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G.E.M.S. Conference Proves While the established music industry continues to churn out cubic zirconia as the mass consumption product of choice the G.E.M.S. conference continues to unearth many indie and unsigned diamonds in the rough. The Global Entertainment and Media Summit (G.E.M.S.) was held April second through the fourth, 2004 at the Park Central Hotel in New York City. Another summit is scheduled for Los Angeles, California on June 12 and 13, 2004.
 The third annual Global Entertainment and Media Summit took place in New York City. Now in its third year the G.E.M.S. 2004 is a multi-faceted, multi-day, bi-coastal event that promised to bring together the music, film, video, media, new media and multimedia worlds to participate in the most productive event dedicated to creating new opportunities for creative control for the independent artist. According to the G.E.M.S. website, it was the organization's intent to bring together visionary leaders from the music, film and media worlds to provide a productive forum of ideas and new distribution concepts that when acted upon, can help the industry grow effectively. We believe the New York event delivered! The over-riding theme of this Summit was the individual empowerment of the independent musician in the face of the rapidly changing music and recording industries. The established methods of recording, production, distribution and artist development have changed dramatically in recent years due to technological convergence, industry downsizing, and the growing importance of the Internet, MP3 and P2P file distribution. An example of this empowerment is the story of Scooter Scudieri who was the literal poster boy of the 2002 Summit because of his talent, perseverance and guerrilla marketing tactics. He has taken charge of his music career by creating and utilizing opportunities. At the 2002 G.E.M.S., Scooter was on a panel discussing how indie-musicians can promote their music on the Internet. He also made a point of having his flyers and information posted throughout the conference. In attendance was Jewel's mom and manager. She was so impressed with his presentation and talent that the meeting led to Scooter opening for Jewel on eighteen-dates of her North American tour. Scooter is more than willing to share his experiences and techniques on self-promotion. He has lectured at Berkley College in Boston and has been a prominent speaker and player at the G.E.M.S. for the past three years. Scudieri has created his own buzz without an agent, promoter or major label's backing. His debut CD was released on his own label – Skooter Scudieri Records. Scooter raised $50,000 through his fan base to record 'Ancient Rituals' in a studio in New York City with professional musicians. Scudieri retains full rights to his music and he promotes his CDs on- and off-line with postcards, stickers, T-shirts, a 26-page Scooter magazine, word of mouth and live appearances.
 Scooter Scudieri is fast becoming the first rock star to break out solely on the Internet. On Sunday, he played an energetic set of songs that were both serious yet upbeat. Scooter has a striking stage presence and is an expressive vocalist. Scudieri is also a skilled guitarist creating the illusion of playing both lead and rhythm on his acoustic guitar. His performance was one of many highlights of the Summit. "Last year I said free downloads didn't begin the dismantling of the record companies, greed did," Scudieri said, recalling his past presentations at the G.E.M.S. during an Internet radio interview from the conference. "All free downloads do is allow music lovers to preview the crap that record labels are forking out and say, hey, I don't want to buy this for 20 bucks." So what has happened to the music industry? The general consensus is that corporate greed, consumer price gouging, artificial sales increases from format changes, and a failure to embrace emerging technologies has left the establishment scrambling to retain control while the ground is shifting below them. Gone are the days of unlimited entertainment expense accounts for A&R agents and bloated label rosters. It is into this scenario that a new music industry is emerging along with a diverse amount of opportunities for artists and musicians who are bold and savvy enough to take advantage of them. A fact repeated often over the weekend was that in the traditional recording industry ninety-five percent of all acts put out by major labels fail. The conference offered many nurturing seminars and workshops to show artists that they need to manage their careers professionally. It is their responsibility in this day and age to view themselves, their music and their art as a branded business. Several panelists revealed that the target number of CD sales an indie musician should reach for is approximately 10,000 units annually. According to some speakers, sales of these numbers, through self-promotion, could provide a sustainable living for the indie band or artist. A major focus of the convention was to help the independent artist figure out how to get to that level. The Summit accomplished this through over forty seminars, workshops and presentations from trade leaders. Much of the Summit’s focus was about recognizing changes in the industries and looking for and taking advantage of new opportunities that are rapidly emerging. The Summit was also an industry trade show with a variety of exhibitors including indie labels, authors, music & reference books, new media products and services, and computer software that can help the independent musician advance in their careers.
 Top right: G.E.M.S. founder Steve Zuckerman; Top left: Empowering Artists panel. Middle right: Batman the movie creator, Michael Uslan; Middle left: Empowering Artists panel II; Bottom: Pat DiNizio fielding a question from the audience. The focus of the conference was more than just music. It endeavored to combine the additional entertainment industries of film and computer programming to show indie artists other avenues that they can take in securing outlets for their music such as video games, movie soundtracks or even converting their music into cell-phone ringtones. One of the most thoughtful and inspiring messages of the weekend was delivered by an individual with an incredible big-screen success story of his own. On Saturday afternoon, Michael Uslan of Branded Entertainment gave a keynote address entitled 'Having Faith and Focus on Making Your Dream Your Reality Despite Obstacles.' From a young age Michael loved comic books and in particular Batman. As an adult he purchased the rights to Batman with the intent of making a movie based on the original, darker depiction of the superhero rather than the campy 60's version but every major studio turned him down. Uslan persevered for many years and eventually Batman was made into a hugely successful film and franchise and Michael is now respected as a top producer. Uslan shared a detailed account of his early college days including the unique opportunities that he sought and created to get involved in the motion picture industry and to bring Batman to the big screen. His monologue was peppered with solid universal advice that artists and individuals alike could use. Uslan recommended setting small realistic goals that can be the foundation for a bigger, long-range achievement. It took Michael thirteen years to release Batman; he knocked on so many doors that his knuckles bled. In other words, accept that you will be rejected and then keep trying. He stated that you should align yourself with both creative and business savvy people and don't let negative individuals deter you. Michael became even more determined when a former student who was working in the business said his idea was a joke. Lastly, believe in yourself and be truly passionate about your work. He then opened the floor for questions. A musician came forward and said that he was not really outgoing and did not want to handle the PR aspects of his career. He was inquiring how to overcome this obstacle. Michael provided two concrete suggestions. The first was that sometimes one has to tackle their fears; he himself did not enjoy public speaking but found that communication was important in fulfilling his goals. His second idea was to counterbalance your weaknesses. If you are not an outgoing person find someone who is. A friend, family member or fan might be willing to handle promotion. Uslan's comments were a perfect fit for some of the prevailing themes of the Summit, which included personal empowerment and building an artistic community. Many of the panel discussions and workshops emphasized construction of a good web site and presence on the net. Others stated that touring is a big part of getting your name out there and expanding your fan base. Some speakers talked about file sharing and peer-to-peer networks as a new frontier of opportunity to get music heard. In many ways, the conference had a communal feel. Indie artists are building new forums to get their music heard as the major labels and box stores are hindering rather than encouraging creativity. Kweevak.com's Rockin' Rich Lynch interviewed conference founder Steve Zuckerman a week prior to the event on his global Internet radio show. On Saturday, Lynch produced a segment that was hosted by RocklandWorldRadio.com's Richard Quinn who spoke to authors David Wimble (Indie Bible) and Deanna Daylle Schwartz (Start and Run Your Own Record Label); and musicians Johnny Young, Elza, Gina Cutillo and Scooter Scudieri during a one-hour special broadcast live on the radio station from the lobby of the Park Central Hotel.
 Elza (l.) during a live radio interview and Ripe's Christa McNamee (r.) at G.E.M.S. 2004.
"These things are always good just to get artists motivated so they can get re-energized and back into their craft and put more energy into it," said musician Johnny Young while talking with Mr. Quinn, describing why he has returned to this event many times over the last five years. Many of the artists and exhibitors that we met were returning to the show for their second, third, fourth and fifth years in a row, some remembering the event when it was known as the New York Expo. This dedication and loyalty from the artists and participants involved implies the inherent value of the G.E.M.S. conference. The artists return year after year for the networking opportunities and industry tips, leads and suggestions that they receive from the show. This empowering information was imparted in many ways most notably via the packed schedule of classes, lectures, seminars and mentoring sessions which included such diverse topics as ‘Creating New Opportunities in Media’, ‘Record Companies of the Future’, ‘Innovations for Film Distribution’, ‘Effective Public Relations’ and ‘The Pro-Active Artist’. Some of the best opinion and advice we heard over the weekend included:
Sunday's keynote speaker was Pat Dinizio of The Smithereens. His address was entitled "Creating New Careers and Redefining Ones Goals". Although Pat and his band have been on a major label they have shifted directions and are pursuing alternative methods to getting their music to the public. Dinizio believes that the record industry has been corrupt from the start and states that it is better for artists to own and distribute their own music. Since their inception The Smithereens have been a touring group thus growing and maintaining a solid fan base. Live performances is one of the best ways to reach people. Pat also suggested Internet and satellite radio stations and patron systems in which fans provide financial support and in return receive special CD releases and other perks. Dinizio mentioned netburn.com as a place to sell records but protect music from being burned, thus the artist gets paid. Pat uses some PR firms and music news services, although some can cost hundreds of dollars. One should research a company to discern the good from the bad. Quality firms can be far reaching and another opportunity to get your information and name out there. Pat encouraged artists to stay the course and be willing to take risks. Using a quote from 'Galaxy Quest' he said "never quit, never give up, never surrender". Dinizio's speech was concise and inspiring as he encouraged creative people to overcome obstacles and continue exploring various options that will sustain a career in the arts. Friday featured an opening night party which included an address from Howard Bloom and performances by The Streamers, Suzi and Gina Cutillo.
 Indie Bible author David Wimble was both a panelist and exhibitor at G.E.M.S. 2004. On Saturday, the summit began with a welcome address from Steve Zuckerman the Executive Producer of G.E.M.S. who said in his opening: "The record industry that we once knew of doesn't work anymore." During a recent interview with Rich Lynch of Kweevak.com, Steve described how the Summit evolved out of his 28 years of experience in the music business where he started out as a journalist. "Without getting long-winded I just decided that there are a lot of events that I feel just aren't cutting it... that aren't doing the right thing for an audience that they're forgetting about," Zuckerman remarked in explaining his motivation for producing the G.E.M.S. events. "A lot of these events are thousand-dollar tickets, and they're restricted to just the VIPs from the top brass of AOL/Time-Warner, and these are the same people who really don't have their fingers on the pulse of the street – what's going on." "So I decided I don't want to do that. I'd rather focus on bringing artists and industry together who are committed to making change and new possibilities by working together to build new forms of entertainment distribution, marketing, et cetera," Zuckerman energetically continued revealing the passionate feelings and enthusiasm he has for his work. "Just imagine being in an electrical power plant and being fueled by the most powerful energy possible," Zuckerman said in describing the positive vibes that are usually present at the G.E.M.S. conferences. If you would like to tap into that source there's one more chance this year in Los Angeles or you should or mark your calendars for next year! Not unlike the traditional role played by the diamond ring the G.E.M.S. 2004 helped artists become more engaged in their careers. While uncertainty and change hang over the traditional recording industry the conference in New York helped artists to begin planning for a bright and sparkling future by showing them how to take matters into their own hands.
 The G.E.M.S. conference kicked off with positive drum vibes and inspirational dancing. Originally Published: 04/06/2004 on Kweevak.com |
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