The Music Business Research Project: Angel Music Group

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MC581        Assignment 1        HIN07397652

        Research Project

Research

Over the past decade we have seen a large increase in the growth and expansion of the events industry. Although the collapse in economic growth due to the recession has halted the industries progress, the events industry can thank the UK’s previous thriving economy, increase in leisure spending and disposable income for its success in the 90s. Now, the majority of UK cities and towns have a diverse range of public entertainment events on offer each week, with the majority of them notably related to music and nightlife institutions. Events have become an essential element of a music industry which sees ever decreasing figures in record sales and is now one of the main sources of income for most record labels.

My principal goal was to carry out primary and secondary research into the practises of events marketing companies, drawing up a profile using appropriate theoretical approaches and critiques to help interpret the findings of my research. In order to address this, I conducted fieldwork with a renowned company called ‘Angel Music Group’. During my time researching the company I performed extensive interviews with staff at the company, with the most significant interviews being held with Angel Music Group’s production/promotion director, Damian Eston. I also carried out ethnographic research in which I observed and shadowed a few members of staff to get a general concept of how things work in the company’s environment. Angel Music Group’s website also provided me with information that helped me draw up a profile of their company. I focus on Angel Music Group as they are an internationally known events company with interesting links to other institutions, corporate marketing and sponsorships.  

Angel Music Group

Since Angel Music Groups origins in 1998, they have played a leading role within the music events industry and have developed into one of the most successful international companies of their kind. Angel Music Group has shown broad business interests and knowledge in areas such as; event marketing and promotion, festival and arena events, venue ownership, consulting and licensing, interactive design and talent booking. Some of the key events and brands that Angel Music Group have been responsible for include; Global Gathering, Godskitchen, Escape into the Park and Air Nightclub. The Angel Music Group stamp also travels overseas with events not only regularly being produced in the UK but across the globe with; Unites States, South America, Russia, Europe, Australia, Asia and South Africa. Due to the brands initial success in the international market, Mama Group Plc bought a 70% stake in Angel Music Group for £2.625 million in 2008, in hopes to increase its exposure in the international music market.

Mama Group Plc

Founded in 2002, Mama Group is a public company with expertise in live music, artist services and the consumer market. Mama Groups brand includes the ownership of the Barfly network of live music venues, Hammersmith Apollo, Jazz Café, Forum, Borderline, The Great Escape, Lovebox Weekender and Surfstock festivals. As well as buying a dominant stake in Angel Music Group via horizontal integration, Mama Group is the parent company of many other music and media based companies. The horizontal integration of Angel Music Group means that Mama group have increased their economy in scale through geographic 

expansion, increased their market power and created a successful synergistic relationship in which both companies will be able to benefit from. Adam Driscoll and Dean James, co-chief executive officers of Mama say,

The acquisition presents a unique opportunity to increase the company's investment in the music festival market whilst also creating exciting opportunities to work with the shareholders and employees of the AMG Group to produce world class music events. We expect this investment to be revenue enhancing for Mama in our current fiscal year and believe that there are significant opportunities for this investment to generate substantial additional value for Mama in the coming years (www.musicweek.com, 2008)

Global Gathering

Global Gathering founded by Angel Music, is one of the most successful brands owned by the company. Not only is it a leading dance music festival brand but plays a key part in the international market. The Global Gathering brand reaches across the world and is produced in 11 different countries such as; Australia, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Belarus, South Korea and not to forget the UK. The first ever award winning festival was held in 2001 when Angel Music Group were quick to realise there was a gap in the market. The sounds of electronic dance music, usually considered as ‘underground’ or ‘alternative’ music, would only be heard in certain clubs, raves or warehouses. Global Gathering has given electronic dance music and all forms of dance music the chance to expand out of the clubs and into the green fields of the UK for the mass audiences to enjoy. The festival is a two day camping experience that takes place in the summer, attracting some of the most influential and most prolific DJ’s in; House, Electro, Drum and Bass, Trance, Techno and Dubstep. With 150 artists and 16 stages, arenas and terraces, Global Gathering has been crowned the best UK festival for the last two years running. Year by year the attendance and capacity of the

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festival increases as Global Gathering attract more and more visitors. In 2001 Global Gathering saw a total of 25,119 visitors compared to the 51,038 that attended in the summer of 09.

     

Global gathering is a perfect example for where branding is used as a window of opportunity for other companies that are not necessarily linked to music to get

involved with the music industry. Last summer (2009), Global Gathering co-branded with fast food chain Dominoes Pizza in a deal which allowed Dominoes to set up a ...

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