Great to Seeya...Whenja Get In?

COVID has obviously put the industry convention on hold,  so let’s peek back to the golden era of the music and radio events from an earlier time.

Music  and Radio Industry conventions used to be “must attend” events.  In  fact it felt like everybody DID attend them.  This was in the pre internet, pre consolidation days  when the music industry was flush with cash and promise and radio was the Great North American soundtrack.  An era of smaller grittier operations when guerrilla tactics were the norm for survival.  It was a  chance to hang, argue or just watch the arguing.  The argument focus was the  same very year---Record Companies bitched about not getting enough  airplay and radio stations defended themselves….but it was interesting.  Of course not one single radio person would leave a convention and think  “say—the promo guy from Poly Sutra was right! I’m going to throw out  the format and play everything…”, but it was still a good spirited  balance of interesting, annoying and amusing.  Then at night every label  tried to out do each other with their suites.  From inviting stars and  hookers to all night coke fueled shmoozathons,  though nothing quite like the famed 1959 DJ convention in Miami Herald called out with the headline “Booze, broads and bribes.”   Of course I wasn’t there but I can only imagine....

There too were different types of conventions.  The NAB was pretty  much radio only where big names got to get drunk for a few days…then it  became more of the winter meetings for station traders, then a  love fest for vendors.  Then there was the old Billboard and Gavin  Conventions. They were mostly labels and programmers with a few Star GM  and Owners holding panels that were packed to the rafters. The early  R&R Conventions were like this. These conventions were more social events than learning experiences, but looking back  they were fun…and part of the freer and more interesting music and  radio community of an earlier time. It was a place to meet the big  names, listen to the “dialogue” and hang out late on someone else’s tab.  From 1976 though about 1988 we had our own Burkhart/Abrams conventions.   They became more important than the “real” conventions for many …but that’s a  whole other story you could write a book about.  

There were also some elite conventions.  MIDEM was  and is ground zero for International Music.  Very few radio folks, mainly  because it isn’t marketed to them and it’s in Cannes, which would bust  the budget of any American station.  MIDEM is the Rolls Royce of music  conferences.  Expertly organized in an amazing environment.  The crowd  ranges from mega stars to struggling songwriters.  Then there used to be  the Inside Radio conference in Phoenix.  Another blue chip affair that  attracted Group owners and vendors with large expense accounts.  It was  more of a meet and greet with the big names and a chance to show off  your wares to a decision maker audience.  I was always surprised that  Record Companies didn’t attend to learn the mojo of management. Nowadays there’s the enormous CES and SWSX though both,  while fascinating in their own right,  lack the camaraderie and intimacy of the pure radio and music events. Today, while there are conventions like Musexpo and CMW,  much of the dialogue happens  electronically.  The Lefsetz Letter to Facebook seem to be among the key meeting points.  

Most conferences,  like the myriad of weekly trade papers,  are relics of the past... it was a kinder, gentler and crazier time.  It’s a new day now,  but probably not a bad idea to reimagine some of that innocent edutainment on 2021 terms.  It’s still possible to have fun.