CANNES, France (MIDEM/ www.midem.com) - MIDEM 2005, The World's
Music Market (Cannes, France, 23-27 January) will launch the first International Indie Summit to be held on Monday 24 January. The summit will bring together some of the most important people, record labels and associations from the independent music sector.
MIDEM has always been a privileged business forum for independent labels and further strengthens this position by hosting the first International Indie Summit at its 39th edition. Independent labels and the associations that represent them will be focussing on the challenges and opportunities that the changing music market offers and how best to take advantage of them.
A major component of the summit is a special panel comprised of leading personalities from the international independent music field and includes: Lesley Bleakley, CEO USA of The Beggars Group (UK), Brian Chater, President of Canadian Independent Record Production Association, CIRPA, Jose
Carlos Costa Netto, President of Brazilian
Music & Arts, BMA, Tom Silverman, President of Tommy Boy Entertainment (USA),
David Vodicka, Chairman, Association of Independent Record Labels, AIR (Australia), Alison Wenham, Chairman & Chief Executive for the Association of Independent Music, AIM (UK) and Patrick Zelnik, Vice-President of Independent
Music Companies' Association, Impala and President of Na?ve (France).
MidemNet's sixth edition will also include a strong focus on the independent sector. The annual
Music & Technology Forum, which precedes MIDEM on 22 January (Palais des Festivals), presents a dedicated conference entitled: "Digital Indies - Making Their Own Way," and takes a look at the possibilities for independent labels to benefit from online technologies and achieve greater market access. Panellists include: Steve Beckett, Managing
Director & Co-Founder Warp Records and Bleep.com (UK), Scott Cohen, Founder & Vice President International The Orchard (USA), Dilip R. Mehta, Managing
Director Saragema, President & CEO RPG Group's Entertainment Sector (India), Alison Wenham, Chairman & Chief Executive AIM (UK) and Richard Wheeler, Vice President of
Digital Development Sanctuary Records (UK). Also during MidemNet, independent music heavy-weight,
Martin Mills, Chairman of Beggars Group (UK) will present a keynote on the new role of independent labels.
Of special note on the MIDEM agenda are two top-level independent music initiatives: the Independent
Music Companies' Association, Impala, have set up a board meeting with key members on the 22 January and leading professionals and labels from the USA will be meeting up to discuss the imminent constitution of an American independent music association on the 23 January. American independent labels present at MIDEM are all invited to participate in this meeting.
https://www.midem.com 
