aaamusic | On 12, Apr 2011

TONY WADSWORTH CONFIRMED FOR MUSICTANK KEYNOTE AT GREAT ESCAPE 2011 – will also take part in a debate of the future of the music company

Joins already confirmed keynote speakers: Simon Fox (HMV), Will Page (PRS for Music), Ian Rogers (Topspin) and Andrew Dubber (Bandcamp).

Early-bird delegate pass discount runs out on Tuesday 12th April – get access to the entire TGE convention and festival for just £125.

LONDON|BRIGHTON 8 APRIL 2011: Tony Wadsworth, the former Chairman and CEO of EMI Music UK & Ireland and current Chairman of record industry trade body the BPI, has been confirmed as the latest keynote speaker for The Great Escape convention this May.

In his keynote address, presented by MusicTank, Tony will consider what the future holds for the British record business, an industry he was at the heart of during his 26 years at EMI, and which he continues to support through his work for the BPI and UK Music. He will also share some of the special insights he unearthed during a series of conversations he has recently put together with many of the senior players across the UK music industry, both within and outside of record companies – more details of this project to be revealed soon!

After his keynote Tony will join Cooking Vinyl Group Chairman Martin Goldschmidt, BMG Chrysalis A&R Director Alan Pell and artist manager Catherine Haridy to discuss what the music company of the future might look like.

Tony says: “The debate about what the future might hold for the record industry has been raging for over a decade now, ever since the opportunities and threats of the internet first became apparent. But now, as new business patterns start to emerge, I believe we are able to make more considered and constructive observations about where our industry is heading, and about what record companies are doing to secure their long term survival”.

TGE Convention Programmer Chris Cooke added: “Our convention programme this year is full of industry leaders and innovators explaining the new approaches they are employing to develop and monetise new artists. But how can we use what they have learned to build sustainable music companies able to invest in new talent? To have someone like Tony, with so much experience at the very top of the business, and now in a position to look across the wider industry, to help us tackle that challenge is simply brilliant”.

The Great Escape takes place at the Brighton Dome from Thursday 12th – Saturday 14th May. Early bird delegate tickets, which get you in to the entire three day convention and priority access to the Great Escape festival (subject to each venue’s capacity) which this year features over 300 bands in venues across Brighton, are just £125, but the early bird discount expires on Tuesday 12th April. Tickets can be bought from escapegreat.com