ABOUT
The Association of Artist Managers (AAM) Australia, MMF UK, European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA), MMF Canada and MMF Aotearoa invite manager members who are attending BIGSOUND 2026 (Australia, Sept 1-4) to submit an expression of interest form below by 20th July 2026 if they wish to be part of the 2026 International Manager Buddies initiative coinciding with this conference.
HOW IT WORKS:
Manager Buddies is designed to facilitate meaningful connection between managers from different territories who are attending a particular conference and wish to develop their global networks.
Participating managers will be put into groups of 3 or more ahead of the conference to:
Learn about each others' management work, artists and respective international territory
Connect, share and discuss their goals for the conference
Share resources and ideas
...and more!
At the end of the conference participants will be required to complete a short survey to provide feedback on their experience as part of this initiative.
ELIGIBILITY:
You must be a current member of one of the above organisations to apply
You must be a manager (not a self-managed artist) to participate in this initiative. (If you are a self-managing artist who also manages other act(s) in addition to your own, you are welcome to apply.)
Please only apply if you are attending this conference. You don't have to be attending with a showcasing artist.
THE PROCESS:
Complete this EOI form by 20th July 2026
Once submissions have closed, applications will be reviewed and groups curated
You can expect to hear from us within 2-3 weeks after the submission closing date, at which point participating applicants will be introduced via email to their Manager Buddies
Individuals in each group will be responsible for organising an initial virtual meet-up or call with their buddies ahead of the conference, and ideally an in-person meet up at the conference.
Further information will be provided via email when groups are introduced - including the names, biographies and email addresses of participants - so you can connect and start your conversations with your group!
If you have any questions please contact kate@aam.org.au