“Back to Basics 2” The Music & Entertainment Conference 2015

The Music-Entertainment Conference, hosted by Urban Network Digital & Amalgamation Magazine: An Industry Quarterly, guarantees to be a weekend full of industry networking opportunities, informative panel and workshop sessions, along with music performances by nearly 70 recording artists.

Themed “Back to Basics 2,” the Conference will be held June 4-7, 2015, at the tropical-themed Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108. General Registration is $100. Hotel guest rooms are $155 per night plus tax (and includes Breakfast Buffet for two served each day).

An array of panelists and speakers are confirmed to share their wealth of knowledge and success stories with the Conference’s audience of young, talented artists and aspiring executives, in addition to the music business community at large—many who have attended Urban Network Conferences for its 20 plus year run.

Informative and compelling panel discussions have always been vital to the Urban Network Conference experience. This year’s topics and themes range from “The Many Facets of Urban Radio”; “Today’s Rap Music Game-How to Make Money in 2015”; “Back to Basics 2, What Every Artist Should Know”; “This New Era of A&R”; “A Songwriter/Producer’s Forum”; “Understanding the Convergence of Music, Marketing & Technology in a Connected Culture”; “Break The Internet: The Fundamentals of Getting Discovered and Building Your Brand Online”; “Decks, BPMs and Playlists: A DJ’s Power Panel”; and a special mentoring workshop presented by the Global Education Media Network, for select high school and college students with career aspirations in the music-entertainment industry.

Confirmed panelists from the Radio/Broadcast community include: Doc Wynter, Sr. VP, Urban Programming, iHeart Radio, Program Director, Real 92.3/Los Angeles; Colby “Colb” Tyner, VP, Programming, Radio One; Maxx Myrick, Director of Operations, Program Director, WHUR-FM (Washington, D.C.); Joseph Dodd, Associate Manager of Programming, Music Choice; Aundrae Russell, Program Director, KJLH-FM, Los Angeles; Randy “R Dub” Williams, Fusion Radio, San Diego; DJ Amen, Young California DJs; DJ Bille Knight, Young California DJs, San Diego; Kevin Stapleford, Senior Director of Programming, Slacker Radio, and more.

On the creative and production side: recent Grammy nominees Da Internz (Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean), Bobby Ross Avila (Usher, Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani), Haze Banga (Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Hit Boy), Midi Mafia (Fantasia, 50 Cent, Frank Ocean), and Vincent Berry (Karen Clark Sheard, Jeremih, Chrisette Michelle), and more will be creating a dialog about the balance of art, music and commerce. For a complete list of panelists: http://urbannetworkdigital.com/panelistsparticipants/

Several major record labels, A&Rs and music publishing companies have signed on to speak at the Conference, including representatives from Warner Bros. Records, Interscope Records, RCA Records, Capitol Records, Notting Hill Music Publishing, Universal Music Group, iNGrooves Music, Roc Nation, the Chemists, Peer Music Group, Disney Music Group, Brand X, along with performance rights organizations ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, music trade organizations such as the Recording Academy (producers of the GRAMMYS), and media companies like REVOLT TV, and SKEE-TV.

U Can Fly Promotions, under the helm of its CEO Kevin Black [former VP of Interscope Records and President of Black Music, Warner Bros.], will bring its brand of flavor to the Conference with a block of musical showcases, featuring recent Grammy-nominee Angie Fisher, and others. As of press-time, some 50 plus independent recording artists in the Rap and R&B genres are scheduled to perform over the Conference weekend.

Gospel Day continues to be the traditional kick-off event for Urban Network Conferences. In conjunction with MANDATE Records, the day will lead off with panels on Gospel Music & Reality TV and the Marketing & Promotion of Gospel Music in the Digital Space. Performances by Brent Jones, Eddie Baltrip & Fulfillment, Men 4 Christ, songstress Anita Faye, and female trio V3, will surely inspire the Conference audience. The evening will be capped off with an exciting Gospel Music Meets Hip-Hop showcase. Urban Network & Amalgamation Magazine will honor two local San Diego community and business leaders during an exclusive VIP reception: Dr. John Warren, Publisher, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, and Dr. Willie Morrow, Publisher, San Diego Monitor. The Conference will also present a posthumous award to the family of Ms. Cheryl Dearing, the singer, songwriter and Gospel music promoter who was a respected figure in the San Diego music community. Ms. Dearing passed away earlier this year.