatically receive $5000 AUD, to contribute to costs associated with their international activity at the event. In addition, EOI's are now open to AAM member artist managers who wish to attend Reeperbahn Festival 2023 without a showcasing artist, using the event as a valuable reconnaissance opportunity to build international industry networks, export in-roads and learn more about the German market - each successful EOI applicant also receiving $5000 AUD. [Please note that only a limited number of applicants will be selected via the EOI process and all successful applicants must meet the eligibility criteria.]
Sounds Australia will once again host THE AUSSIE BBQ as part of this year's festival, and the manager's delegation, lead by the AAM's Executive Director, Maggie Collins, will include networking and industry-specific activities and support for these AAM managers. This year THE AUSSIE BBQ will showcase the talent of artists including Lime Cordiale, Thelma Plum, Telenova, Annie Hamilton, Bobby Alu, Gena Rose Bruce and more!
Please read the eligibility criteria and T&C’s below before applying.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS ROUND.
Eligibility
Criteria
and T&Cs
Who Is Eligible To Apply For This Program?
You are eligible to apply for MICC 2023 Reeperbahn Edition if:
You are a current AAM member and practicing artist manager
You are an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident
You hold a current valid passport
You submit an application by the due date, Sunday 20 August, 2023 at midnight (AEST)
Criteria
Applicants should be able to demonstrate:
A commitment to a career in artist management, and that they are recognised by the industry, and their peers, as a professional music manager
A comprehensive plan of activities they will undertake during their time at Reeperbahn, demonstrating why Germany (and/or Europe, more broadly) is a priority territory for themselves and their artist/s at this time
Clear goals for their artists and themselves in the German market, as well as demonstrating the potential for growth in this region
A plan for how they intend to maximise the opportunities in the German market during and after the program
A clear outline of their short and long term plans for 2022-24 which is both detailed and realistic, but demonstrates potential growth
Letters of support from up to 3 industry professionals / peers (optional)
T&Cs:
AAM will pay selected funding recipients (Activity Participants) AU$5,000 (excluding GST) as a lump sum upon receipt of an (a) fully executed Agreement and (b) a valid Tax Invoice. Agreements will be distributed to confirmed Activity Participants promptly upon confirmation of their involvement in MICC.
The Grant Funds shall be exclusively used by Activity Participants to contribute toward their costs of attending the 2023 Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany, including their flights, accommodation, ticketing or admission and other associated costs.
No later than 60 days from the last day of the Reeperbahn Festival, Activity Participants must provide AAM with an Activity Report that details the activity they undertook with regard to the grant, including achievements, goals (including those not met), industry outcomes and benefits, and a breakdown of how the funds were spent.
Travel Permissions: The Activity Participant has, or will obtain prior to the Activity, all visas, permissions, valid documentation and any other permits or exemptions required to travel to Hamburg, Germany.
As a condition of receiving the Manager Grant, the Activity Participant gives their permission to allow AAM and Sounds Australia to use, without compensation, the participant’s name, professional information and likeness for advertising and publicity purposes in connection with the Grant, including on websites or social media channels controlled by the AAM or Sounds Australia.
"Earlier this year when announcing the AAM’s Manager of the Year Awards, I spoke of the essential role Australian managers play in our ecosystem and that more than ever they require direct support to sustain and build their careers. Sounds Australia are pleased to announce that following the release of the new National Cultural Policy by the Albanese Government and with it the commitment to recurrent and uplifted funding to the nations’ export initiative - our first targeted financial support has been earmarked for Australian artist managers to attend The Reeperbahn Festival and Conference in Hamburg.
As the fourth biggest music market in the world, the opportunity to learn, network and grow vital connections in Germany will be extremely valuable for Australian Managers seeking to develop and maintain international careers for themselves and their artist clients."
- Millie Millgate, Executive Producer at Sounds Australia
"In 2022, the AAM commissioned research that showed that each $1 invested in artist managers returns $19.94 to stakeholders; a Social Return On Investment that speaks to the pivotal role managers play in the music ecosystem. This figure shows how a well-supported, resourced, educated, and experienced manager will have much larger and long-lasting effects over multiple artists’ careers. If anyone understands this, and has witnessed it first-hand, it’s the team at Sounds Australia. Together, our organisations ultimately exist to do one thing; support those who are elevating Australian contemporary artists at a global level. The AAM and Sounds Australia have collaborated on many projects to achieve this, but none so forward-thinking and on-point as the first ever Manager's International Conference Contribution - an initiative that provides direct financial and peer-to-peer support to assist managers who are attending global music events, as they develop and execute critical export strategies for their artists.
This investment in Australian Managers today, will see a return for artists and the wider industry tomorrow; nearly 20 times over. We're so excited!"
- Maggie Collins, Executive Director at Association of Artist Managers (AAM) Australia
Photo below by @bythesea_photo
