Bridget’s Blog: Countdown to Conference!
4th November 2024
I’ve always loved autumn, and since 2017 one of the reasons has been because November means the Music Mark Annual Conference! Even in 2020 we ran a conference – albeit broadcast online from a ‘studio’ – so this year’s will be my 8th conference as CEO and Music Mark’s 12th. I am of course biased, but I do believe that the conference programme gets better every year, and our Sustainability in Music Education conference in a few weeks’ time is no exception!
In numbers, over two days we’ll host:
- One dinner
- Two lunches
- Three performances
- Three keynotes
- Five Music Mark Awards
- 15 breakout sessions
- 29 exhibitors and sponsors
- 30 djembes available to win as a prize
- 58 Speakers
- Over 300 delegates
- And an untold number of cups of coffee and tea!
Will you be joining us? It is certainly the key event in the Music Mark diary and the staff team not only work really hard across the year to create and curate an exciting event, but more than that we can’t wait to see everyone who attends. Of course, a conference is about learning something new (although we hope it will be more than just one thing!) and making new contacts, but it is also so good to watch as colleagues meet up perhaps for the first time in person for a year!
Going back to the programme though I think I’m most looking forward to hearing from our Keynotes – Dominique Palmer, Konnie Huq and Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason – and listening to the panel discussion on Environmental Sustainability in Music Education on the Monday afternoon. I’m also very intrigued by the ‘Making Music in Minecraft’ session on Tuesday morning and expect the session by the team at Birmingham City University on an ‘integrated music education ecosystem’ will be popular. My biggest challenge is always what to go to and what I’ll have to miss! Don’t forget to explore the full conference programme here, to get an idea of which sessions you might want to join.
The conference also provides a fantastic opportunity to meet some of our Industry Partners at the exhibition, to find out how they can help support your work. Last year we ran Exhibitor Bingo for the first time, where delegates had the chance to win some fantastic prizes for chatting to all of our exhibitors. This year we’re bringing it back with lots of exciting prizes up for grabs kindly donated by our exhibitors – including instruments, repertoire, free memberships and more!
And of course, on Monday night we’ll have the drinks reception, conference dinner, and the 2024 Music Mark Awards. You may have already seen the shortlist for this year, but I can’t wait to see the winners announced and celebrate some of the amazing work that has taken place in the music education sector this year.
If you’ve not booked your ticket to join us you need to hurry, we close bookings on Tuesday 5th November. I’d hate you to miss out on what’s going to be our best conference yet!
