The development and progression of the conference (formerly known as Hard Working Class Heroes) has earned Ireland Music Week both local and international stature for being a must attend event for anyone working in music in Europe. It is one of the largest gatherings of music industry professionals from bookers to labels, managers, music supervisors, radio folk and journalists from around the world and here in Ireland.

First Music Contact, who run Ireland Music Week, work with Irish Acts from the very beginning of their careers. The annual showcase expanded from a 3 day event to a 5 day event, providing Irish artists with an opportunity to gain some vital exposure, provided by the stellar mix of influential Irish and international delegates who attend IMW.

In 2017, IMW reduced the number of bands showcasing to 50, highlighting the need for acts to have a development plan and an eye on international activity. The success of this move resulted in a record number of Irish acts being selected for overseas events including SXSW, The Great Escape, Eurosonic, Reeperbahn, Primavera Pro and more.

The festival will be going ahead with the international-facing showcase and conference online in October 2020. The conference will take place via the IMW website across four days, with the music showcases taking place over three nights from Lost Lane, Dublin – Tuesday 8^th, Wednesday 9^th and Thursday 10^th from 8pm.

The conference element moves online in October and will include dedicated B2B elements to facilitate the needs of AIM Ireland, along with panels, workshops and one to one meetings for the artists with international professionals.

“Ireland Music Week is an essential event in an artists’ development and profile of the music industry in Ireland. It has been a challenge to maintain it in the calendar for 2020, but we feel we have come up with an innovative and exciting alternative to the real event. The main aim is to allow both industry and fans here and abroad to witness the next crop of Irish talent. The showcases and robust and busy conference schedule we are working towards online will maintain IMW’s essential presence as a key international facing showcase event” says Angela Dorgan, CEO of First Music Contact.