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CONFERENCE

Shaping the music industry of the future, in Wales. Join the conversation at the FOCUS Wales Conference 8th – 10th May 2025

FOCUS Wales hosts an interactive music conference over the duration of the festival, featuring panels, seminars and discussions from experts from across the globe. Offering in depth music industry insight, expertise and real-world experiences from all music industry sectors.

Buy Passes for FOCUS Wales 2024 here

The FOCUS Wales conference can be accessed with all* festival wristbands.

* Some networking events are only available to holders of Delegate or Artist passes.

Do you have an idea for a panel topic, workshop, or conference event? Submit your ideas here.

If you would like any further information, have access requirements, or feel there is a barrier to you being able to access the conference, please email sarah@focuswales.com to see how we can help.

2024 DELEGATES

View FOCUS Wales 2024 Delegates confirmed so far…

View the 2024 Delegates

2024 Timetable

Thursday 9th May

11:00 am - 11:50 am

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

MMF Presents: Building your grassroots community business at home and away

Join MMF UK and MMF Canada as they host this panel exploring the current challenges of gigging and touring, and new opportunities in creative collaboration and audience development for grassroots talent. The panel will probe questions about who is investing in grassroots, how changes at the top could have massive impacts for growing, as well as innovative ways people are getting music to audiences.

Speakers

CHAIR

Amie Therrien (Music Managers Forum Canada)

Stu Anderson (Birthday Cake Records, Canada)

Kate Kurdyak (Vox Rea, Canada)

Emma Wiggin (Westwick Management)

Laura Erinle (MMF)

Danni Skerritt (No Such Thing Records)

01:00 pm - 01:50 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

Shifting Paradigms: Navigating the Future of Music Journalism

This panel delves into the evolving landscape of music journalism, exploring its present challenges and potential futures. We dissect the impact of technological shifts and app-driven changes in consumer behaviour, questioning whether the symbiotic relationship between major publications and A-list stars perpetuates a flattery death-spiral, and whether hobbyism is the only viable option in an era of shrinking revenues. Central to our discussion is the pivotal query: Does traditional press still break artists, or has the paradigm fully shifted to digital marketing and content? As we examine these dynamics, we contemplate whether music journalism has melded into the ambiguous contours of publicity, pondering its future role and relevance in the industry.

Speakers

CHAIR

Anastasia Connor (Noise Unit PR)

Cath Hurley (Future Yard CIC)

Laviea Thomas (Freelance Journalist)

Ben Tibbits (Wonderland)

Tom Morgan (CLASH)

02:15 pm - 03:05 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

PPL Presents: What are the strategies behind signing new artists and what are indie record labels looking for in 2024?

How this differs at home, in Europe and beyond...

Speakers

CHAIR

Leo O’Brien (PPL)

Anne Haffmans (Domino Recording Company, Germany)

Joy Warmann (Secretly Group)

Paul Jones (Rough Trade Records)

Gruff Owen (Libertino Records)

Friday 10th may

10:00 am - 10:50 am

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

PRS for Music and PPL Presents: Get played get paid

PPL collects and distributes money on behalf of performers and recording rightsholders (e.g. record companies and self-releasing artists) for the use of their recorded music when it is broadcast or played in public. Similarly, PRS for Music collect and distribute money on behalf of songwriters, composers and music publishers, for the use of their musical compositions and lyrics. Join us to hear about how you can make money from your music.

Speakers

CHAIR

John Hywel Morris (PRS for Music)

Leo O’Brien (PPL)

Henry Priestman (Musician)

Sian James (Recordiau Bos)

Ywain Gwynedd (Recordiau Côsh Records)

+ More Speakers TBA

11:00 am - 11:50 am

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

POWER UP Presents: Survive, Thrive, Prevail: Sustaining A Career as a Black Creative or Professional in the Music Industry

Speakers

CHAIR

Andrew Ogun (Arts Council of Wales)

Mace The Great (Musician)

Tawiah (Musician)

Alanna Henry (Musician)

01:00 pm - 01:50 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

LIVE Presents: Meet the Bookers

Find out what promoters, venues and festivals are looking for when booking their line-ups for today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Speakers

CHAIR

Gaby Cartwright (LIVE)

Bev Burton (Killer B Music)

Ben Ryles (DHP Family)

Gugai MacNamara (Strange Brew / Róisín Dubh, Ireland)

Katch Holmes (Knockengorroch / Off Site Productions, Scotland)

Lisa Nasta (Re-Play Music C.I.C)

02:15 pm - 03:05 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

PRS for Music Presents: Balancing Parenthood and Music

Find out from our panellists the opportunities and challenges and how we can shape a better future for balancing parenthood with music.

Speakers

CHAIR

Michelle Escoffery (PRS For Music)

Angharad Jenkins (Artist / Musician)

Tumi Williams (Starving Artists)

Sue Denim (Sue Denim)

Eve Horne (We Are The Unheard/MPG)

03:15 pm - 04:05 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

LIVE Presents: Meet the Agents

Hear first-hand from some of the UK’s most exciting booking agents about the forever-changing landscape of touring inside and outside of the UK, and what this could look like for future agents, artists, and audiences.

Speakers

CHAIR

Jon Collins (LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment))

Matt Hanner (Runway)

Louise McGovern (Runway Artists)

Tumi Williams (Starving Artists)

Kai Lehmann (Cabin Artists, Germany)

Saturday 11th May

10:00 am - 10:50 am

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

Cardiff University Presents: Pūtahitanga: Music, identity, and language in Cymru and Aotearoa

Since May 2023, academics from Prifysgol Caerdydd (Cardiff University) have been speaking to artists from Cymru (Wales) and Aotearoa (New Zealand) who use Cymraeg (Welsh) and te reo Māori (the Māori language) in their work. They have found points of connection between their experiences, particularly around the ways in which their use of language affects their sense of identity and their opportunities for collaboration within their home countries and beyond. In this panel, Elen Ifan and Joe O'Connell from Prifysgol Caerdydd will present some of their research findings and artists who have been involved with the project, including Katie Hall (CHROMA), will discuss how these issues affect their creativity and career.

Speakers

CHAIR

Huw Williams (Cardiff University)

Joe O’Connell (Prifysgol Caerdydd/Cardiff University)

Elen Ifan (Prifysgol Caerdydd)

Katie Hall (CHROMA / Eisteddfod)

Charles Clover (Charles n Charge, Aotearoa)

+ More Speakers TBA

11:00 am - 11:50 am

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

Beacons Presents: Reel Revolution: Did TikTok kill the video star?

In an era dominated by the short, snappy allure of TikTok, the music industry is facing a momentous question: Do artists still need traditional music videos, or should they be investing in bite-sized, attention-grabbing reel content?

Join us for a marketing talk that delves into the shifting landscape of music promotion, for the next wave of young creatives. Explore whether the future of music marketing lies in the swift allure of reels, promising a fresh way for artists to connect with their fans and catapult their careers in this age of viral sensations.

Whether you’re an artist looking to connect to a new audience, a manager/label looking for the best return for your artist or a videographer trying to give the best possible value for your client; then this talk is for you.

Speakers

CHAIR

Elan Evans (Beacons Cymru + Artist Manager)

Michael Lambert (Wide Days / Aimless Play, Scotland)

Joy Warmann (Secretly Group)

Bernardo Queiros (Music & Culture Freelancer)

01:00 pm - 01:50 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

British Council Presents: Global Mobility. Talking about sharing culture, importing and exporting music in an uncertain world.

Speakers

CHAIR

Camelia Harahap (British Council)

Alejandro González Castillo (Marvin, Mexico)

Daniel Fernando Wahl (WDR Cosmo, Germany)

Dartsya Takovska (Music Export Ukraine)

Satria Ramadhan (AXEAN Festival / SRM Bookings & Services, Indonesia)

Eluned Haf (Wales Arts International)

+ More Speakers TBA

02:00 pm - 02:50 pm

Tŷ Pawb - Performance Space

MU and BECTU Presents: Feeling Good? Mental health and wellbeing in the creative industries.

We know that there are issues with mental health and wellbeing across the creative industries, as identified in recent work by the Senedd Culture Committee, Bectu, and the Musicians’ Census project, among others. CULT Cymru has been offering training and support to creative workers across Wales since 2008, with a particular focus over the past few years on projects developing wellbeing facilitators and mental health first aid training. This panel will explore those issues and projects, with practical advice on how people working in the creative industries can stay healthy and the support that unions, charities, and employers can offer.

Speakers

CHAIR

Sian M Gale (Bectu/CULT Cymru)

Marcus Ryder (The Film & TV Charity)

Lisa Jên Brown (9Bach / Lisa Jên Brown)

Grace Meadows (Music Minds Matter)

Speakers TBA