CONFERENCE NEWS: Heineken Sponsoring Southeast Urban Music Conference October 18-21 & Panelists Named For 2nd London Calling Event

(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Heineken USA is sponsoring the Southeast Urban Music Conference (SUMC), now in its second year. The SUMC takes place on October 18-21 at Atlanta's famed Park Tavern. The networking and informational conference is the gathering place for emerging artists and entrepreneurs from all over the country to learn about the crucial issues in urban entertainment.

This year's theme, "The Business of Urban Entertainment," will give attendees expanded opportunities to meet with some of the most successful professionals of the urban entertainment industry as part of panel discussions and one-on-one meetings. Among the conference's highlights will be Heineken's Urban Initiative seminar, being presented by The ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) Foundation and Def Jam. Other workshops include "Urban Radio at the Crossroads" and "New Technology and Non-Traditional Ways of Selling Urban Music." Panelists at the workshops will include Bow Legged Lou and Paul Anthony of Full Force, Rico Wade of Organized Noize, Kandi of Xscape and Rhonda Baraka, president of Soulstice Media and a contributing writer for Billboard Magazine.

"Heineken strongly believes in supporting important initiatives like this, which honor this country's rich cultural diversity," said Ernest McFadden, Industry and Government Affairs Manager-Southeast, Heineken USA. "The Conference gives up-and-coming industry talents the chance to succeed by increasing their opportunities to network and learn from the very best. I can think of no finer city for such a conference than Atlanta, the birthplace of some of the most exciting emerging talents today." –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner

Panelists Named For 2nd London Calling Event

(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — As previously reported, top executives from Virgin Entertainment Group will converge in Los Angeles on October 8 with British entertainment executives from the film, fashion, music and media world to discuss and debate the recent resurgence in British entertainment in today's competitive American marketplace, at the 2nd London Calling Panel (September 30,2004).

Staged at the Virgin Megastore on Sunset Boulevard, the event will include a meet-and-greet tea, as well as a 45-minute roundtable panel discussion and Q&A session, moderated by Melinda Newman, Billboard Magazine's West Coast Bureau Chief, with the following British entertainment authorities:

**Tim Burgess, artist; The Charlatans
** Tom Atencio, manager of New Order and producer of Joy division documentary
**Alan Miller, editor/reporter, Filter
** Kenneth Loo, marketing manager, Ben Sherman **Chris Huffard, manager of Supergrass and Radiohead
** Dave Alder, senior vice president of marketing and strategic development, Virgin Entertainment Group, North America.

Panel topics will include: Is there truly a resurgence in British entertainment culture in the United States? If so, why is it happening at this specific point in time? How important is the U.S. market to UK artists and management?

2nd London Calling will conclude with a live concert, open to the public, by UK bands Supergrass and Trash Can Sinatras. – Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner