Live Performance Australia (LPA) CEO Evelyn Richardson has announced she is stepping down from her role at the end of the year.

Richardson, who was named as one of IQ‘s Unsung Heroes 2020 for her work during the pandemic, says it has been a “privilege” to helm the Australian live music industry trade body for almost two decades.

“It has been an incredible journey through a time of tremendous change and challenge across our industry,” says Richardson. “I am deeply grateful for the support of our 400-plus members over many years, through both good times and some very tough years. Their resilience, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit has been a strength and reflects the incredible people that make up our live arts and entertainment industry.

“I am pleased to leave LPA in a very strong position as an effective industry voice and leader, with a strong financial base and an amazing team in my wonderful staff who do all the hard work on behalf of members.”

“Under Evelyn’s stewardship, LPA has become a trusted and highly effective source of advice, guidance and leadership for our members”

LPA president Richard Evans AM paid tribute to Richardson’s efforts during her near 18-year stint with the organisation.

“Under Evelyn’s stewardship, LPA has become a trusted and highly effective source of advice, guidance and leadership for our members across Australia’s live arts and entertainment industry,” he says. “Our members and industry have faced many challenges and twists and turns in the road over the years. Evelyn has always ensured that LPA has been at the frontline with government, other industry bodies and unions to support and advocate for our members and industry.

“For so many of us, the Covid-19 pandemic delivered previously unimaginable challenges for our people and organisations. Evelyn’s leadership during this period ensured LPA continued to provide much-needed support for our members and a strong voice to government on their needs during a tumultuous period while ensuring the organisation’s financial and operational sustainability.”

LPA will now begin an external search process for its next chief executive.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Norway’s trade association has unveiled its new board for the 2023-2024 period.

Márkomeannu festival director Ane Margrethe Ugelvik has been elected to the board of the Norwegian Cultural Organisers (NKA), alongside Jungelen founder and general manager Simon Alejandro Larsen. Bergen-based cultural organisation Jungelen stages club and concert series, as well as Jungelfest.

NKA has also welcomed three new deputies: Oslo Urban Week programme manager Linnéa Elisabeth Svensson, Tromsø International Film Festival boss Lisa Hoen and Trondheim Calling GM Eirik Brevik.

“It’s a good combination of new and old faces”

“It’s a good combination of new and old faces,” says NKA chair Trude Storheim. “There is a broadly composed board in terms of background, experience and competence, which is already enthusiastically getting started with the work. It bodes well for the important work the board is set to do.”

The new board members will succeed Marit Over-Rein Stokkenes, Sandra Márjá West, Åsa Paaske Gulbrandsen, Morten Wien and Runa Lunde Strindin.

Established in 1982, NKA’s international name is Norwegian Live. The Oslo-headquartered body represents more than 500 members, including festivals, clubs, venues, concert associations, student societies, libraries, museums and concert and cultural centres.

PHOTO (BACK L-R): Roza Aghili Taslimi, Lisa Hoen, Simon Alejandro Larsen, Trude Storheim, Ane Margrethe Ugelvik. (FRONT L-R): Runar Eggesvik, Per-Harald Nilsson, Linnéa Elisabeth Svensson, Gøran Aamodt

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

German trade association the BDKV has appointed two new sustainability officers to replace the outgoing Mike Keller.

Sarah Lüngen and Katrin Wipper from The Changency – a consultancy for sustainable change in the music industry – will succeed Markthalle Hamburg convention centre MD Keller, who took on the newly-created role at the start of 2023.

BDKV installed a new board, spearheaded by new president Sonia Simmenauer, at the start of the year and identified sustainability as one of the core topics of its work.

“We always understand sustainability in its entire complex spectrum: ecological, social and cultural sustainability are closely interlinked,” says Simmenauer. “Our measures in the spirit of sustainability therefore concern environmental protection, personnel or audience issues, equality and the contribution of culture as a whole to sustainable development.”

“Anyone who does not develop further in terms of sustainability today will soon have a difficult time,” adds BDKV MD Johannes Everke. “Let us look up, for example the EU Green Deal. In the short term, we therefore provide our members with up-to-date information and further training options. In the medium term, we are aiming for a practical sustainability certificate for the concert and event industry.

“The fields of action are numerous and diverse. We would therefore like to thank Mike for the very good work up to this point and look forward to continuing it with our new sustainability partners, the knowledgeable and committed experts from The Changency.”

“Together we can learn from and with each other to become more systemically sustainable and fair as an industry”

The Changency was founded by Lüngen and Wipper back in 2021 and has already created a portfolio of visionary projects – many of them with BDKV members. The Changency creates practical concepts for more sustainability at concerts and festivals, offers individual advice, supports communication campaigns and conducts studies.

“Our vision is to be part of the best party in the city: a party that manages to combine the passion and radiance of culture with a better, fairer way of life for everyone,” says a statement from the duo. “Sustainability that is fun, offers opportunities and shows solutions through creative ideas.

“We stand for motivation instead of resignation and are therefore very happy about the opportunity to shape the present and future of the concert and event industry together with the BDKV and its members. Together we can learn from and with each other to become more systemically sustainable and fair as an industry.”

Everke went on to praise Keller for setting the BDKV off on the right track.

“In eight months, Mike has set the course to make the topic of sustainability more transparent and better known within the association and across the industry and the public,” he says. “This starts with his always open ear and advice for our members and continues with the establishment of regular sustainability online sessions. In addition, his presence for the BDKV at industry-relevant sustainability conferences such as the SECON or Green Culture Conference and of great value for our members.”

Keller adds: “I am very grateful for this opportunity to advance the topic of sustainability with the BDKV. Katrin and Sarah’s continuation is the right decision for the BDKV. My path now continues in this direction. I wish Johannes, the entire BDKV and The Changency team much success in their upcoming tasks. The BDKV will certainly attract a lot of attention in this area.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Italy’s live music association Assomusica has announced the election of promoter Carlo Parodi as its new president following the 35th National Assembly of Associates.

Parodi becomes the sixth president of Assomusica, which was founded in Florence in 1996, succeeding the late Vincenzo Spera, who passed away in a road accident earlier this year.

A music promoter from Turin with over 30 years’ experience, Parodi is the founder of the Collegno’s Flowers Festival and the Hiroshima Mon Amour live music club.

The Assembly also elected the new board of directors, which now comprises Vincenzo Bellini, Paolo De Biasi, Fulvio De Rosa, Giuseppe Gomez Paloma, Giampaolo Grotta and Rita Zappador. Di Biasi had served as interim president since Spera’s death.

“The most complex issues will be addressed immediately, with great attention and care”

“It is with a sense of pride, as well as great responsibility and commitment, that I welcome this appointment and the trust that is being placed in me and in the new board of directors,” says Parodi. “The most complex issues will be addressed immediately, with great attention and care.

“On a personal level, I will commit to being everyone’s president, and those who know me know that this isn’t just a cliché. I will try to play my part, bringing my experience to the table, and taking on all the issues in the lively, structured industry of live music. We are now past the pandemic, that has proven how complex this segment of the cultural industry is and has shown that, in order to stand strong, Assomusica needs to be cohesive. And this, perhaps, is one of the most challenging legacies left by Vincenzo Spera.”

Salvitelle-born Spera founded event management company Duemilagrandieventi in 1974 and went on to work with a host of international artists, from Miles Davis to Bob Dylan, as well as household Italian entertainers such as Beppe Grillo to Fabrizio De André.

He held the role of Assomusica president for more than a decade, representing the majority of live music companies in Italy. News of his death in March sparked an outpouring of tributes from the industry.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Jon Collins, the recently appointed CEO of live music industry umbrella group LIVE, has spoken to IQ about the organisation’s key priorities going forward.

Collins was appointed following a 25-year career running representative organisations in the hospitality industry. His most recent role was as chairman of the Institute of Licensing and the National Licensing Forum. He has also held roles including lead author for the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Night Time Commission for London and as a senior adviser to UK Hospitality, where Collins focused specifically on late night and music licensing issues.

According to Collins, there is “no shortage” of issues facing the sector but in this first instalment of a two-part interview, he focuses on four of the most pressing matters.

VAT reduction, government engagement, post-Brexit touring and the cost of living crisis are top of the CEO’s agenda and, here, he sets out his plan of action to tackle each item.

VAT
“I think a cultural VAT rate of 5% on ticket sales would send a great signal about the government’s attitude to culture and live music within the UK, recognising its role as a driver of tourism, both domestic and international. It would actually boost the government’s Levelling Up agenda too because live music sits right across the country.

“Plus, it would be an economic generator that would make more venues viable and gigs more affordable. It’s going to put more money back in to allow us to keep more money in the industry, which allows us to pay artists better, pay students better, pay bar staff better. And we know that thriving live music venues act as a hub for culture-led regeneration in an area, all sorts of neighbourhoods up and down the country where they’re either defined by an existing music venue or they can be transformed when a venue moves in.

“There are cultural rates in a couple of dozen other countries, which are probably somewhere between 5 and 10%, so we think there’s established precedent elsewhere to say this is a good idea. We need to do another piece of economic research to show that if they cut VAT, the cost will be offset via reduced tax revenue. If you keep venues open and they put on more gigs, you’re getting 5% of a bigger cake than you would have had from the current 20% VAT rate.

“Then there are the other multiplier factors that would benefit the economy but we don’t have those numbers to hand yet, so we need to build that case. If we can get if we can win the arguments with the Treasury, then we might be close to getting the political decision-makers to press the button on it. I would love to think we’re close on this one but my guess would be that it’s a two-year campaign.”

“I think a cultural VAT rate of 5% would send a great signal about the government’s attitude to culture and live music”

Cost of living crisis
“It’s not in any industry’s gift to put more money into the consumer’s pocket, so the first thing we can do add pressure on the government to say they need to take steps to support households so that they do have disposable income and can visit their local gig venues. That money will then go back into the local economy and is a good investment to make. And then you can look at what the government could do to give operators and promoters and festival organisers more leeway to make cheaper tickets available. That brings you back to VAT and also business rates, which is such an outmoded, old fashioned system that just doesn’t work anymore and certainly doesn’t address the balance between the clicks and bricks economies.

“In New York, if a theatre doesn’t have an event on, they don’t pay rates on the auditorium. They only pay rates on the office space that is actually being used or maybe the kiosk on the curbside here. We don’t have that flexibility. So we think now would be a really a sensible idea – if there’s nothing going on in the theatre or a good venue or an arena then give them a break. Otherwise, you end up just constantly trying to make the space being used, which can mean you don’t have the time to actually do any refurbishments in the venue.”

“I want to have half a dozen figures that I can use to say, ‘This is why it’s in your interest to support live music'”

Government
“With LIVE’s multi-year funding and its expanding member base, we’ve definitely sent a message to government that it should take this sector seriously. The thing with policymakers is they change every five minutes. I think the average lifespan of a minister in a role is about 18 months. So you send the message, but you have to keep sending it and refining it and amplifying it.

“Greg [Parmley, former LIVE CEO] worked with Chris [Carey, LIVE chief economist] to produce a robust report very quickly that said this industry has a £4.5 billion GVA and employs 210,000 people. They are take-me-seriously numbers at a time when most people felt our industry wasn’t being taken seriously. If we’re very honest, we probably still feel we’re not taken seriously enough and so that’s another challenge for me is to make sure that government is unable to underestimate us. We will be taking every opportunity we can to put those numbers forward, talk about the industry, how many people we employ, the regeneration that happens, the tourism etc. So we’re talking with multiple partners at the moment to try and pull all of these facts and figures together. I want to have about half a dozen figures that I can use to say, ‘This is why you have to support this sector – this is why it’s in your interest to support live music’.”

“A cultural exemption would just remove all of these [post-Brexit touring] issues”

Brexit
“The LIVE touring group, brilliantly chaired by Craig Stanley, has done a tremendous job of trying to negotiate through government and then the EU for those post-Brexit touring challenges. But there is more to do because there’s not a stable framework.

“We’ve got the dual registration, which works for the larger specialist hauliers for this summer. We think we’re going to get a statutory instrument, probably when parliament comes back after the summer, around September, that will formalise that. Then there has also been progress on splitter vans, ferries and the Eurotunnel.

“But we know none of this solves the issue for a swathe of hauliers in the squeezed middle as we’re viewing them now. There is no obvious solution [for the squeezed middle]. There may be ways that they could find to step into that dual licensing regime, but that’s not cheap and not straightforward. The dual registration also doesn’t help own-account operators, which is the vast majority of British orchestras because of the particular needs of the classical music sector. So we continue to put the pressure on there.

“One of the things that LIVE was able to achieve just before I joined was to get a seat on the domestic advisory group of the trade and cooperation agreement between the UK and the EU. It’s basically the group that advises the UK government as it looks to shape its relationship with the EU going forward. We want to talk about the bigger ask of cultural exemption for artists and the technic technical teams and kit. I think it’d be almost impossible to get that before 2024 which is when the trade and cooperation agreement is next to be negotiated. So, we’ve probably got a couple of years of trying to make wins in a piece-by-piece way, while having that overarching target of the cultural exemption because that would just remove all of these issues.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.