The schedule for Futures Forum 2025 is below.
If you have something to say on the future of the business, we want to hear from you.
So if you’d like to suggest a topic, speaker, presentation or workshop, or simply just want to be involved, please get in touch.
Start your day off right with a warm beverage and an opportunity to meet those you’ve been emailing all year. Get an early start to understand the lay of the land and what’s on tap for our fourth edition.
Relax, contemplate, and sooth your nervous system during this meditative experience that submerges participants in resonant sound waves.
Some mats will be provided, but delegates are welcome to bring their own as well.
Head of agenda Lisa Henderson hosts an introduction to the world of ILMC Futures Forum for new delegates or anyone who needs a quick refresher.
Explaining how to get the most from the conference, she gives an informal welcome, as well as making sure everyone in the room has a chance to get acquainted.
If it’s your first ILMC or you haven’t quite worked out how to get the most from the days that follow, make this your first session of the day.
This stalwart session returns again with a quartet of emerging execs – all of whom were recognised among IQ’s latest New Bosses List. These young professionals will reflect on their journey so far, including breakthrough moments, career highlights, and invaluable mentors.
These next-gen leaders will have the chance to share their vision of the business and the issues that are important to them. Expect a lively discussion that uncovers the opportunities and challenges facing execs rising through the ranks in today’s live music business.
Artists are frequently announcing ‘world tours’ that only traverse the UK, Europe and the US. But a number of international markets are now boasting solid fanbases, and more importantly, new stages that make financial sense.
So which international markets should you be paying close attention to, and which new territories are both coming online and attracting names? This panel hears from execs who will make a case for the world’s most compelling new tour stops.
All registered Futures Forum 2025 delegates can get career advice or general tips from senior figures from the touring and festival worlds.
Three 12-minute presentations by innovators, thought leaders and inspiring individuals across the business.
11:15–11:30
How Måneskin became a next-generation headliner
While festival organisers have been lamenting a ‘headliner drought’, Måneskin have been busy establishing themselves as a next-generation headliner. Since winning Eurovision in 2021, the Italian rock band have enjoyed a steady ascent to the top of festival bills and last summer was the band’s crowning glory. The quartet topped festivals far and wide, from Germany’s Rock am Ring/im Park to Japan’s Summer Sonic to Belgium’s Rock Werchter. In this session, the band’s agent ITB’s Lucia Wade will share the live strategy behind Måneskin’s upward trajectory and make a call to arms for the industry to invest in tomorrow’s bill toppers.
11:30–11:45
Behind Lana Del Rey’s game-changing Fenway Park presale
You would assume the original purpose of artist presales was to give every loyal fan a head start to secure a ticket, allowing them to avoid scalpers, long queues, and the potential horror of dynamic pricing. However, the current presale system fails most artists and fans, according to Openstage chief strategy officer Rob Sealy. But in June 2024, Lana Del Rey decided to change the game for her Fenway Park show in Boston. In this session, Sealy explains how the US pop star took control of her presale to reward her most loyal followers, sell out the show in less than an hour and practically eliminate scalping.
11:45–12:00
The value of residential music weekenders
With over 83 weekenders planned in 2025, Butlins is a leading player in the residential event sector. Festivals such as Mighty Hoopla, Cream Weekender and Ministry of Sound Weekender have taken place at the UK holiday camp, while artists such as Fatboy Slim, Chaka Khan, Busted, Basement Jaxx and Sophie Ellis Bexter have delivered concerts in the unique setting. With four live venues, an arena space, swimming pools, fairgrounds, leisure activities and the ability to host 5,000 people, the destination continues to attract brands, artists and fans. In this session, Butlins entertainment director Mike Godolphin discusses the value of residential music weekenders.
Festival bookers have more considerations than ever when booking lineups – from artist fees to availability, diversity to ticket-selling power and keeping up with evolving audiences.
We hear from bookers who have trialled new strategies in a bid to strike the perfect balance on their bills and stay on top of the competition.
All registered Futures Forum 2025 delegates can get career advice or general tips from senior figures from the touring and festival worlds.
Short of playing big venues or topping festival bills, making a living from playing live is harder than ever. But as the cost of touring increases and tour lengths shrink, artists are increasingly supplementing their income from alternative revenue streams.
Executives from left-of-live fields such as concert films, corporate events, VIP (meet & greets), and the brand space, bring case studies and insight on keeping artists’ careers on the road.
Gone are the meal deals of weekdays past — here we have a two-hour complimentary lunch, featuring an epic spread of mouth-watering dishes. Vegetarian and vegan options are included, of course.
Are you a pub quiz champion? The quick-fire Futures Forum Pop Pub Quiz returns and we have EPIC prizes at stake.
Alongside our friends at the NEC and AXS, we’re so excited to offer the winning pop pub quiz team 6 x tickets to see Central Cee LIVE at Utilita Arena Birmingham on Friday 18th April! 🎉
So gather your top team of six players, put your skills to the test AND meet some new faces. Quizzing solo? No problem, we’ll match you with a team.
The Pop Pub Quiz starts at 1pm sharp in Room 4, during the lunch break. You won’t want to miss this one so make sure you arrive early to secure your spot.
Four trailblazers from across the industry will take the stage to answer delegates’ burning questions about how they got to where they are today.
Building on the popular feature in the ILMC Futures Forum newsletter, these seasoned pros will glean top tips and sage advice from their storied journeys in the business.
The quartet will field questions on everything from their secrets to success, to the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Delegates should capitalise on this rare opportunity to pick the brains of an all-star panel.
It’s not enough these days just to open doors. From changing audience demands and catering to the needs of each attendee, to going above and beyond for promoter partners, and keeping in house spec to ever-higher standards, it’s a constant arms race.
So how are venue operators keeping up and on track, and crucially, just how will the venue experience evolve over the next few years?
Within booking agencies, tour marketing departments are a rarity in the UK but a secret weapon to those that have them. With insight into marketing, promotion, press, ticketing and sponsorship, these units are an integral part of a tour launch and a vital source of intelligence for artist teams.
So why aren’t they commonplace in the industry, and how are they working alongside the traditional marketing teams of a promoter? This session will hear from tour marketers at the biggest UK agencies who will demystify their roles and quantify their value.
Armed with case studies, these execs will underscore their influence over the success of an artist’s live campaign.
Promoters, get your chequebooks out – we’ve got the essential compilation of artists set to break in 2025. This ever-popular music-sharing session sees sharp young executives reveal the acts they’ve got their money on.
During the hour, panellists will swap tracks, tips and tales of the artists that are dominating their playlists. Taking notes from old-fashioned A&R sessions, the young pros will play songs and compare notes on ticket sales, streaming numbers and more to determine the hottest ticket in town. Participation from the room is strongly encouraged.
Three 12-minute presentations by innovators, thought leaders and inspiring individuals across the business. The full detail of each Soapbox Session will be announced in January.
16:00–16:15
Massive Attack’s Act 1.5 and the future of battery-powered events
Last year, British band Massive Attack drew a new line in the sand for eco-friendly concerts with their groundbreaking Act 1.5 show in the UK. Held at Clifton Downs in their home city of Bristol, the concert, production and catering were powered entirely by battery and solar power, by Grid Faeries x Ecotricity. A Greener Future – which was responsible for advanced planning, on-site sustainability management and coordination, post-event analysis and reporting – hailed the 35,000-capacity concert a ‘new dawn’ for sustainable live music events. In this session, AGF and Grid Faeries Claire O’Neill discusses the future of battery-powered events and what the tide change looks like.
16:15–16:30
Connected, yet lonelier than ever: The Life is Live campaign’s wake-up call
In this session, we’ll explore the growing impact of digital addiction on mental health, particularly among younger generations, as highlighted by EXIT Festival’s Life is Live campaign, winner of this year’s Take a Stand Award at ESNS. As digital connections drive us further apart, social media pressure, constant online validation, and screen dependency are fueling anxiety, loneliness, and social isolation. This conversation invites you to reflect on the hidden costs of our digital habits and the growing societal challenge of maintaining genuine human connection in an always-online world.
16:30–16:45
The stage for change: Elevating equity & inclusion in live music
Saskhia Menendez, a leading voice for diversity and inclusion in the music industry, discusses the next steps for breaking down barriers, championing diversity and fostering inclusion.
This year’s keynote interview is Australian punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers.
Their explosive live shows have earned them three sold-out shows at London’s Roundhouse, support slots with Foo Fighters, The Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and Green Day, and festival appearances at Glastonbury, Primavera, Best Kept Secret and Bandland.
Firecracker frontwoman Amy Taylor will sit down with BBC Introducing’s Abbie McCarthy to discuss the band’s illustrious live career, her take on the business, and the band’s recent album Cartoon Darkness.
It’s a Friday evening, there’s free beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options. Need we say more?