TEDX Gwamile Street Hosts Music Business Salon with Industry Partners

Mbabane – The TedX Saloon will take place from Thursday 14th to 16th March 2024, at Limkokwing University, aiming to formalize the business of music and demonstrate its value as an investment opportunity for other sectors.

What is a TEDx Salon Event? A Salon Event is a small event that keeps a TEDx community engaged between regular TEDx events. It is a unique kind of gathering that TEDx organizers hold which allows the conversation to continue, in person. Attendees can participate in an active discussion with headline speakers. Additionally, Salon Events are a place to network, share ideas, and collaborate with speakers, the TEDx Executive Team, and other members of the creative and business community.

The Salon forms part of the build-up to this year’s anticipated TeDX Gwamile Street main event slated for later in the year. According to TEDx Gwamile Street Organiser, Kudzai Mushambi, ’’This event is essentially themed around merging music with traditional business. We want to break down the value chain and identify opportunities that different business professionals can take advantage of in the music industry so that we can ultimately create a sustainable industry.“

The first two days, March 14th and 15th, will consist of lectures open to all interested in the music business and its art, including business students, journalism students, law students, marketing students, public relations students, and practitioners in these sectors. The lectures will cover a wide range of topics, such as stage management, the role of the artist liaison, performance techniques, song rollout strategies, music marketing, artist management, fundraising, and proposal writing.

The lectures will be facilitated by industry experts, these will include renowned artist, brand coach, and speaker, Thamsanqa Sibandze (popularly known as KRTC), Velefini Mngomezulu, founder and chief executive officer of WORD!S Pty Ltd, who has been involved in the music business for over 5 years, specializing in artist management and development, A&R; the multi-talented Ziyawa Kazitha (sound engineer), artist manager Ndumiso Dlamini, Vuyo Khumalo (certified money coach), and the creative and business development team from Eswatini’s leading business publication, Inside Biz.

“We are excited to be part of this groundbreaking event,” Velefini Mngomezulu, CEO of WORD!S Pty Ltd, said. “It’s time for the music industry to be recognized as a legitimate business sector, and this salon will be a crucial step in that direction. By bringing together experts from various fields, we can foster a deeper understanding of the music business and explore new opportunities for collaboration and investment,” he continued.

On March 16th, the main event will focus on the discussion of how the music business can be formalized and integrated with traditional business sectors. Velefini Mngomezulu will open the podium with an introductory talk, followed by a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of business leaders from various sectors in Eswatini. The panelists will include Mfundo Mavimbela (CEO of Yati Group), Mmeli Hlandze (Executive Director of Eswatini Copyright and Neighboring Rights Society), and more.

Members of the business community are invited to attend the salon, including lawyers, managers, agents, label executives, copyright business leaders, arts organizers, policy makers, donors, and the media. This event aims to shape the next chapter of the business of the arts as a whole, fostering collaboration and innovation within the music industry and beyond.

“We are thrilled to partner with WORD!S, Inside Biz, Luda Film Production, and the Limkokwing University to host this leading-edge music business salon,” Mushambi added. “By bringing together experts from various sectors, we hope to create a platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and the development of new business opportunities within the music industry.”

For more information about the event, including registration details and the full program, please visit the following social media accounts: @TedxGwamileSt and @wordis_convo.

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