Tomorrow Berlin based music conf a2n will open it’s gates for the very first time but allready earned premature praise from the blogging sphere. While we all still are curious what the actual event will be alike, techdirt already gave an early round of applause:
Old Music Conference Shuts Down, Blames ‘Piracy’; New, Better Event Shows Up Instead
This is really great. … The story behind the event is that Popkomm, one of the bigger recording industry events, held in Germany each year, was canceled this year, with the guy behind it blaming “piracy” rather than, say, the economy and structural changes in the industry. A bunch of folks in Germany who knew better decided to show Popkomm’s organizers how to organize a better event these days, and scrambled, pulling together a fun-looking event … . Either way, it shows not only how events can work, but how the whole industry is shifting. The top-down model is changing, and the bottom up one, where more people are empowered, is taking over.
On inquiry Mike Masnick commented ‘I had no interest in going to Popkomm, …’, admitting he actually had never been to Popkomm, but he ‘feels like this event might be better’. Anyway – his post was quoted by a2n for PR, erm…
Contrary to techdirts perspective I still lack any sign that any international msuic business assigned to the event. I don’t say Popkomm was the final clue, but 1600 companies from 52 countries – that is the reference value a2n will be measured by.
Mr. Foggs Log 