Concertgebouw hosts prestigious IAMA conference
In late April 2024, over 550 music professionals gathered at the Concertgebouw for the annual IAMA conference. Simultaneously, the AudioClassique congress took place alongside the conference.
A successful 33rd edition of the congress
The International Artist Managers’ Association (IAMA) is a global association for classical music and artist management. Their annual conference, now in its 33rd edition in Bruges, is the go-to event for anyone active in this sector. AudioClassique, on the other hand, represents international classical music publishers.
Organizer and CEO Atholl Swainston-Harrison reflects on a successful edition:
‘IAMA’s international conference is an established music business meeting now and I can say after 20 years of managing this meeting, the professionalism and service that we encountered at the Concertgebouw was of the highest standard I’ve encountered. Bravo to the team and the partners who work with them in making such an event a smooth and a worry-free experience.’
The Foyers as networking space
The conference focuses on networking, meetings, and knowledge sharing. The spacious Foyers were transformed into a vast landscape of bustling activity over three days.
During the conference, which was opened by Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon, numerous keynotes, workshops, and demos took place in the Chamber Music Hall.
Artistic Director Jeroen Vanacker, serving as the chairman of the congress, helped shape the program:
‘It gives me great pleasure to chair the 33rd IAMA International Conference to be held in the beautiful city of Bruges and in the extraordinary building of the Concertgebouw. The title, Hammer and Mirror, is a canvas for us to discuss many themes such as the Low Country’s market, sustainability, opera issues, mixing art forms, artist management issues ... to name a few. ‘
Concert program with dinner on stage
The artistic dimension of the conference was organized and presented by the Concertgebouw. All attendees had the opportunity to experience an innovative concert program by Brussels Philharmonic, and during the closing dinner (on stage!), the brass quintet from the resident orchestra Anima Eterna Brugge surprised everyone from the balcony of the Concert Hall. This successful congress concluded with a dance party, expertly led by DJ Koony.
Aventix handled the production and audiovisual support during the conference, while Cardinal Catering provided the catering services.
Looking ahead, the 34th edition of the conference will take place in London in 2025.
