NEW YORK (IME Awards announcement) - At the Popkomm 2004 the best innovative business ideas in music and entertainment will receive the Popkomm IME 2004 Awards, to be presented in Berlin for the first time on 1 October at the world's leading forum for music and entertainment. The IME Awards (Innovations in
Music & Entertainment) are co-organised by the Popkomm GmbH and Gerd Leonhard, CEO of the consultancy ThinkAndLink (Basle/San Francisco).
As of now creative enterprises can submit their entries at www.popkomm.de/ime. The deadline is 1 September 2004. A jury will then make a preliminary selection of the applications sent in. At the Popkomm (29 September to 1 October) ten candidates will present their projects to the audience and to a jury of experts whose members will be announced in August of this year. Finally, both the jury and the audience will select the winners.
Prizes will include an exhibition stand free of charge at the Popkomm 2005, five accreditations and 20 guest passes for next year, as well as the opportunity to hold a press conference at the Popkomm 2005.
Popkomm's project manager Katja Bittner: "We are looking for people with new visions for the future, people who have ideas for music and entertainment projects which are both innovative and relevant. We are already looking forward to the many exciting new developments ahead." Gerd Leonhard: "The premiere of the Popkomm in Berlin is the ideal setting for these ground-breaking awards. Bright people and bright ideas have a perfect forum here."
The awards will focus on the innovations which occur when technology and the world of music and entertainment meet. Gerd Leonhard: "The music business is in urgent need of both revolutionary but also realistic and profitable new ideas. What goes on here will sooner or later be taken up by other media." Thus besides rewarding the creators of new business concepts for music enterprises, the Popkomm IME 2004 Awards will also be interested in innovative B2B projects, mobile content concepts, and developments in the fields of encoding and security systems.
All applications must be in English and applicants must be able to supply proof of a project's originality. Projects must have reached a stage at which a presentation of actual results and ways of applying them can take place, the presentation to be made by the founders or directors of the company. They in turn will give assurances that experienced enterprises in the relevant field are collaborating in realizing their ideas.
From 29 September to 1 October many representatives of the German and international music and entertainment industry will be meeting on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds at Popkomm 2004. With a change of venue, dates that conform to the industry's requirements and a wealth of new material, Popkomm is effectively meeting the challenges presented by the international music business. Not only is this one of the world's main events for the industry, it also covers various associated fields such as advertising, films, fashion and consumer electronics.
The increasingly international approach is underlined by a new concept involving partnership by a selected country, and this year France will be acting as the partner for Popkomm 2004. This event is organised by Popkomm GmbH, Berlin.
