Adelaide is a music industry Mecca and here’s proof!

Just take a look at the massive line-up of music industry professionals who will be flooding town between Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 February for this year’s FUSE Festival. To begin with, we’re shipping in some internationals from the US and the UK – the world’s official musical capitals.

Big names include Tom Foster (UK) of Warner Chappell where he is responsible for securing film and TV opportunities for acts such Goldfrapp, MUSE, Radiohead and Elbow. Hopping on the plane with him will be Jon McilDowie (UK) of Great Escape/Barfly fame, during his time he has been head promoter and booked acts such as The Cure, Razorlight, The Libertines and Franz Ferdinand. Rev Moose (US) of CMJ is also on board, heading down under to share his entrepreneurial expertise, Moose successfully redeveloped the CMJ brand as a relevant entity in the digital era. As vice president of content at CMJ Network, he oversees North America’s leading source for emerging music. Also making the jet-lagging journey from the motherland is digital music technology wunderkind and forward thinker Mark Meharry (UK) who is the co-founder of world-renowned company Music Glue.

But that’s only the start of the industry talent who’ll be making their way to Adelaide in February. The national delegates are just as important, in fact this year’s FUSE is hosting the best Australian line-up of conference speakers to date

Ed St John is President and CEO of Warner Music where he works with artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Gnarls Barkley, Kylie Minogue, Muse, Panic At the Disco, Eskimo Joe, Linkin Park, The Veronicas, Green Day and Lisa Mitchell. For the last ten years Ed has been the Chairman of the ARIA Awards and the ARIA Hall of Fame.

John Woodruff of JWM Productions has had an extensive career in the Australian music business over 4 decades. His new brash styles markedly changed the face of the business in Australia. In recent years he was inducted into the ARIA Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The bands with which he has had an affiliation with include include The Angels, Icehouse, Cold Chisel, Savage Garden and Baby Animals.

Famous music writer/blogger Christie Eliezer of Billboard/BRW is Special Projects Editor for “Beat” Magazine in Melbourne, and syndicates a weekly music industry column which is acclaimed by UK publication “Music Week” as one of the Top 10 blogs in the world.

Catherine Haridy made the move to the other side of the negotiation table after working in A&R for both Festival Mushroom Records and Warner Music and hasn’t looked back. Now as an Artist Manager her stable includes Eskimo Joe and Bob Evans among others.

In excess of 45 industry experts from all walks of Australian and international music industry will be in attendance. From Triple J’s Assistant Musical Director Nick Finlay, to big label Marketing Director Luke Bevan of Universal Music fame, Chris Maund of Ivy League Records home to the likes of Josh Pyke, The Mess Hall and The Vines, and booking agent extraordinaire John Sinclair of Premier Artists we’ve got them all and they’re going to be an absolute goldmine of knowledge for the next crop of Aussie bands who will be in attendance.

Conference Tickets are on sale now so head to www.fusefetival.com or call Fringetix on 1300 374 643 before they sell out.