Speaker biographies: Music Business 2.0

GEOFF HUCKSTEP

GEOFF JOINED THE NOTTINGHAM ARENA & NATIONAL ICE CENTRE IN OCTOBER 2001, FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AT LONDON IRISH AND LONDON WASPS – TWO OF THE COUNTRY’S TOP PROFESSIONAL RUGBY TEAMS.

PRIOR TO THESE APPOINTMENTS, HE WAS CEO AT BISHAM ABBEY NATIONAL SPORTS CENTRE, A POST HE HELD FOR EIGHT YEARS. HIS PREVIOUS MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE INCLUDES ENTERTAINEMT COMPLEXES, HOTELS, ICE RINKS, LEISURE CENTRES AND SWIMMING POOLS.

HIS EXPLOITATION OF COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND A STRICT ‘HANDS-ON’ MANAGEMENT APPROACH AT THE NOTTINGHAM ARENA HAS ACHIEVED OUTSTANDING RESULTS IN ALL AREAS OF THE BUSINESS, INCLUDING:

• TRANSFORMING A £1M OPERATING DEFICIT TO A BREAK-EVEN POSITION
• POSITIONING NOTTINGHAM ARENA INTO THE ‘PREMIER LEAGUE’ OF UK ARENAS
• DELIVERING FIVE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GROWTH IN EVENTS
• ACHIEVING IN EXCESS OF £750,000 SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT FROM KEY PARTNERS
• INCREASING REVENUE GENERATION BY 23% YEAR ON YEAR
• HOSTING MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STARS SUCH AS BOB DYLAN, OASIS, 50 CENT, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, BEYONCE, SCISSOR SISTERS, THE KILLERS, JACK JOHNSON AND MANY MORE

NOTTINGHAM’S ELEVATION TO THE UPPER ECHELONS OF ARENA VENUES IN THE UK WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HIS ELECTION AS CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL ARENAS ASSOCIATION (NAA) IN FEBRUARY 2006.

HE HAS A MASTERS DEGREE IN STRATEGIC LEISURE MANAGEMENT FROM BRUNEL UNIVERSITY.

ANNA HILDUR

Anna Hildur has lived and worked in the UK over the last 16 years. She completed her MA in Radio from Goldsmith’s college and worked freelance for BBC, NHK (Japanese National TV) as well as various print publications. She kept a post as the correspondent for National Broadcasting Corporation in Iceland for 6 years before working in the music industry. Music management was an unexpected u-turn which develped from her job as an assistant producer of 5 part documentary series on Iceland for NHK. She had chosen female rock band Bellatrix to participate in a programme on culture and later became their world wide manager landing them initially a deal with Global Warming and then Fierce Panda through their set up with Korda Marshall at Infectious Records. Anna Hildur later set up the UK branch of Smekkleysa SM Ltd. and managed the company setting up world wide distribution for physical and digital products. Along side that she has been the PR and marketing manager for Iceland Airwaves in Europe working for Mr. Destiny and Icelandair.

Anna Hildur has recently been appointed the MD of the Icelandic Music Export Office. She now spends a week every month in her office in Iceland but remains based in the UK.