The 2018 BIGSOUND Festival Announces Second Speaker Line-Up

After the bombshell of its delicious first-half live lineup last month, BIGSOUND has again stepped it up a notch today, welcoming Australian music legend Paul Kelly for a keynote interview. Reflecting on both his career and the future of Australian music, Paul Kelly will educate and inspire both those new to the industry and veterans needing a reminder of why Australian music is the best in the world.

And once the patriotic sentiment clears, seminal US punk label Fat Wreck Chords will crash the party with Lagwagon's Joey Cape and label founder Erin Kelly-Burkett heading downunder for a presentation set to rock the house.

BIGSOUND will also lead change through a partnership with Support Act, Levi's ® and Access EAP to present an exclusive workshop helping delegates identify mental health issues, learn to manage them and create strategies to help others. A practical session run by trained clinicians, the session will be a first for the industry and is another step towards breaking down the stigma of mental illness in the music community, following on from the recent launch of Support Act's Wellbeing Helpline.

"Employees of corporate organisations in other industries have free access to professional development opportunities that independent music entrepreneurs could only dream of being able to afford," said QMusic CEO and BIGSOUND producer Joel Edmondson. "This is a big reason that the music industry is decades behind many other industries in terms of gender equity, mental health, corporate governance and overall people and culture development. The evolution of the BIGSOUND conference experience is designed to give delegates exposure to learning experiences that can radically transform how they think, work and relate to other people."

In keeping with this year's new BIGSOUND format, we also welcome a whole host of experts who will participate in workshops, panels, case studies and forums including triple j, Double J and Unearthed music directors Nick Findlay, Dorothy Markek and Dave Ruby Howe, US visa expert Brian Zabinski (Tamizat), expat legend and Collab Asia YouTube guru Jerry Soer, indie label organization A2IM UK's Sky McElroy, Gusher Magazine's Juliette Younger and Isabella Trimboli and ex-industry worker and now life coach Viv Fantin.

Complementing these exciting changes are yet another round of international legends including agents, labels, festival promoters, sync and publishing A&R and media, all heading to Brisbane to both share their wisdom and check out one of the 150 acts spearheading the future of Australian music.

BIGSOUND
SECOND SPEAKER ANNOUNCE

Erin Kelly-Burkett - Fat Wreck Chords (USA) - KEYNOTE
Joey Cape - Lagwagon (USA) - KEYNOTE
Paul Kelly - Himself (AUS) - KEYNOTE
Anna Benefield - Panache Booking LLC (USA)
Blake Rayner - The Orchard (AUS)
Brian Zabinski - Tamizdat (USA)
Brianna Liebling - The Billions Corporation (USA)
Clemence Renaut - ATC Live (FRA)
Dan Rozenblum - 33 And West (USA)
Daniel Sheinberg - Nettwerk Music Group Inc (CAN)
Dave Ruby Howe - triple j (AUS)
Dorothy Markek - ABC - Double J (AUS)
Emilie Davaine - LA Factory by Caramba (FRA)
Emily Roehl - Superfly (USA)
Emma Zillmann - From The Fields (UK)
Isabella Trimboli - Gusher Magazine (AUS)
Jen Pearce - Low Profile (USA)
Jerry Soer - Collab Asia (AUS)
Juliette Younger - Gusher Magazine (AUS)
Karen MacMillan - Universal Music Group (USA)
Kevin Pedersen - WhatsYourRupture? (USA)
Liz Rogers - Brett Oaten Solicitors (AUS)
Nick Findlay - triple j (AUS)
Paul Niederer - Raiseworth Pty Ltd (AUS)
Peta Ellis - River City Labs (AUS)
Philip Vafiadis - Innovyz Institute (AUS)
Rachel Kelly - Downtown (AUS)
Rhianna Patrick - ABC Radio (AUS)
Sky McElroy - A2IM (USA)
Terry Gold - Techstars Adelaide (AUS)
Tom Bownes - Live Nation (UK)
Vanessa Burt - Fat Wreck Chords (USA)
Viv Fantin - Next Act Coaching (AUS)

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED:

Mardi Caught - The Annex (AUS) - KEYNOTE
Virginia Hanlon Grohl - From Cradle to Stage (USA) - KEYNOTE
Alex Berenson - Vinyl Me, Please (USA)
Alison Rosenfeld - Aperture Music (USA)
Amber Carew - Saddle Creek Records (USA)
Ben Rafson - We Are Free (USA)
Bernie Cho - DFSB (KOR)
Brontë Jane - Third Side Music (USA)
Carlos Lopez Jr. - Domino (USA)
Eric Fritschi - Mtheory (USA)
Fabrizio Onetto - OCESA Seitrack (MEX)
Jessi Frick - Citrine Management (USA)
Joe Greenwald - C3 Management (USA)
Jon Box - Universal Canada (CAN)
Katie Garcia - Secretly Group / Bayonet (USA)
Lucy Pitkethly - Eat Your Own Ears (UK)
Madison McCabe - Hidden Track Music (USA)
Markell Casey - Pulse Music Group (USA)
Nevin Domer - Maybe Mars Music (CHN)
Owen Mallon - Paradigm Talent Agency (USA)
Paul Bridgewater - Line of Best Fit (UK)
Rachel Cox - Sad Grrrls Club (AUS)
Shaun Faulkner - X-Ray Touring (UK)
Tim Luckow - Stem (USA)
Tom Wironen - Friendly Announcer (USA)

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