IICD supported project: Carribean Music Exposition (CME)

Countries: Jamaica [JM]
Sectors: livelihood media

Summary

The worldwide popularity of Caribbean music genres such as salsa and reggae proves that there is an enthusiastic global market for this type of music. Yet so far the Caribbean music industry has struggled to represent, develop and promote its own music. As a result, the region has systematically failed to reap any financial rewards from its own music sales. The Caribbean Music Expo (CME) aims to address this problem by acting as a tool to develop music industry enterprises in the Dutch, French, English and Spanish-speaking territories of the Caribbean and promoting their music worldwide. Launched in 1999, this annual international four-day music industry trade show aims to be the world's leading Caribbean music event. Its multi-faceted format, with live concerts, an exhibition, business seminars, awards and a search for emerging talent provides an excellent showcase for the Caribbean music industry. As the first event of its kind in the region it is also an ideal platform through which the industry's many stakeholders can network, exchange information and present their latest products and services.

Objectives

CME set out to bring the Caribbean music industry in line with the standards set by today's global market. Recognizing that ICT-technology is the cornerstone of today's music industry, its driving theme over the past three years has therefore been: "The Internet, E-commerce, and Music-Industry Development". Its five key objectives are to: (1) promote and facilitate deal-making between Caribbean music producers and others in the global music market; (2) diversify and improve the quality of the region's music products and services through exposure to the latest technologies in music production and distribution; (3) increase the contribution of music to the economies of Caribbean countries; (4) facilitate complimentary linkages between tourism and the music industry in the Caribbean; and, (5) increase the awareness and enforcement capabilities of Caribbean music producers in copyright administration.

Planned outputs

Between 2001 and 2004 CME will facilitate workshops and panel discussions with presentations by international experts in online music promotion and distribution as well as e-commerce. The workshops will utilise international expertise in online music promotion, distribution and e-commerce in order to foster a technology culture among music producers, performers and managers. To this end, live web casts will be made of CME activities along with delayed Internet broadcasts of workshops for music producers and suppliers in Jamaica and the Caribbean. The trade fair will also display and demonstrate online technology and software solutions. Music producers and suppliers from Jamaica and the Caribbean will be able to display and present their products. Artists will be given the chance to perform and awards will be given out to encourage new talent. A database of Caribbean music industry professionals will also be compiled and the development of a Pan-Caribbean music chart is currently being discussed.

Development Impacts

CME attracts many different groups from the Caribbean music industry, from artists, music producers and publishers to festival organisers, entertainment attorneys and Internet and web-based service providers. This in itself will produce a wide range of broad-based, long-term development impacts. The entertainment side of the event will boost tourism and employment, while the high-tech professional programme will lay the foundation for the integration of ICT into the Caribbean music industry. The new ICT skills and competences offered by CME will help to enhance the quality of the region's music products and increase the speed and volume of sales. The region's existing ICT knowledge base will also flourish. The intellectual property rights of those active in the industry will be better protected due to CME's activities to raise awareness of legal issues. Networking facilities to encourage information exchange and collaboration will generate new markets and business opportunities. The live concerts and awards will give exposure to established and upcoming artists. Finally, the project will also highlight the commodity-value of the region's entertainment sector to Caribbean governments and corporate bodies by demonstrating how entertainment and cultural products can be successfully developed, marketed and packaged to benefit the economy.

Market and finance

CME's key market consists of all those with an interest in the Caribbean music industry, from local recording artists, government officials, and record companies to recording engineers, festival organisers, music experts and film producers. Performance indictors include the number of participants, workshops, performing artists, sponsors, exhibitors, countries represented, and music genres at each event. The project will generate revenue from participants, exhibitors, sponsors and advertisements. CME is using its website and email capabilities to promote worldwide interest in the event while CME representatives attend international music events to negotiate collaborative ventures with other entities, both in the Caribbean and internationally, and promote the region's music genres. Endorsements awarded by the Jamaica Tourist Board and Jamaica's Film, Music & Entertainment Commission (JAMPRO) have strengthened CME's image. Technical support from outside agencies, such as IICD, has been secured and new sponsors are being sought.

Project Owner : CME Conventions Limited, 6 A Worthington Terrace, Kingston 5, Jamaica. Tel.: +1-876-9294089, Fax: +1-876-9299688. Email: info@caribbeat.com.jm / Website: www.cme.com.jm

Project Partners : The project has four main donors: the International Institute for Communication for Development (IICD), Jamaica's Film, Music & Entertainment Commission (JAMPRO), the Jamaican Tourist Board and the National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST).