NOVEMBER 22, 2021

HAMILTON ANNOUNCES 2022 MUSIC CITIES FORUM AND RELEASES MUSIC BUSINESS STUDY ALONGSIDE GLOBAL LEADERS SOUND DIPLOMACY

(Hamilton, ON) Today, Sonic Unyon Records, Supercrawl Productions, and Music Cities Events announced their intention to host the Music Cities Forum in Hamilton, Ontario on September 7 & 8, 2022, leading into the Supercrawl festival (September 9 –11, 2022). The announcement was accompanied by the release of the Hamilton Music Business Study, completed by global leaders in music industry research, Sound Diplomacy, over the last year.

The Hamilton Music Business Study, undertaken by Sound Diplomacy, is meant to be a strategic music business plan that defines the role of the City of Hamilton across all departments in relation to music. Today this report is released in two documents: an executive summary and a full report. These documents provide the City with fresh insights about how to best serve its music industry, and serve as a valuable resource for the music community. The report develops actionable recommendations that prioritize the goals, policies, reform and/or actions required for the purpose of recovery. This cooperative effort extended partnerships across the City and engaged global and local music industry experts, advocates and supporters. The Hamilton Music Business Study was commissioned by Sonic Unyon Records and Supercrawl Productions, with support from the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Music Advisory Team, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, and the Hamilton Public Library. Funding support from FACTOR and Ontario Creates helped to make this important work possible.

READ THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • READ THE FULL REPORT

The Music Cities Forum is a full-day conference style event that brings together industry experts from around the world as speakers, panelists, and attendees. The event explores regional best practices on the use of music – and all its variants – to improve city life, bringing together experts and industry professionals to explore the role and impact of music across education, economic development, health, community building, placemaking, tourism, future cities and more. For more information, visit musiccitiesevents.com/hamilton-music-cities-forum.

The City of Hamilton (Tourism and Culture Division) was also the winner of a Music Cities Award on November 9, 2021, for the Best Initiative to Directly Support Musicians in recognition of its Musicians Fair Payment Policy.

About Music Cities Events

Music Cities Events organises world-leading international conferences on the topic of music cities, produces the leading international awards ceremony on music cities, and runs the Music Cities Community, the first-ever platform for professionals in all industries using music to create more value in towns, cities & places. In everything Music Cities Events does it aims to showcase the best uses of music by individuals, organisations and cities all over the world.

About Sound Diplomacy

Sound Diplomacy is the leading global advisor on music cities strategies and market development, organizing the biggest international conferences on the topic of music cities, music policy and music tourism. As strategists for cities, developers, large private sector organizations and governments, Sound Diplomacy provides cutting-edge research and market expertise in placing music and music business strategy in city, urban and development plans. They work in over 40 countries and with over 100 clients, spanning public, private and third sectors, such as the Greater London Authority (UK), the cities of Vancouver (Canada), Huntsville (Alabama), New Orleans (Louisiana), San Francisco (California), Brisbane (AU), Cardiff (UK), the regions of Northwest Arkansas (Arkansas) and The Shoals (Alabama), and organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

About Sonic Unyon and Supercrawl Productions

Founded in 1993, Sonic Unyon Records became the organizing force behind Hamilton’s free music and arts festival Supercrawl in 2009, growing it from 3,000 attendees in the first year to more than 250,000 by 2019 and closing down blocks of downtown Hamilton in order to host hundreds of artists, including the likes of Broken Social Scene, Lights, Arkells, Monster Truck, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Charles Bradley, Yo La Tengo, and Spoon. Supercrawl also presents dynamic ticketed concert events throughout the year. In addition to events like the annual Because Beer Craft Beer Festival and work producing JUNOfest 2015 and Hamilton's Pan Am Games closing celebrations, Sonic Unyon opened multi-use events space Mills Hardware in 2014 and launched cultural hub Bridgeworks in late 2020.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Lisa La Rocca, Director of Operations, Sonic Unyon Records

lisa@sonicunyon.com

Kate Durio, CEO, Sound Diplomacy | North America

kate@sounddiplomacy.com

Camila Anino, Marketing & Partnerships Manager, Music Cities Events

camila@sounddiplomacy.com