INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS ADDED TO LA EVENT
Nigel Lythgoe
More key influential executives have joined the line-up at MUSEXPO in Los Angeles. Just confirmed is Nigel Lythgoe, the co-founder of Big Red Entertainment, a newly formed company with 19 Entertainment CEO Simon Fuller. Prior to 19 Entertainment, Lythgoe worked at London Weekend Television, where he was Controller of entertainment and comedy. Co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy-winning series “So You Think You Can Dance,” his other executive producer credits include seven seasons of, “American Idol,” as well as NBC’s “Superstars of Dance,” which he also co-created. Lythgoe also served as producer and director of the acclaimed Celine Dion and Elvis duet featured on “Idol Gives Back.” Lythgoe became a household name in the UK as “Nasty Nigel,” as a judge on “Popstars.” Lythgoe will be the focus of a keynote special at MUSEXPO on Wednesday April 29 at the London West Hollywood Hotel.
Neil Portnow
Also speaking at MUSEXPO during the special Steve Schnur “Awards Luncheon” is Neil Portnow, President/CEO, The Recording Academy. Since his appointment to the Presidency of The Recording Academy in December 2002, Portnow has utilized all the lessons learned from three decades’ experience working with both music makers and music marketers. In addition to plotting creative initiatives for the Academy and its various units (including the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares, both of which he also heads), Neil develops and manages strategic advocacy positions at the national, state and local levels, both governmental and within the music industry. He was named President/CEO of The Recording Academy in September 2007 in recognition of these and other efforts. Over the course of a colorful career Neil’s had an integral role in the development of many artists, ranging from David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and Robert Palmer to Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston and Pet Shop Boys. A Manhattan native and professional musician, he’s led a rich and varied life in the music biz, serving as staff producer for RCA, VP A&R for Arista and EMI America and Sr. VP West Coast for the Zomba Group, among other positions.
Also added to the lineup are former Doors manager Bill Siddons, Guns N Roses and Motley Crue A&R executive Tom Zutaut, Spectacle Group President Andy Gould and ReverbNation CEO Mike Doernberg.
The origins of MUSEXPO stem from the roots of the intimate A&R Network (the predecessor to A&R Worldwide) networking dinners in Los Angeles, which first occurred back in 2001 and have since traveled to New York, Berlin and London. These exclusive dinners were organized by A&R Network and A&R Worldwide architect Sat Bisla with the purpose of bringing together friends and like-minded relationships from the global radio, A&R, film/TV music supervision, publishing, new media and artist management communities to engage in creative dialogue and establish fresh business relationships.
It was the positive culmination of these organic networking dinners that spawned the creation of the four-day MUSEXPO.
A&R Worldwide President/Founder Sat Bisla explains, “These exclusive dinners were organized with the purpose of bringing together friends from the international creative and business communities to connect with similar like-minded, forward-thinking professionals–all with the intent of discovering new music, broadening organically crafted relationships and creating unconventional ways of doing business in a rapidly changing global market.
Now, many dinners later with hundreds of executives having participated, we have evolved the concept of the A&R Worldwide dinner meetings to the next level and created MUSEXPO. Our ethos is to continually evolve, teach and inspire forward-thinking minds as well as create new platforms that will build the bridges for the future of our multifaceted business, as well as providing a showcasing platform for the crème de la crème of emerging international talent on a global stage of key decision-makers, as well as influential press and media.”
MUSEXPO is an unprecedented and exclusive opportunity to interact with a wide range of influential decision–makers from the international music, media and technology industries –– all brought together again in Los Angeles at MUSEXPO. Created by popular demand, the inaugural MUSEXPO enriched the experience created at the A&R Worldwide dinners, creating a climate that attracted executives and artists to travel from over 30 countries across the world to participate — all because they understand the value of discovering and developing fresh new relationships, inspirations and solutions in an ever-changing worldwide community.
This is just my sort of my music, thank you! I’ll be back!
Thanks for the comment. Welcome to the club!