ACCES 2018 conference going to Kenya

The Foundation’s director, Eddie Hatitye, said ACCES 2018 would take place in November and that the dates of the conference would be announced soon. This comes after the MIAF management board voted in favour of the Kenyan capital last week.

Hatitye said the MIAF wanted to see ACCES making a strong impact across the length and breadth of the African continent. “Last year we were in West Africa where we provided a great platform for all kinds of music industry professionals to engage with one another over a few days defined by great discussions, networking opportunities, exhibitions, showcases and presentations. This year we will do much more in Nairobi,” he said.

The three-day ACCES is held in a different African city every year. The first edition was held in November 2017 in Dakar, Senegal. Wherever it is held, ACCES presents opportunities for the local industry to showcase its musical works to a diverse audience while nurturing business exchange and the creation of a strong network of music professionals on the continent.

New formats

Hatitye said ACCES 2018 will introduce significant improvements in areas such as content curation, networking, showcasing and exhibition formats. The event will introduce streamlined one-on-one meetings, new networking tools, curated showcases, keynote lectures and customised exhibitions, among others.

“We’ve carefully considered the feedback from our 2017 delegates and we can comfortably say that this year’s conference, including its peripheral activities, will be spectacular,” Hatitye said.

“We’re looking at offering a balanced programme that will cater for both local and international delegates. We want to foster more interaction between delegates and our content offering will be more pragmatic. We are also looking at presenting musicians with more opportunities to further their careers, whether they’re experienced or inexperienced.”

The Dakar leg of ACCES saw about 500 participants from more than 40 countries in Africa and Europe as well as Australia and the US travel to the Senegalese capital where they got a taste of the best of West African music through a number of showcases that highlighted upcoming local musicians, studio and venue tours and a concluding open-air concert featuring artists from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. Many of the participants also took part in informative panel discussions where they discussed some of the main challenges facing musicians in the region and beyond.

A few days before the conference, the MIAF held the Steps to a Professional Music Career workshop, which covered a mix of theory and practical exercises in a bid to improve musicians’ skills. The Foundation, Hatitye said, would plan more activities of a similar kind come November.

“Kenya has an incredibly vibrant music scene and is one of the most accessible destinations on the continent. We expect professionals from around the world to join us in Nairobi and take our music to greater heights,” he said.

Last year, world-renowned Senegalese musician Baaba Maal delivered the keynote address at the ACCES conference, which was one of the highlights of the entire event.

Registration for ACCES 2018 will open in July 2018. For more information about ACCES, visit the official website.