Latest BPI ‘Wisdom Wednesdays’ event focuses on the music business career paths ‘less travelled’

UK record labels association the BPI has announced the fifth edition of its popular networking event “Wisdom Wednesdays” returns to Gibson Brands, 61-62 Eastcastle St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3QT on July 10th.

Launched in April 2018, this event gives BPI members the opportunity to network, learn and be inspired. The evening consists of two parts – a panel discussion and Q&A with 4 successful professionals from the music industry about their personal journey, offering invaluable insight into their thought processes, followed by a mixer with free drinks and pizza.

Our July panel explores the road less travelled in the music industry, offering invaluable insight from renowned industry professionals who have building an influential music career beyond the traditional roles such as marketing and A&R. Panellists include Lewis Silkin LLP’s Cliff Fluet, Abbey Road Studio’s Isabel Garvey, Kobalt’s Dario Morelli and Warner Music UK’s Kate Shepherd. (See below for more details on our speakers).  

Our panel will take us through their career offering insight from their journey down the career path’s less travelled with backgrounds in legal, television/film, tech, data and analytics. Although often less visible in the direct impact they have on artists’ careers, these roles are pivotal in building the industry’s solid core, as well as driving progress through strategy, innovation, technology and more.

Our four previous Wisdom Wednesdays events hosted speakers from AEI, Barbican, BMG, Columbia Records, Concord Music, Dirty Hit, Downtown Music, Glassnote UK, Kobalt/AWAL, Machine Management, #Merky, PIAS, Remote Control Agency, Sony Music, Warner Music and Yes Please. BPI Members are urged to book their free place HERE in advance as all previous events have sold out.

The line-up for the fifth panel for Wisdom Wednesdays has been confirmed with:

Cliff Fluet – Partner, Lewis Silkin

Cliff joined Lewis Silkin LLP as a Partner in April 2006 after over a decade as in-house counsel in the music and broadcast industry. Cliff is now part of the team spearheading our Media & Entertainment sector for the firm and he now acts for some of the world’s largest names in mobile, brands, recorded music, mobile, live music, radio, audio-visual production and online. He also specialises in working with clients whom are embracing content-based entertainment for the first time such as FMCG and lifestyle brand owners, advertising agencies, digital agencies, investment funds and financial institutions. He has a passion for working on innovative new business models, advertiser-funded programming and in the monetisation of format rights. The Media & Entertainment Group is ranked in the “Legal 500” and “Chambers” and Cliff is ranked as a ‘leading individual’ in both directories. He is also the founder and a director of "Eleven", a business advisory company working with disruptive business models in the world of Digital Media, Film and Sport.

Isabel Garvey – MD, Abbey Road Studios

Isabel joined Abbey Road Studios in 2014 and has been responsible for implementing the largest investment in the Studios since opening in 1931, including building three new studio spaces, creating new revenue streams by launching a new retail store, digital production services and the Abbey Road Institute, as well as launching Europe’s first music technology incubator, Abbey Road Red.  All with the aim of maintaining Abbey Road Studios’ reputation as the world’s most sought-after studio.  Prior to joining Abbey Road, Isabel ran her own digital media consultancy, Georgestown, having previously spent five years as SVP Commercial Channels and Consumer Marketing at Warner Music. Before that she was Vice President, Global Digital at EMI Music.

Dario Morelli – VP of Tracking & Analysis, Kobalt

Dario joined Kobalt Music Publishing in 2009 with a background in sound engineering and computer science. He headed Italy and Spain's operations team and over 2014-16 he set up Kobalt's first direct memberships with collection societies in Latin America. In 2017 he advised the European Committee of the Regions on the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. Over the years he has developed an expertise in data and analytics and he is now Kobalt's VP of Tracking & Analysis.

Kate Shepherd – MD, Entertainment Programming, Warner Music UK

In 2019, Kate Shepherd was appointed to the newly created position of MD, Entertainment Programming, Warner Music UK. Her new post also includes operational management of Warner Music UK’s in-house creative and production company. Kate is also responsible in building out the WMG  global slate of Entertainment content, while overseeing development of IP, documentary features, original series and branded content. In addition to working closely with artists and labels, Shepherd also collaborates with Warner Music Group’s growing global network of content specialists around the globe.  Kate has over two decades of experience in developing, producing, show-running and marketing award-winning short and long-form programming in the UK/US through roles with Ridley Scott Creative Group, Fullscreen, The Endemol Shine Group, XIX Entertainment and BBC Worldwide in the US.  She also has years of experience in the building of SVOD content platforms and growing start-up businesses.