It’s a tough environment to launch a festival in these days. Such a fine line between success and failure.
In New York, one newcomer’s approach to solving this problem seems to be to have so many bands and speakers that you almost don’t need an audience.
Mondo.NYC, the new offering from CMJ founders Bobby Haber and Joanne Abbot Green aims to offer something different to a somewhat saturated market, dividing itself up into ‘Mondo.Day’, a business-focused smorgasbord of panels and presentations and ‘Mondo.Night’, a series of shows across the city.
The pair are passionate about their new venture and inaugural event and have grand ambitions to match; ultimately the objective of the festival is to understand a viable route forward for the industry and for its artists.
"The irony is that more music is listened to by more people in more places than ever, but it’s never been more difficult for an artist to actually make a living wage…at Mondo we have put together a compelling cast of characters that can hopefully provide some pathway and explanation about how an artist can succeed in this very chaotic environment," says Haber.
The vision isn’t limited to the event; tentative plans are in place to work with tech partners to build a bespoke digital community that means conversations can be continued after the event, shifting from in-person panels in NYC to more of a global conversation.
So if you’re interested in changing the world, at Mondo.Day you can take your pick from a range of speakers, from Vice Media’s creative director Vasili Gavre talking content, Sara Clemens, COO of Pandora who will be discussing the state of streaming, or if you’re more legally inclined you can even see the ranking member on the house judiciary subcommittee on IP talk technology.
Assuming you’re still raring to go come sundown you then have your pick of 13 different venues, all showcasing emerging talent that Bobby and Joanne are keen to see gain the additional attention they feel they deserve.
For more information, visit the festival's official website.