MPA PARTNERS WITH UKTI & BPI FOR TRADE MISSIONS

London, March 17th 2011 - The Music Publishers Association (MPA) has announced a new partnership with UKTI & The BPI, which will see them become one of the driving forces behind high profile UK trade missions to Los Angeles and Tokyo later this year. This is the first time that the MPA has taken an organisational role in these annual trade missions, which give UK companies unrivalled access to leading figures in two of the world's key music markets. The LA Synch Licensing Mission will take place between 6 and 8 June and will be attended by around 40 UK delegates.

The planned programme will include presentations, Q&A sessions, meetings with some of the top music supervisors working in Los Angeles and access to a number of key independent agencies involved in synch licensing. There will also be a networking reception party at the UK Consulate in Los Angeles to which all mission delegates will be invited. The trade mission to Japan takes place between 4 and 6 October. During their trip around 40 UK delegates will meet representatives from across the Japanese music industry, which is the world's 2nd largest music market, after the US.

Domestic music currently enjoys a market share of around 80% in Japan and subtle differences in the way the industry works makes local knowledge and contacts invaluable for UK companies wanting to develop their businesses there. The delegates will also meet Japanese companies wanting to do business in the UK in a two-way exchange of ideas and expertise.

Stephen Navin, CEO of the MPA said, "The MPA is pleased to be taking a key role in these forthcoming trade missions to LA & Tokyo. They are an excellent and cost effective way for MPA members to develop business opportunities in two of the world's key music markets. Publishers who have attended in previous years have found them extremely rewarding and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Publishers are increasingly pro-active in the synch market, and direct licensing is an ever more important part of revenues, so having an organisational role in these events will enable the MPA to ensure that the programmes are entirely relevant to our members."

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