Meet your first round of WAMCon speakers, including reps for Sub Pop, Spotify + more

Where the just-announced WAMFest is somewhat of a utopia for the general WA music fan, WAMCon is a utopia for the general WA musician. It's an event that brings together specialised music industry workers - including musicians themselves - to little ol' West Australia (albeit this year, many of them will be presenting digitally) for a multi-day conference centring itself around career development and evolution.

Often, the event brings people from across the country to talk, however this year, things will be slightly different. In 2021, WAMCon will be a mix of digital/in-person panels, presentations, and networking; ensuring that the next generation of West Australian musicians and music industry workers are supported and furthered in their careers, even amongst the unsure travel restrictions both interstate and internationally. 

The first round of speakers have just been announced, and already, it's clear that moving to a digital/physical hybrid model is working wonders for WAMCon. This year, there will be keynote speeches by the co-founder of the legendary Sub Pop Records Bruce Pavitt, Berklee College of Music Professor and casual multi-platinum producer Susan Rogers, the iconic Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Day of Electric Fields and Water & Music Publisher and Founder Cherie Hu, who has become a source of constant tech evolution and inspiration in the music space across 2020.

In addition to those keynotes, there will be presentations and panels featuring representatives from Spotify, New World Artists, WAM, RTRFM, Chamber of Arts and Culture WA, Australia Council For the Arts, APRA AMCOS and plenty of others, with more to be announced over the coming weeks. 

This year, WAMCon will be held from March 26th to March 27th at Perth's State Theatre Centre, with a combination of in-person and virtual passes available - you can find the full rundown on tickets and what they include here. There's a bunch of other information and speaker profiles you can find via the WAMCon website while you're at it, and you can take a dive into the full WAMCon First Speaker Announce below:

WAMCon 2021 First Speaker Announce: 

Bruce Pavitt (Co-Founder Sub Pop Records, Co-Founder & Creative Director 8Stem interactive music) US

Susan Rogers (Professor Music Production & Engineering Berklee College of Music) US

Zaachariaha Fielding & Michael Day (Artists Electric Fields) SA

Amy Vee (Artist, Board Director Listen Up Music, Mental Health Advocate) NSW

Angie Ayers (Presenter Triple M South West) WA

Anna Laverty (Music Producer, Sound Engineer, Writer) VIC

Bel Skinner (Manager RedRock Music, Advanced Skills Lecturer North Regional TAFE) WA

Booka Nile (Mental Health Recovery Partner Southern Cross Care, Founder & Director Sonic Minds, Artist Make Them Suffer, Internet Friends) WA

Brodie Popple (Agent New World Artists) QLD

Cherie Hu (Founder and Publisher Water & Music) US

Em Burrows (Audience Development Officer WAM, Artist Web Rumors, Presenter RTRFM 92.1, Podcast Host Wide Open Road) WA

Geraldine Rey (Event & Marketing Consultant Suzette Collective, Manager Queency, Director Digital Chic) WA

Grace Barbé (Artist, Founder Afrotropik Records) WA

Jackson Hawdon (Presenter RTRFM 92.1) WA

Jaycee Edwards Vee (Artist) WA

Johnny Ma (Filmmaker Good Kid, Owner Johnny Ma Studios) WA

Jonathan “Jono” Harrison (Artist & Label Partnership Manager Spotify Australia) NSW

Kyron “Kyza” Smithson (Owner & Operator Kyza Presents) WA

Mike Wafer (Artist Tanami, Covøids, Co-Founder Fuck Yeah! Media) WA

Natasha “Tash” Shanks (Artist Little Lord St Band) WA

Nic GidleyKing (Co-Founder Modern Day Entertainment, HipHopCharts.com.au, Manger Jaycee) WA

Ofa Fotu (Artist Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics, Hot Brown Honey) WA

Patricia “Trish” Adjei (First Nations Arts & Culture Director Australia Council for the Arts) NSW

Shelagh Magadza (Executive Director Chamber of Arts and Culture WA) WA

Skinny O’Leary (Coordinator Hyperfest, Manager Sly Withers, Flossy, Ursula) WA

Sose Fuamoli (Music Writer, Content Producer, Publicist) VIC

Taylah Strano (Breakfast Presenter, Producer RTRFM 92.1) WA

Tenille Elkins (Senior Writer Services Representative APRA AMCOS, Lecturer North Metropolitan TAFE) WA

Tonchi McIntosh (Artist, Manager, Community Music Development Balgo, Mulan, Billiluna, Kutjungka Music Festival) WA

Trent Rojahn (Artist Last Quokka) WA

Will Backler (Music Director, Interviews Coordinator, Program Director, Head of Training RTRFM 92.1) WA

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