The VIP-Booking european live entertainment Book

4
VIP- News - April 2011
Pop up
Cancels
exhibition
Manfred Tari mt@vip-booking.com
Pop Up, the music convention based
in Leipzig has announced the can-
cellation of the exhibition part of
the music fair. While the festival and
conference program will go on as
scheduled, the exhibition, until now
considered one of the key assets
for this business event, has suffered
from a lack of demand by potential
exhibitors.
The tenth edition of the event will
take place on May 20/21. For further
information please check:
www.leipzig-popup.de
Leipzig Pop Up 2010
No Change to Prs FOr Music
Fees for Festivals this Year
Allan McGowan am@vip-booking.com
VIP-News attended the City Session
organized by Festival Awards at the Is-
lington O2 Academy on April 15, which
dealt with two areas of financial con-
cern for Festivals, PRS and Policing.
In June last year PRS announced a re-
view of the tariff for live music events.
Although the existing tariff is at 3% one
of the lowest in the world, the Collec-
tion Society’s timing for this announce-
ment was not good, coming at a time
when ticket sales were dropping off
and a VAT rise was due to make these
tickets even more expensive.
PRS set in place a consultation system,
calling for comment and opinion from
the business concerning the Live Music
Tariff.
As yet no decision on the rate has been
taken, but following approaches from
a worried festival industry about the
effects that any rises would have on al-
ready high budgets concessions have
been announced for Festivals for the
element of the ticket price covering
VIP-BOOKING.COM
non-music content, such as comedy
and theatre, and accommodation and
camping.
At the Session Director of Public Per-
formance Sales Keith Gilbert said he
could not predict the outcome of the
PRS For Music Board’s decision – ex-
pected later this year, but he told del-
egates it was quite likely there would
be no change to the tariff in the near
future. He stressed that PRS wishes
to continue a dialogue with the busi-
ness, and even though the formal
consultation period is closed urged
festival organisers to get in touch with
thoughts and concerns so that PRS
could institute the best solution for all
concerned.
Continuing dialogue was also the mes-
sage from Derek Smith, Director of Fi-
nance, West Midlands Police, the officer
with overall responsibility for Charging
for Police Services.
The City Sessions is a series of regional
mini-conferences produced by Festival
Awards Ltd, organiser of the UK Festi-
val Awards and Conference in Novem-
ber. It is supported by Academy Music
Group, Doodson Entertainment and
Music Tank.
Keith Gilbert - PRS