Alberta Focus International Showcases – Edmonton and Calgary

The Cause

Our goal is to introduce key Albertan musical artists and industry to a handpicked delegation of industry professionals from the UK and Europe, and to facilitate two, 5-band showcases, one in Edmonton and one in Calgary, on Sunday, October 9 and Tuesday October 11, respectively. It is our objective to have these showcases provide Albertan artists, along with their business teams, an opportunity to build strong European connections with which to make viable inroads into music markets in the UK and Europe. In addition to this we would like to strengthen the ties between Alberta Music and these same delegates, leading to meaningful partnerships in the future, which will benefit all Albertan artists and their business teams in the future.

Both showcases will involve a high degree of public access and will be enjoyed by a great number of music fans in each city, so not only will these events be a great experience for the members of our professional music industry, but for the public as well. In Edmonton, we will be working with the UP+DT Festival, where the Alberta Focus Showcase will be part of their excellent programming. In Calgary, we will be partnering with the National Music Centre and will likely be making use of that world-class facility.

Between six and eight international delegates will be flown into Edmonton on Saturday, October 8. For the next four days they will take part in an array of activities coordinated by Alberta Music including: business-to-business meetings, networking receptions, music industry dinners and, of course, taking in the two showcases. There will also be time set aside for these delegates to sightsee in Banff, where further networking activities will take place. On Wednesday, October 12, all delegates will be flown to Regina to take part in the BreakOut West Conference.

Who Will it Benefit?

The project will benefit a great many people including:

1) ALBERTA MUSIC – These events will allow our association to better serve its members by providing an excellent opportunity to for them to expand into the UK and EU Markets. As well, it will further build the connections Alberta Music has with its local and international stakeholders.

2) THE ALBERTA MUSIC INDUSTRY – Beyond the bands involved in the showcases all Alberta Music members, and non-members will be invited to take part in business-to-business meetings and networking receptions.

3) UP+DT FESTIVAL – The festival will benefit from the participation of the international delegates and the connections that will come from them. There will also be added media coverage that comes from their taking part.

4) THE NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE – The NMC will be able to fulfill some of its mandate as a conduit for building capacity in Alberta’s music industry. As well, international delegates will return to their communities with news of this exceptional facility.

5) BREAKOUT WEST – The BreakOut West Conference (taking place this year in Regina, SK), run by the Western Canadian Music Alliance, of which Alberta Music is a partner, will add between six and eight dynamic international music industry professionals to its delegation. These delegates will take part in the conference on keynotes, panels, and further showcases. They will also take in the Western Canadian Music Awards show which runs as part of the weekend.

6) THE PUBLIC – The public in Edmonton and Calgary will be invited to watch a showcase of some of the best musical talent our province has to offer.