Published 16 April, 2021

The VMDO will be hosting a very special in-person Networking Breakfast event, in partnership with Main Stage, a new event that aims to connect and foster constructive conversation between media agencies, brands and the music industry.

On Friday 30th April, VMDO will bring attendees together at Corner Hotel's rooftop City Bar, to connect with brands, agencies and music industry professionals. The event will include a light breakfast.

Join us for a conversation between brand partnerships agency (Lilit Chakman - CEA), management (Dave Batty - Custom Made) and talent (Ali Barter) where we'll take a look at what it takes to create the campaign for an iconic Australian brand. The conversation will be moderated by Simone Ubaldi - artist manager, venue operator, ghostwriter, freelance journalist and film critic.

In their recent campaign, Bonds invited six female Australian artists to write a new acoustic style song on their period while wearing the brand’s new ‘Bloody Comfy Period Undies – Undies’. CEA team delivered two exciting talents – while also no strangers to the music world, Ali Barter and Alice Skye. As newcomers in the brand partnerships world, collaborating with a company like Bonds was an impressive & credible addition to their resume, where they were essentially able to express their natural flair, confidence and creative elements. CEA prides itself on strategic brand pairings and campaigns that not only benefit an artist in the short term, but fulfil goals and ambitions for years to come.

Attendees are encouraged to register for Main Stage the day prior, a free virtual forum co-presented by UNIFIED Music Group, Bolster and in partnership with Creative Victoria. The event will take place online on Thursday 29th April. To register, head to main-stage.com.au.

VMDO Networking Breakfasts aim to bring together the emerging through to the established of the Victorian music business community to share ideas, catch up and collaborate. P

These networking breakfasts will host a variety of special guests from around the state, country and international music community. Breakfast guests will present on industry trends, analysis, business learnings and opportunities.

Come for coffee, breakfast and idea sharing.

vmdo.com.au/networkingbreakfasts

Note: VMDO Networking Breakfasts are targeted towards Victorian professionals, currently working in the music industry. Please ensure you RSVP in advance, as places are limited. If you can no longer make the event for any reason, we'd appreciate if you could cancel your ticket within Eventbrite so we have an accurate indication of numbers.

Access: The rooftop bar is fully wheelchair accessible (with the exception of the private dining room) and can be accessed via a lift. Please see staff on arrival or call 9427 7300 to discuss any access requirements. For further information on Corner Hotel's access, head to cornerhotel.com/accessibility. Alternatively you can email info@vmdo.com.au.

Speakers:

Talent: Ali Barter

Unconventional Australian pop singer Ali Barter has been busy making lemonade out of 2020. After releasing her confessional, critically acclaimed second album Hello, I’m Doing My Best and a run of triumphant Australian headlining shows in 2019, Barter embarked on her debut US tour back in March. Forced to return home amid the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, Barter went to work in isolation. From triple j charity single written with Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy) in support of Support Act’s Emergency Appeal, to the Live from Inside tour of her house, Ali Barter showed no signs of a global pandemic slowing her down. This year also saw the release of the treasured triple j Live At The Wireless recording of her sold out Corner Hotel show from the Hello, I’m Doing My Best tour and the 14 week series of global open mic nights on Instagram Live. In between, Barter also found time to begin recording new material. 

Pre-COVID Barter went global; completing her debut overseas tour, including dates around Europe, performing at Reeperbahn 2019 and whistle-stop shows in Los Angeles and Mexico City. She then returned home to Australia for the Hello, I’m Doing my Best tour which saw her sell out shows in Melbourne and Sydney. 

Hello, I’m Doing My Best struck a nerve with fans worldwide, garnering support at home from triple j, FBi Radio, Sydney Morning Herald, The Music, Tone Deaf and Purple Sneakers, while abroad, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, Line Of Best Fit, Clash and The 405 have all thrown support behind the frank and relatable song writer. 

Artist Manager: Dave Batty

Over the past two decades, Dave Batty has established himself as one of Australia’s most experienced and well-regarded artist managers. As Director and founder of Custom-Made Artist Representation, Batty is responsible for guiding the careers of Ali Barter, C.W. Stoneking, Hayley Mary, KYVA, producer Oscar Dawson and ARIA-winners The Jezabels, both locally and internationally.

The diversity of Batty’s roster speaks of a manager with an aptitude for working in whatever context and model best suits each artist. He has done deals directly in each territory and worldwide deals with a label group, based on each artist’s needs.

Before opting to focus solely on management in 2015, Batty had a long history in touring and booking. He founded Custom-Made Touring and Artist Representation in 1998, bringing acts as diverse as Tegan and Sara and Mariachi El Bronx to Australia, and in 2011 he merged the agency side of the business with Sydney based talent agency Artist Voice, where he represented acts such as Neil Finn and Sarah Blasko. This experience has helped Batty strategically develop national and global audiences around his artists.

Overall, though, it’s his emphasis on creating careers through dedicated and unrelenting commitment that makes him such an accomplished manager.

Agency: Lilit Chakman

Lilit left legal practice in 2016 to establish CEA. The last four years has seen CEA grow to become one of the only agencies specialising in intellectual property commercialisation across a variety of rights holders, executing creation of deals and negotiation. Representing clients including AngusStone, Flume, Liz Cambage, Thelma Plum and more to Queensland Music Awards, Beyond The Valley and national Gallery of Victoria to be brief, Lilit’s sincere endeavour is to ensure her client’s vision and goals are met wholeheartedly from start to finish.

Lilit has been an Australian lawyer since December 2010, admitted into the High Court of Australia and commencing legal practice in intellectual property at Middletons (now K&L Gates) as part of the practice group acting for AFL, GM Holden, Camper and more. Continuing to practice as a commercial lawyer, she later established the Entertainment and Sports practice at the Lantern Legal Group (Harwood Andrews and Sladen Legal), whilst running a commercial rights agency alongside her legal practice.

With a passion for guiding artists and brands in meeting their optimal potential in contemporary ways they don’t yet expose in their current creative works, Lilit undeniably seeks to push boundaries while protecting their intellectual property and respecting the cultural essence, beliefs and personal passions of artists and brands alike.