It was a new style launch to the ILMC 23 with Greg Parmley chairing a new look opening panel with the great and the good including the Agency's Neil Warnock and Live Nation's Paul Latham, then perhaps more predictably on to ticketing with Stuart Galbraith (no fights this year), and then a whiz through new technology with seven guest speakers including Steve Machin, Intellitix/Ticketpro's Serge Grimaux, AEG's David Jones, and Virtual Festival founder Steve Jenner chaired by Ben Challis (RFID, 3DTV, digital cinema distribution, paperless ticketing, social networks and holograms all on the bill) and an interesting discussion on the difference in global PRS rates (more on this I suspect in the future with the UK's rates under review) with Dick Molenaar, Alexis Grower, Leon Ramakers and representatives from collection societies in France (SACEM), Holland (BUMA-Stemra) and the UK's PRS.
In the Lost World of the ILMC 23 (an Indiana Jones theme throughout) we then had errmm more ticketing (another theme?) - are prices too high, are prices too low (?), the importance of emerging markets (many have 'emerged'!) and new arenas in Eastern Europe, The potential of China and India and just a bit more on dynamic ticketing.
Then on Sunday, Ed Bicknell had a breakfast chat with Blur and Gorillaz manager Chris Morrison, the ever excellent Sunday Supplement was hosted by Allan McGowan and guests included Dave Newton and David Stopps and the afternoon saw a 'solutions panel' headed up by Wayne Forte with some very interesting statistics and economics from the PRS and a stab at finding out how the live sector is evolving (which might have been saying lets not make the same mistakes the record labels did ten years ago) and a bit more on ticketing and oh yes, the bar!
But most importantly the 2011 Arthurs were handed out at the 'Lost Supper' on Saturday night and the winners announced at the Gala Dinner were ...... drum roll please ....
New Boss: Tom Taffe
First Venue to Come Into Your Head: 02 Academy, Brixton
Services Above and Beyond: Beat The Street
Most Professional Professional: Ben Challis
Liggers Favourite Festival: Montreux Jazz Festival
Plumber of the Year: Wob Roberts
Best in Show: Walking With Dinosaurs
Least Painful Tour: Muse
The Peoples Assistant: Prue Almond
Second Least Offensive Agent: Steve Zapp
The Promoters Promoter: Simon Moran
The Bottle Award: Neil Warnock
The winners of the 2017 'Arthurs' at the ILMC are out - and main accolade of the evening, the Bottle Award, went to a very surprised and emotional Herman Schueremans, of Live Nation Belgium/Rock Werchter. 
