CIMA is excited to announce its inaugural CIMA Summit: Indie Music Connects series on June 22 and 23 from 12:00PM-3:00PM (EDT). This 2-day virtual summit connects CIMA members from across the country to each other, to cutting edge thought leaders, kickass keynote speakers, indie industry icons, current trends and new ways to survive and thrive in a post pandemic music industry.

MusicOntario is pleased to offer a reduced registration rate of $50 to our members, a $350 savings! Get in touch with one of us by email to claim your pass!

Rapper/producer Cadence Weapon and his team will be on hand to launch the new CIMA program: Ask Me Anything, where members can access the advice, knowledge, and experience of indie music luminaries. So, get your questions ready!

Artists will gather ‘round for an Artist Fireside Chat about how they have adapted and pivoted to meet the challenges of the pandemic.

Indie industry pros will lead sessions on the future of music, breaking down racial barriers in the music industry, the current independent market both nationally and internationally, policy advocacy and more!

A Parliament Hill to Climb looks at why government advocacy and policy development is crucial to the future of independent music in Canada. CIMA board members will do a deep dive into the current state of Bill C-10, copyright, and the future of CanCon.

CIMA members get the chance to tap into the insights and vision of incredible leaders of the industry who sit on their Board of Directors as well as meet their new President, Andrew Cash.

That’s six hours of programming over two days for only $25 for CIMA member companies (Note: pricing is per individual participant)!

Once you have registered you will receive an e-mail from REMO to set up your profile on the event platform. Please check your junk mail and spam as well.

Registration is now open! Members interested in participating can click the link below to receive the 25$ Member Registration Discount:

Members of the following Associations (Alberta Music, Manitoba Music, Music BC, Music New Brunswick, Music NL, Music Nova Scotia, Music Managers Forum, MusicOntario, Music PEI, Music Yukon and SaskMusic) are also offered a discounted rate of 50$. Please contact your local Association or click here to register.

If you’re not sure if you’re a CIMA member please contact Sam Rayner (samr@cimamusic.ca) to find out.

**Please note that non-members who purchase a ticket at the member rate will be refunded.

CIMA SUMMIT: INDIE MUSIC CONNECTS FULL PROGRAMMING

Schedule Day 1 (Run time: 3 hours):

• 12:05-12:15: CIMA President Introduction
• 12:15-12:55: Keynote Speaker: Cherie Hu "Music & Tech After COVID-19: What Will Actually Stick?"
• 12:55 - 1:10: Networking Break
• 1:10-1:40: Organizational Allyship: Moving from Awareness to Action Session (Speaker: Tenniel Brown)
• 1:40 - 2:10: A Parliament Hill to Climb Panel (Panelists: Gord Dimitrieff, Amanda Rheaume, and Sean Casey… Moderated by Andrew Cash)
• 2:10-2:50: Networking Shuffle
• 2:50 - 3:00: Closing Remarks

Schedule Day 2 (Run time: 3 hours):

• 12:05 - 12:15: Opening Remarks from CIMA’s Board Chair Tim Potocic
• 12:15 - 12:55: Keynote Speaker: Meg Symsyk (FACTOR)
• 12:55 - 1:25: Ask Me Anything with Cadence Weapon + Jay Devonish
• 1:25 - 1:35: Introducing the Sponsors
• 1:35 - 1:50: Networking Break
• 1:50 - 2:23: Footage: Tribute to Indie Music in the Pandemic
• 1:50 - 2:23: Fireside Chat with Artists “Surviving the Pandemic” (Panelists: AHI, T Thomason + Witch Prophet, Moderated by SATE)
• Footage: Gala Sizzle Reel
• 2:23 - 2:55: CIMA Awards – Pivot Award (winner: Chris McKool), Trailblazer Award (winner: Ebonnie Rowe) & Builder Award (winner: William ‘Skinny’ Tenn)
• 2:55 - 3:00: Closing Remarks

Day 1: Programming Descriptions

12:15 – 12:55: Keynote Speech from Cherie Hu: “Music & Tech After COVID-19: What Will Actually Stick?"

Cherie will look at the music/tech trends that have bubbled up during the pandemic, evaluating whether or not they will stick around post-pandemic and what that all means for artists and their teams in terms of marketing and business strategy.

Cherie Hu is the founder and publisher of Water & Music, a newsletter tracking innovation and tech trends in the music business. She has also written hundreds of articles on music, tech and finance for the likes of Billboard, Forbes, NPR Music, Music Business Worldwide, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Cherie joins the Summit to give us her take on the the future of music.

1:10 – 1:40: Organization Allyship: Moving from Awareness to Action (Speaker: Tenniel Brown)

2021 has seen Canada reckon with the deep scars of colonialism and institutionalized racism. This year has clearly proved that the days of leaving our identities, concerns and lived experiences at the door when we enter work is no longer a viable option. More than ever organizations are being called to actively examine and lead changes around equity, inclusion, and social justice. During this 30min talk we will define and explore ways to assess “Organizational Allyship”. Practical suggestions will be provided about next steps to move beyond awareness and honour declarations, no matter the size of your organization and knowledge around EDI.

1:40 – 2:10: A Parliament Hill to Climb Panel

Panelists: Gord Dimitrieff (Aporia), Amanda Rheaume (Ishkode Records Inc./International Indigenous Music Summit) & Sean Casey (Global Public Affairs)!

Moderator: Andrew Cash (CIMA)

Why government advocacy and policy development is crucial to the future of independent music in Canada. CIMA board members do a deep dive into the current state of Bill C-10, copyright, and the future of CanCon.

Day 2: Programming Descriptions

12:15 – 12:55: Keynote Speech from Meg Symsyk (FACTOR): “The Future of FACTOR”

As President & CEO of FACTOR, Meg Symsyk is a champion of the artist and the entrepreneur – essentials of the music industry. Her enviable, 25-year career path began as promotion rep at Universal Music, where she transitioned to marketing director and led campaigns for the likes of Beck, Nelly Furtado, Rufus Wainwright, and Gwen Stefani. Then, at SRO/ANTHEM, she handled artist and tour marketing globally for Rush and Brody Dalle. Next, she oversaw artist and brand marketing internationally for eOne’s roster, while also handling special projects such as Geddy Lee’s internationally best-selling Big Beautiful Book of Bass. Formerly President of the Music Managers Forum, Symsyk also held seats on the boards of CARAS, MusicCounts, and was Chair at FACTOR. She esteems the blend of work ethic with creativity, has a keen eye for talent, and prizes inspiring up-and-comers to build an ever-better music industry. Meg joins us to discuss the future of FACTOR 3.0.

12:55 – 1:25: Ask Me Anything: A New CIMA Program Series

Rapper & producer Cadence Weapon will be joined by eOne’s Jay Devonish to launch CIMA’s new program Ask Me Anything. This session will give members the opportunity to access the advice, knowledge and experience of indie music luminaries. Get your questions ready and hear from both an artist viewpoint and a business perspective.

1:50 – 2:23: Surviving the Pandemic: Fireside Chat with Artists

Panelists: AHI, T. Thomason and Witch Prophet

Moderator: SATE

Over the past 15 months, Canadian artists have lost their livelihood and have had to pivot in ways unknown by almost any other sector. In this intimate, artist led discussion, participants will get to see how some of our CIMA member artists approached this difficult year. Was is a time of creativity? A time of discovery? Or was it simply a time to pause?

2:23 – 2:55: CIMA Awards Pivot Award (winner: Chris McKool), Trailblazer Award (winner: Ebonnie Rowe) & Builder Award (winner: William ‘Skinny’ Tenn)

CIMA’s Annual Awards Gala & Celebration has paused during the past year but we still felt honours were in order for this year. Join us to honour and celebrate the winners of these pivotal awards.

Get to know the CIMA Summit panelists and speakers here.