amateur musician

The London International Music Show rocks into London:

June 12-15  2008 at ExCeL

MB Media Ltd, in association with The Music Industries Association, is proud to announce a new era for consumer and trade exhibitions in the UK with the launch of an event that will redefine the live experience of music products for the 21st Century: The London International Music Show.
Merging two very successful shows – while retaining their winning individual formats – and launching two brand new events, The London International Music Show will span four spectacular days in the world’s coolest music city.

The London Guitar Show and Drummer Live are to be joined concurrently by Sound Recording Technology and The Unplugged Show in a definitive representation of the entire music industry, spread conveniently around 16 of the 32 interconnecting exhibition halls within ExCeL.

Under the umbrella title of The London International Music Show, May 2008’s events constitute a glamorous new format that will make the stunning ExCeL facility in London’s Docklands its home. Each show will be bursting with new and exciting features, clinics, seminars and concerts with something for absolutely everyone – be they beginner or professional musician.

All the biggest brand names in the music making industry will be there, delivering visitors the excitement of new product launches, the glamour of celebrity appearances, the chance to get hands on with all the latest gear, the thrill of seeing world famous artists performing live and much, much more.

The new show format is equally significant for the music trade itself. As well as hosting a trade-only day for the convenience of all dealers and distributors, Friday 9 May will see an exclusive exhibitor’s party while a big-name after-show concert is planned for Saturday 10 May.

The four exciting shows are:

London Guitar Show 08 – Firmly established as the largest public guitar show in Europe, LGS attracted 21,500 guitarists in 2007. 152 companies exhibited and the main stage saw performances from Steve Vai, The Automatic, Steve Howe and The Wildhearts.

Drummer Live 08 – The world’s largest dedicated public drum and percussion show was visited by over 9,000 people last year. 70 companies exhibited while performances by some of the world’s finest drummers including Bill Bruford, Nicko McBrain, Greg Bissonette and Steve Smith once again wowed the crowds. In the meantime, and reflecting unyielding demand for this unmissable drumming event, Drummer Live 07 takes place as usual at ExCeL this October.

Sound Recording Technology 08 (SRT 08) – Sound Recording Technology 08 is to be presented in association with Sound On Sound magazine, and is certain to become the UK’s No.1 show for music technology and sound design techniques.

SRT 08 will be the UK showcase for the latest products straight out of Frankfurt and NAMM, and will be packed with seminars, clinics and expert demonstrations to create the ultimate hi-tech mix.
Sound Recording Technology will also feature a series of essential workshops hosted by Sound On Sound’s expert staff and contributors, guaranteed to attract all SOS readers to what promises to be a milestone event. These will be enhanced by live interviews with big names from the world of production and sound engineering, revealing tricks of the trade and fascinating personal insights, as well as wide-ranging FAQ sessions and practical recording tutorials.

The Unplugged Show – Split into four unique sections, The Unplugged Show will bring together MI instruments that don’t require electricity but still create a buzz! Located in totally noise-free surroundings, The Unplugged Show will benefit companies who want to talk to public, trade and educationalists in the calm surroundings of dedicated lounges, seminar halls and meeting areas.
The four areas are:

The Piano Hall – Everything for the piano aficianado will be located in this area, from uprights to grands, from accessories to education software and teaching techniques carefully aimed at the pianist and piano enthusiast.
The Acoustic Guitar Hall – A superb location to see and try beautiful acoustic guitars, representing the largest collection of acoustic guitar manufacturers and luthiers in Europe.

The Printed Music Hall – A true innovation for the UK: all the printed music publishers together under one roof in their own show, creating the chance for teachers, educationalists, music retailers and musicians to see all the latest releases and technology.

The Orchestral Hall – A showcase of brass, woodwind and string instruments and a great opportunity to promote the playing of traditional instruments to a huge audience. The hall will also include ethnic instruments from around the world from the beautiful to the bizarre.

Feedback from the industry in support of this trade and public show format has been overwhelming following an MIA industry questionnaire and this generated many discussions across the whole industry. At the same time, the move of The British Music Fair to September has not been popular in all sectors of the industry. This show risks being very small and quiet compared to the new London International Music Show. In view of this and in light of the proximity of dates between the two shows, the decision has been made to cancel British Music Fair 2007. All MB Media and MIA activity will be focused on making The London International the show case the industry clearly both wants and deserves.

MIA Chief Executive Paul McManus comments: “We recognise London’s importance as a world city of music and are pleased to support this show as a flagship for the whole of our industry. It is what our industry has asked us for. At the same time the MIA is committed to promoting music across the whole of the UK through initiatives such as Weekend Warriors, Take it Away, Get Alive and others we have planned.”

Exhibitions Director Clive Morton comments: “This is a landmark for the UK music making industry. We all have a great opportunity here to make The London International Music Show a truly international event that rivals the European and American trade shows.”

July 2007