Iceland Airwaves Conference – Full Schedule Announced for 2022

The Iceland Airwaves conference will take place on November 3rd and 4th, the Thursday and Friday of Iceland Airwaves. This year we will touch on topics like the state of live music post-covid, the role of record labels today, the unifying power of music during a time where the world is marked by turmoil and the enduring sustainability in music.

ALL PANELS ANNOUNCED

Iceland Music and Reykjavík Music City are programming conference day one and are happy to announce their full schedule. 

THE CHANGING TIDES OF MANAGEMENT

The first panel of the day will be on the changing tides of management, and features the internationally reknowned Ali Raymond who in 2021 received the MMF award ‘Breakthrough Manager of the year’ with his artist Arlo Parks. The panel will be run by Paul Bonham from the MMF and include Nick Knowles, manager of Icelandic stars Eydís Evensen and Sóley; UK-based Dan Potts from Red Light Management, Maria Torres from Mother Artists and US-based Christiana Sudano. 

Ali Raymond, Paul Bonham and Christiana Sudano are also all programmed to take part in our ‘Bransaveisla’ programme that takes place earlier this week.

  • Ali Raymond will host a masterclass for local professionals who are looking to work more globally with their artists. Register here >>

  • Christiana Sudano will run a workshop “Empowering the DIY artists to self-manage”. Register here >>

  • Paul Bonham with local managers will run the launch of the Icelandic MMF at Kex on Nov 1. More details to be announced.

 

How fan culture survived the algorithm.

Other panels include a deep dive into online fan communities, a panel titled: “How fan culture survived the algorithm” where industry professionals discuss how niche communities have still found space where much listening has become passive. 

It will feature Pierre Hall from the legendary Speed Wunderground, Aidan Grant who runs a modern PR agency Different Sauce that takes no retainers for placing songs in both traditional media and on platforms like TikTok, Megan Burns who is the manager of export-darlings Kælan Mikla, as well as Þura Stína who is a member of the Daughters of Reykjavík – who’ve always known how to break the internet.



does being queer help artists creatively?

We’ll invite Magnús Bjarni Gröndal (Mighty Bear) to lead a discussion on queer identity for artists with Samantha Togni, as well as Heiðrik á Heygum from Kóboykex, Hulda Kristín from Huldaluv, and Sigga Ey from Iceland’s 2022 Eurovision performers Systur. Together these artists and industry professionals will challenge queer stereotypes in music answering the question: “Are We All Pop Divas?” in exploring how queer stereotypes help or hinder the artist in the construction of their art.

the big talk: the climate crisis & cultural industries

The day's Big Talk will then be on the dynamic between the cultural industries and the climate crisis. Grappling this huge subject will be Lewis Jamieson from Music Declares Emergency, with Vigdís Jakobsdóttir the Director of Reykjavík Art Festival, artist Sóley and Njörður Sigurjónsson,Ph.D. Professor of Cultural Management, Bifröst University in Iceland.

Registrations are open and conference passes cost 34.900 ISK for early bird conference tickets and 29.900 ISK for IA partners and artists.

A conference pass gives you access to the following:

  • Iceland Airwaves Conference Nov 3 & 4 

  • Iceland Airwaves Music Festival Nov 3-5 

  • Numerous networking opportunities

  • Access to and placement on the delegate list

  • Networking breakfast on Thursday Nov 3 and Friday Nov 4 included

  • Drinks at happy hour on Friday Nov 4 included

  • Invitation to Iceland Airwaves welcome party on Thursday Nov 3

  • Tickets to the Airwaves Plus awards ceremony on Friday Nov 4 included

  • Invites to invite-only parties and events

  • + all the benefits of Airwaves Plus including priority access to official Airwaves venues, discounts and more.

As a delegate you are also exclusively invited to the Iceland Airwaves Conference networking lunch on Thursday Nov 3 and Friday Nov 4, you can book your spot during the registration process.



ARTIST FOCUSED MASTERCLASSES AND WORKSHOPS 1-2 NOVEMBER

As mentioned Iceland Music and Reykjavík Music City will host ‘Bransaveisla’ (“Industry Celebration”), that is numerous industry events in the week leading up to Airwaves with support from Business Iceland and STEF. They will offer exciting masterclasses in management and music supervision by none other than Ali Raymond, Arlo Parks’ manager and Steven Tallamy who’s starting a Music Supervision division in Iceland under WiseMusicGroup. 

Other events include a networking speed-meeting session, panel discussions, and workshops suited for the DIY community of artists in Iceland. These events are free but require registration, and spots can be limited. Finally MMF is starting up its Iceland chapter and everyone is invited to the launch of MMF Iceland.

The Bransaveisla schedule will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday at KEX, and you can find out more and book your spot over here. 

Iceland Music