20th Annual Cutting Edge Music Business Conference
The Cutting Edge CE which includes the Cutting Edge Film and Interactive Media Workshop, and Roots Music Gathering will be held September 26 -30, 2011 at Gallier Hall, 545 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Cutting Edge C.E. brings together established and aspiring entertainment professionals.
At age 25 after somehow rapping on a McDonald’s TV commercial, Eric Sheinkop saw an opportunity to transform the way brands license music.
In 2008, in partnership with co-founder John Williamson, Sheinkop created Music Dealers – a global music licensing company aimed at bridging the gap between bands and brands, opening up a new route for emerging talent to break on to the global music scene.
Employing 50 people, with offices in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles Atlanta, Brazil and London, Music Dealers’ client list includes some of the world’s leading brands, TV production companies and film studios. Boasting a rapidly growing catalog of 15,000 of the highest quality independent artists, Music Dealers has opened up a previously untapped global platform for the best emerging artists to share their music with the world through TV, radio, Internet and live performance deals.
In 2011, Sheinkop led the negotiation of a groundbreaking partnership with The Coca-Cola Company. The agreement secured Music Dealers’ position as the organization’s global music partner and earned Coca-Cola a minority stake in the company. Later that same year, Sheinkop’s impact on the industry was recognized when he received a nod on Billboard Magazine’s “30 under 30” – a collection of rising young executives who are driving the music industry forward, followed by being named “Music Man of the 21st Century” by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Prior to establishing Music Dealers, Sheinkop worked on the brand and label side. At Slang Music Group, he readied independent acts for major label deals. Transitioning in 2007 to the agency side, Eric represented brands’ music interests where he secured music deals for clients including leading global brands such as McDonald’s, PMI and Kellogg’s.
Sheinkop is a frequent speaker at major music conferences and a guest lecturer at universities and colleges around the world, on the changing dynamics of the music industry and the implications for brands and artists.
Started in 1993 as a conference dedicated to educating musicians and music professionals about the latest trends in the music industry, Cutting Edge CE has evolved into entertainment workshops; the areas of interest covered are the Cutting Edge Business Sessions, Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Seminar, and Cutting Edge Film Workshop. The sessions also includes the NewWorks Showcase held throughout the CBD for new and emerging artists seeking special exposure to record executives, booking agents, managers and the media.
The seminar topics includes new trends and hot topics in music, film and interactive contracts including; Publishing, Copyrights and Trademark Update and other visual medias (TV, Video games, Internet, Advertising, etc.). Cutting Edge aims to present a concise examination of the legal paperwork practicing attorneys or entertainment executives may use in protecting or enforcing the rights of their clients or understanding their professional responsibility.
The Conference has also secured Vans Warped Tours’ Kevin Lyman and Michael Koch of Entertainment One US as keynote speakers. Mr. Lyman is best known as the producer and creator of the hugely successful Vans Warped Tour, the longest running traveling music and extreme sports festival in the world today while Koch’s eOne Music is the largest independent record company in the United States. Other experts from around the country fill out a roster of some of the best minds in the entertainment industry for the other workshops.
Cutting Edge CE brings together music industry personnel from across the country; including representatives from ASCAP, BMI, ReverbNation, Music Connection, eOne Music, and many others. The legal training is part of that conference which also includes Cutting Edge’s NOLA Downtown Music and Arts Festival and the Cruisin’ New Orleans Specialty Car Show which is scheduled for that Friday and Saturday.
A full list of workshops and registration details may be found at http://cuttingedgenola.com.
