The Countdown to BreakOut West:
Conference Festival and Western Canadian Music Awards
In under two weeks time the music industry of western Canada will descend on the Queen City of Regina for a weekend of incredible public shows, celebration of achievements, networking and education. The weekend kicks off with the 14th annual Western Canadian Music Awards Show on October 13th, honoring our local music industry with a world class concert event at Casino Regina. Headlining this year's awards show is Hall of Fame Inductee Colin James, with Host (and performer) Brett Kissel, and performances by David Morin, Diyet, Justin Lacroix, Lexi Strate, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Rosie and the Riveters, and William Prince. Individual tickets to the Western Canadian Music Awards Show on October 13th may be purchased separately through Casino Regina.
The weekend continues with the BreakOut West Festival, featuring the best in emerging talent from western Canada, in every genre from pop to country, rock to hip hop and everything between, over the evenings of October 14th and 15th. New in 2016, many of the genre-specific artistic Western Canadian Music Awards will be presented at the festival showcases, amping up the excitement throughout the weekend. Classical and Children's showcases will also be presented in the afternoon; for a full list of festival artists and schedule, visit: www.breakoutwest.ca/fest. Festival Wristbands can be purchased locally in Regina at X-Ray Records, Rebellion Brewing and Coda Clothing, or online at www.breakoutwest.ca. Wristbands grant access to any and all of the festival shows, pending venue capacity.
In addition to the Awards Show and Festival, the BreakOut West Conference provides educational and networking opportunities for everyone in attendance. One-on-One Mentor sessions and pitch sessions, panels, discussions and keynotes with over 70 talent buyers, label reps, managers, agents, music supervisors, social media and marketing gurus, music association reps, and funding experts will guide artists through the maze that is the music industry, and create some musical magic and synchronicity. Also during the conference is the Western Canadian Music Industry Awards Brunch, a ticketed event which can be purchased through registration on www.breakoutwest.ca.
The conference schedule at-a-glance is available now at www.breakoutwest.ca/conference, with a full list of industry delegates, including international delegates from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Poland and even as far as Australia. Each year, BreakOut West attracts a swath of dynamic music industry people through their efforts to further export development and career advancement for our western Canadian artists. Inviting these folks to BreakOut West ensures that the talents bred locally have the chance to find their place on a global stage. From song placements in TV shows to festival bookings and label deals, many artists from The Sheepdogs to Royal Canoe, have found BreakOut West to be a launch pad to the next level of their careers.
Full delegate registration to the BreakOut West Conference (which includes festival and awards show access) is also available now at www.breakoutwest.ca, and reservations are available at this year's host hotel, the Double Tree by Hilton.
Advanced sign-up is required for some of the sessions during the conference, including the One-on-One Mentor Sessions. Only Festival performers or those who have purchased a Conference Registration Package (Tier 1 or Tier 2) are eligible for the One-on-One Mentor Sessions. Those eligible may visit www.breakoutwest.ca/conference and follow instructions carefully to select a maximum of four (4) sessions.
See you in Regina October 13-16, 2016 for the 14th Annual BreakOut West!
About BreakOut West:
BreakOut West is an annual gathering to celebrate, develop and support the best of western Canadian music, taking place this year in Regina, SK from October 13-16, 2016. Western Canadian artists are developing sustainable careers of national and international scope, and BreakOut West is an integral component of this development. Through the annual conference and festival, industry from around the world and western Canadian artists are given the opportunity to discover, educate, network and grow. The weekend kicks off with the Western Canadian Music Awards, showcasing the talent contained in the "left half" of Canada, and continues with the conference and publicly accessible showcases throughout the weekend.
Use hashtag #BOW2016 when tweeting about BreakOut West and join in the conversation!
