Today I am writing from Ibiza, on the occasion of the International Music Summit.
For many of my colleagues, conferences are the terrain of major panels, signed contracts, or strategic networking among the so-called “heavyweights” of the industry.
For me, a fundamental part of these events happens elsewhere: at bar tables or outside the conference venue, talking to those who are there for the first time and have not yet ended up on anyone’s radar.
I have made it a habit to dedicate a fixed portion of my time to meeting young professionals, start-uppers, or emerging artists who write to me for a quick coffee.
No, I am not doing charity, it is not philanthropy, nor is it excessive courtesy: it is long-term vision.
Three Reasons to Go Off the Radar
1️⃣ Enthusiasm is contagious: in an industry that sometimes wears us down with its bureaucracy and cynicism, breathing in the clean energy of those who want to take on the world is good for professional health. It reminds us why we started.
2️⃣ Talent is unpredictable: you never know who you have in front of you. Many of the most competent and brilliant people I collaborate with today, I met exactly like this. Behind a stranger, there is often a gem just waiting for the right interlocutor.
3️⃣ Historical memory: at the the beginning of my carreer, it was me sitting in that chair, and I cannot dare to forget that. I was looking for someone who was willing to listen to an out-of-the-box idea instead of just looking at the business card.
Advice for the Conference:
If you are in Ibiza or at any other industry fair, I have two practical suggestions:
➡️ To seniors: get out of the bubble of the “usual suspects.” Meet people you don’t know. It is tiring, but hidden in the crowd are the insights that will change the market in two years.
➡️ To juniors: insist. Out of ten seniors who “act like big shots” and don’t answer you, you will find one willing to listen to you. And, in all likelihood, it will be the very one who turns your career around.
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I am Andrea Corelli, Music Industry Professional and Advisor.
I share strategies, backstage insights, or the stories behind a song on LinkedIn.
If you need help with your artist, label, project, or music startup, write to me.