Join The Austin Music Foundation For The Return Of The 'Feel The Love' Music Industry Expo

The Austin Music Foundation (AMF) is proud to announce the return of its annual "Feel the Love" Music Industry Expo. Back for a fourth year, the Expo provides a one-of-a-kind forum for professionals in the Austin music industry to connect with area music support nonprofits and organizations, learn about available community resources and network with their peers. The event will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Emo's located at 2015 E. Riverside Dr. Event partners include C3 Presents and KUTX. The evening will be hosted by Matt Reilly, Program Director of KUTX. The event is free to attend and open to the public. RSVP here or visit www.austinmusicfoundation.org for more information.

Participating organizations will include: Austin Creative Alliance, Austin Federation of Musicians, Beyond the Grade, Black Fret, Care2Rock, City of Austin Music & Entertainment Division, City of Austin Small Businesses Development Program, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), Kids in a New Groove, KUTX, Music Moves Mountains Foundation, Rancho Alegre Radio, ReRoute Outreach, SIMS Foundation, Swan Songs, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts (TALA) and Texas Music Museum, with more to be announced.

"Our 'Feel the Love' expo is a great way to bring the Austin community together," said Danny Gillespie, AMF Board Chair. "We have all of the services available to musicians under one roof for a fun evening of connection."

The organizations represented at "Feel the Love" offer an array of essential and critical resources to the Austin music community, from access to affordable healthcare and mental health and addiction recovery services; to educational programming and professional development; to free legal and accounting advice. Also involved are advocacy organizations and governmental entities which promote economic development and cultural diversity, protect and advance the interests of professional musicians and work to enrich the local community's overall quality of life.

"Feel the Love" coincides with Love Austin Music Month, a concerted effort led by Austin Music Foundation, KUTX, and the City of Austin Music & Entertainment Division to highlight and spread the love of Austin music.

"'Feel the Love' embodies the spirit of what it means to love Austin music," said Jennifer Dugas, AMF Director of Programs. "There is no other event of its kind that exists where for one night, under one roof, our music community and music support ecosystem intersect, bringing hundreds together to share and celebrate the incredible wealth of resources that aid in keeping Austin's creative class sustained.

OTHER AMF NEWS:

In December 2017, Austin Music Foundation kicked off its sixth year of the Music Industry Collaborative (MIC) Program with continued fiscal support from Austin-based venture capital firm, DTB Partners. Over the past two years of MIC, AMF and its program partners have awarded a total of $26,000 to five local music business owners. An additional $13,000 will go to winners of this year's program, bringing the total to $39,000 in grants awarded to local music businesses since 2015.

AMF is thrilled to celebrate its fifth year of Leaders in Austin Music (LIAM) with Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt as a sponsor, marking the program's second year of private funding and support from the largest chain of boutique hotels in the United States. LIAM brings top-level music industry leadership effectiveness training for emerging leaders in the local music community and boasts a diverse group of alumni comprising over 80 professionals from various cross-sections of Austin's music industry. This year's class is made up of representatives from C3 Presents, SXSW, ACL Live, KUTX, HAAM, SIMS Foundation, Vinylmnky, MDRN and live music venues including Mohawk, Hotel Vegas, Barracuda and Empire Control Room.

Lauren Bucherie, Kimpton Hotels Director of Music, is a LIAM program graduate and facilitated the partnership with AMF. "I was first involved with AMF in 2014 through LIAM and since have become a huge supporter of their programming," said Lauren. "I reached out to AMF after I took on the role of Director of Music & Social Programming at Hotel Van Zandt and knew from the first meeting that our interests were aligned and this was an organization we needed to get behind."

In addition to Kimpton's involvement with the LIAM program, Lauren has also worked with AMF to book local artists at Geraldine's. "Since opening in 2015, we have paid over $400,000 in guarantees to Austin musicians through artist residency shows and private events. It's truly amazing how AMF, a non-profit, is finding innovative ways to put money in musicians' pockets. Kimpton is proud to be a part of this effort."

ABOUT THE AUSTIN MUSIC FOUNDATION:

Founded in 2002, Austin Music Foundation (AMF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose core mission is to strengthen, connect, and elevate the local music industry and community. With expert educational panels and workshops, tailored consultations, mentoring and networking, AMF's innovative programs provide the necessary resources, tools and opportunities to help Austin's creative class thrive in today's music business climate. Over the past 15 years, AMF has served over 15,000 musicians and music industry professionals and remains dedicated to delivering the highest level of career development and continuing education training. For more information, visit www.austinmusicfoundation.org.

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