june-2012

BUSINESS MODELS
Ever wondered how you end up in your dream job, doing something
you love or being your own boss? We talk to three inspiring and
ambitious individuals about their careers
It’s a question you often fi nd
yourself asking: how did
they get there? What do I
have to do to get that kind of job?
How did they think of doing
that? If you have an idea or a
talent that you’d like to turn into
a lucrative business, you may
well fi nd some inspiration in
this article.
Carlos Fleischmann is head of
Creative Talent, the music
marketing agency behind the
new Greenville Festival, which
takes place near Berlin between
27 and 29 July. He tells us about
the link between music and
sustainability.
WHAT DIFFERENTIATES GREENVILLE
FROM ALL THE OTHER FESTIVALS
BEING HELD IN EUROPE?
First and foremost, it’s about
great music. Greenville is also
the only festival in Germany
that’s located so close to a big
city. It’s just 30 minutes from the
city centre and you can get to it
on the train for just €3 – we’re
recommending that guests take
public transport.
IS THAT PART OF YOUR
SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPT?
Yes, exactly, although we’re not
using it as one of our buzzwords
– it’s happened by itself. The
festival is situated in a country
village called Paaren-im-Glien,
hence the name. For me it’s a
given that we are using green
energy at the festival. And we
Iggy Pop kommt zum Greenville Festival
Iggy Pop will play Greenville this year
don’t want to just buy CO2 certifi cates, like a lot of other
festivals do, to make our festival
carbon neutral. Instead, we’re
inviting guests to plant a tree
for Greenville wherever they
are and send us a photo or a
video of it. Participants can win
VIP tickets to the festival.
Afterwards, we’re going to put
together a map of the sites
where the trees have been
planted on Google Maps.
YOU SAY THE FESTIVAL IS MAINLY
ABOUT MUSIC – WHAT KIND
EXACTLY?
I’m really proud of the fact that
we’ve got the Flaming Lips and
Iggy Pop on the bill; booking
them represents a real
milestone in my career. But the
festival also works because of
the way we’ve put it together –
you won’t fi nd that anywhere
else in Europe, perhaps even the
world. It’s very urban, very
metropolitan. People living in
the city like all kinds of music
and don’t want to only hear
techno music at festivals.
There’s something for everyone.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE
MUSIC BUSINESS?
I’m 42 and I’ve been in the music
business for 25 years now. After I
fi nished my Abitur [fi nal-year
C A R E E R S
school exams], I was in a band for
a while and booked the tours.
Then other bands started
approaching me to ask if I could
book their tours and shows. One
thing led to another, and I now
book big-name acts like Kylie
Minogue and Lauren Hill. Music
is my passion. If it wasn’t, I
couldn’t do the job. It’s hard work.
ARE YOU ALSO A MUSICIAN?
No, I don’t have the time. I’ve
also got a family.
ARE THEY COMING TO GREENVILLE?
Yes, absolutely. We’ve been
taking them to festivals ever
since they were little. We’ve also
GW—121