S P E C I A L    S E S S I O N

"MARKETING MADNESS" PANEL

NY: JUNE 26 | LA: JUNE 24

If you ever attended a marketing panel during a large-scale expo and walked away asking yourself “ok, what was that about?” then the MTS Marketing Madness panel is for you. After several MTS sessions on marketing, I felt the need to put such a panel together. It’s more like a focus group. We are asking members from several levels of the marketing community to join us. Panelists will consist of grass roots, online, corporate, and contemporary creative marketing professionals. [Register: NY] [Register: LA]

New York Panelists

Mark Stevens - MSCO

Mark Stevens shook the marketing establishment with his Business Week best seller, “Your Marketing Sucks” (Crown Business, 2003), and redefined the rules of business management with “Your Management Sucks” (Crown Business, 2006). His forthcoming work, “God Is A Salesman” (Hachette Book Group) will be published in December 2007.

Mr. Stevens is the CEO of MSCO, a results-driven management and marketing firm. He is a best selling author and popular media commentator on the intersection of business and private life. Mr. Stevens delivers business insights with blunt truths and unconventional wisdom.

Stevens’ firm, MSCO represents a stellar roster of clients including Nike, Starwood, GE, Guardian Life, Intrawest, Estee Lauder and many others. Through integrated marketing campaigns, MSCO focuses on achieving results for its clients, not awards that serve our egos. Mark Stevens possesses an innovative and iconoclastic view of business world, having served as a journalist and nationally syndicated columnist and having held management positions at several global corporations. His incisive understanding of critical business issues is geared toward achieving extraordinary growth and success for his clients.



Nancy A. Shenker - The ONswitch®

With almost 30 years experience in new business start-ups and transformations, Nancy A. Shenker is a specialist in finding new sources of revenue and growth for companies of all sizes. She founded theONswitch® in 2003 to help businesses flourish through creative—and powerful—new solutions, including brand development, effective media planning, breakthrough-the-clutter marketing, strategic public relations, and memorable “experiential marketing.”

She has helped more than 30 companies improve their performance through innovative marketing. Nancy’s background includes senior strategic planning and marketing positions for major brands, including Citigroup, MasterCard International, Prentice-Hall and Reed Elsevier publishing. She was responsible for the successful grand opening of Citibank’s Connecticut branches, launched major new trade shows in the spa and gaming industries, and developed award-winning communications based on the “Priceless” ad campaign.

Her experience spans more than 40 industries, and she speaks on topics related to new business start-ups, trends, the internet and marketing spending.



Paolo De Gregorio - The Deli Magazine

Manically devoted to the indie rock/pop genre and truly obsessed with the NYC scene since he was a teenager living in Italy, producer Paolo De Gregorio has recently settled in the Big Apple after 5 years in London (U.K.). While in the UK, De Gregorio developed and refined his skills as a sound/mixing engineer, collaborating with producer Charlie Francis (R.E.M, High Llamas, Turin Brakes, Minus 5) and working on several independent projects and one major indie-pop hit ("Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too," New Radicals, Universal). Paolo started the Deli without fully understanding the extent of his undertaking. One can often hear him complain about the excessive volume of emails he receives or the pressure involved in running a magazine. Paolo is always looking for quality, edgy, indie rock/pop bands with innovative sounds.



Eric de Fontenay - MusicDish

Eric de Fontenay has spent his career steeped in what has been called the "digital revolution". In the 90's, he worked on a variety of policy issues surrounding the communication & broadband sectors for telecommunication carriers and regulators across the world. With the emergence of the Internet, Eric established MusicDish (formerly Tag It) in 1997 as a new media firm utilizing emerging technologies and models to produce, package and distribute original web-based content.

Making an early bet the music sector, Eric launched what has grown into some of the leading voices in the growing debates challenging and shaping the industry through its trade e-publications MusicDish and Mi2N. Under his leadership, MusicDish expanded into artist development through saturated marketing and online branding, using innovative strategies such as syndicated and relationship marketing, online street teams and p2p viral distribution. Eric continues to be a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide and today manages Toronto-based 'kaiso' band Kobo Town.

Los Angeles Panelists

Debra Stocker – All Access Editor in Chief

Debra Stocker, editor of All Access, a Los Angeles local music magazine joins the Music Talks “Marketing Madess” Panel.

Known for her years of dedication to the Los Angeles music scene, Debra has developed a strong relationship with many artists and groups, both nationally and internationally. Her involvement with the community includes integrating many of these artists into her charity events, such as her annual U.S. Marines Corps Toys for Tots Benefit “Rock the Toy Box,” and fundraisers like “Unleash the Fury” for an ailing musician, “The Bunny Hop” Easter charity event for the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, and benefits for Hurricane Katrina victims and Linda Blair’s WorldHeart Foundation. Debra continues to find fun and creative ways to bring together music, those in need, and the gift of giving.

For five years, Debra has produced an annual CD sampler featuring 17 of Southern California’s finest musicians—and forwards it to every A&R person she can find. Debra also produces and manages the annual All Access Magazine Music Awards show (with this year’s show to be held November 3rd at the Knitting Factory), presenting awards to over 40 local artists/groups for their outstanding musical achievements.

Debra has been deeply involved in booking and managing bands, and continues to help many artists/groups become more visible in the music industry. Every week she spends hours reviewing CDs and press packages, critiquing live shows, and constantly looking for new marketing ideas. Debra enjoys developing new artists, planning events, and even releasing a new CD. It’s all challenging—and it’s ALL about marketing. After all, what’s the point of producing a CD or playing a gig if nobody knows you’re out there?

Bands: Marketing your product—that is, your music—and your shows takes hard work, drive, and dedication. And it’s impossible to do alone. Planning a good marketing strategy is not only something you can do, it’s something you must do. Remember that you’re an artist, a musician. You’re not an art director or publicist, and you don’t have time to waste clicking around MySpace day after day, night after night. Do what you do best: Make music! Work out a plan to reach your target audience through advertising. Whether you hire an agency for a full-on marketing blitz, or invite a magazine to review your show, sell t-shirts, give away stickers or temporary tattoos…you are responsible for selling your brand, your product. For musicians, marketing is the key to success. Debra constantly tries out new marketing ideas that revolve around live bands. Whether she’s hosting all-day themed concerts, festival booths, eye candy events, or pool parties, she is investing her time and money in what she believes in: Music, the artists, you! Debra is proof that you have to be willing to invest in yourself if you expect others to.



Tony Adams - Audiomidi.com Sales Director

As the sales director for AudioMidi.com. Tony Adams has a multi dimensional perspective of marketing. He began his musical career at the age of nine, and became a professional organist and keyboard player making live appearances on local radio and television before graduating high school. While in high school, Tony became interested in composition and arrangement and created his first arrangement for his high school orchestra’s spring concert. Unknowingly, his early experience prepared him for his future as an arranger for film and television composers and for recording artists.

His arrangements can be heard on artists such as Barry White, Johnny Mathis, Doc Severinsen, Henry Mancini and Peaches and Herb. Under the influence of Henry Mancini, Tony began arranging for the Boston Pops (under John Williams) and several other orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra.

His love of arranging and composing peaked his interest in producing and engineering. With Al Schimmt and Joe Riesman by his side, Tony began producing and/or engineering for artists such as Patti Austin, Burt Bacharach and Patrice Rushin. Mr. Adams has enjoyed a creative career as an arranger, composer, producer and engineer. He is fortunate to have worked with some of the best artists in the music and recording industry.

Tony’s life as an artist gives him a unique advantage in marketing. Currently the sales director of Audiomidi.com, Tony works with his marketing team to ensure that marketing campaigns for Audiomidi.com are geared towards closing the sale. Tony knows what it takes to be an artist, create a product, build a marketing campaign around the product focused towards sales, and is also at the end of the chain closing the SALE!



Dina Gathe - Soundstruck.com

A veteran of the high-tech industry, Gathe began her career at then start-up Packard Bell Computers – which went on to take #1 market share in the U.S. within five years of starting. There she served nine years in a variety of operational, sales and product marketing roles, quickly climbing the ranks and learning the key elements of high-tech marketing from the manufacturing, distribution, and retail perspectives.

With an entrepreneurial challenge calling her name, Gathe left Packard Bell in 1994 to join the small start-up MobilePlanet during its earliest stages of development. In her role as Vice President of Marketing for MobilePlanet, Gathe oversaw creative direction (for its award-winning 64-page full color print catalog, e-commerce web site containing over 5,000 products, bi-weekly e-newsletter, banner ads and print advertisements) product selection, merchandising and marketing strategies, Internet marketing, business development, corporate identity, and public relations. She helped foster MobilePlanet's image and strong vendor partnerships and worked directly on a variety of product marketing initiatives with some of the largest hi-tech companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Intel. Gathe played a key role in MobilePlanet's transition from a small start-up to being recognized as the leading multi-channel direct reseller of mobile computing and wireless products.

Although corporate America paid lucrative dividends and offered up invaluable lessons in marketing and branding, Gathe relinquished the power suit and expense account in 2001 and founded Soundstruck Music with partner Patricia (PK) Koprowski to pursue life-long music goals. She has since self-released a 15-track album, "Bother Me" and spends her time performing live as the lead singer of the Pretenders tribute band, "Pretentious", writing and producing music, and working as a freelance contractor for various marketing and internet-related design projects.



Mandi Martin - Producer/Manager

Mandi Martin began her professional music career while a high school senior where she wrote, produced, sang and sold her first record to American Records. While still a student, she graduated to singing background with industry giants Sam Cooke and Ricky Nelson. Before the decade was over, she was hired by Ray Charles to run his publishing company, Tangerine Music, and do his A&R & had signed recording contracts with Candix, Columbia, RCA, and Epic and, by this point, published by some of the biggest companies in Nashville and L.A.

Upon relocating to L.A. in the mid-‘70s, Mandi began producing other artists, including veteran Len Chandler, newcomer Oleta Adams and award-winning country musician/songwriter Archie Francis, but also always staying involved with the marketing and merchandising plans for the product she helped create. She co-produced 23 Songwriter Expos with the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase, became the associate editor of LASS' monthly Musepaper trade publication, was president of LAWIM (Los Angeles Women in Music) and was elected to the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Recording Academy (the GRAMMY’s) for two five-year terms. Mandi also was hired by legend Lionel Hampton to do regional record promotion for him, servicing radio stations in order to promote upcoming concerts in the area.

Currently Mandi is co-producing and managing critically acclaimed songwriter/artist Amy Kuney and producing and mentoring newcomer singer/songwriter Nick Daugherty. Mandi is also a three-time and reigning world record holder at pinball endurance (555 hours, 55 minutes, 55 seconds)! She turned the event into a multi-charity fundraiser and got TV and print media involved to such an extent, at one point during the 2000 marathon, Mandi’ and her record attempt shared the front page of the L.A. Times and newspapers nationwide with The Pope! Mandi is a living example of putting your mind to something and doing it! She has been a part of the music industry in one capacity or another for over four decades and is still going strong! Mandi realizes the importance of marketing and promotion and doing it the right way. One of Mandi’s greatest gifts is creating and executing DIY marketing and promotions. She’ll be sharing some wisdom and explaining how she’s currently developing Amy Kuney’s career and other artists she’s working with.