MMF sets out stall for the future

11:51 | Thursday June 4, 2009

The charter follows the publication of the most comprehensive survey of UK managers, which suggests a fantastically entrepreneurial sector that wants a more active and influential manager body.

Armed with the results of that survey, more than130 managers earlier this week gave MMF chief executive Jon Webster and chairman Brian Message the green light to plan for a newly structured and enlarged organisation.

The pair plan to develop this over the next few months and present their blueprint – and new name - for the new organisation in September.

The move follows the decision in January this year to kick off a major overhaul of the MMF, which Webster concedes had become “a bit of an old boys club”.

Message adds, “We now have a bunch of initiatives and a mandate to pursue. The key thing in the restructuring is we want an organisation that represents everyone.”

These priorities were all derived from the findings of the survey and include:

- to work with Government and banks to access more funding for managers

- to develop the partnership between music and brands

- to partner with the Featured Artists Coalition in lobbying in the political environment

- to develop training and mentoring for managers

- to act on current practices in the live music sector, such as ticketing and merchandising

Keane manager Adam Tudhope helped kick off the review process in January when he canvassed around 40 younger managers, who felt the MMF was not representing their views.

He hopes hundreds more young managers will now join the new group. On funding and brands, Tudhope believes the managers occupy a powerful position they need to fully exploit. He says, “The balance of power is shifting towards those who are closest to the artist.”

It is hoped the new organisation will act as a magnet for people with funding and who want to invest in music will come to. It can also serve as a “dating service” to put managers directly in touch with brands.

“Brands find themselves going down roads with people who are much further away from artists (than us). It makes more sense to come to the person closest to the artist,” Tudhope adds.

Some of the key findings of the survey show:

- 70% of respondents have been in management less than 10 years

- there is a high entrepreneurial spirit with 76% more than “just artist mangers.”

- 85% would like to raise funding for their business

- 88% would find it useful for an organisation to support them in sourcing funding

- 98% want to develop deeper, more strategic relationships with brands

- 75% want help in developing ticketing strategies

- 92% want help in reducing merchandise concession fees at venues

- 60% use music as a loss leader

- 73% expect recorded music to be less than 50% of their artists’ revenues in the year ahead