International talent buyers, media and record label representatives will be in Halifax next week for the 2007 East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs) and Conference. They will be participating in the event�s international program and will meet with Atlantic Canadian music artists to explore international business opportunities.

"Atlantic Canadian music and artists are among the best in the world," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "Canada�s new government recognizes that cultural industries represent an important part of Atlantic Canada�s economy and have tremendous export opportunities."

The international program is designed to promote Atlantic Canadian artists to national and international presenters and buyers. The program includes export-readiness workshops for artists and their representatives as well as networking opportunities and one-on-one meetings with national and international delegates. The ECMAs and conference will be held in Halifax from February 15-18, 2007.

"Newfoundland and Labrador has a vibrant and growing music industry and we look forward to the annual East Coast Music Awards as a showcase for our performers," said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development for Newfoundland and Labrador. "The development of cultural industries is an important part of our economic agenda for the province."

Over the last nineteen years, the ECMAs has grown from a one-day, $1,000 event staged at a Halifax bar to a four-day international gathering, with a budget exceeding $2.5 million and a membership of over 1,200 music industry representatives. It has become the premier event of its kind in Atlantic Canada and one of the top music industry events on the continent. This event attracts over 2,000 industry professionals including talent buyers, media and record labels from across Canada, the United States and Europe.

"The International Delegate Program has reps from the United States, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and Germany," said Steve Horne, Executive Director of the ECMAs. "We fully expect a great deal of results with this crop of individuals in attendance. Our artists and companies will have business development opportunities in these countries for years to come."

The Government of Canada and the four provincial governments in Atlantic Canada are providing a contribution of $220,000 to the East Coast Music Association in support of the 2006-2007 International Strategy, which includes the ECMA 2007 International program, education programming and trade missions. The funding is being provided through the Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development (IBDA).

The IBDA is a federal/provincial export development agreement between the Government of Canada (represented by ACOA, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and Industry Canada) and the four provincial governments in Atlantic Canada. Since 1994, 32 per cent of companies that participated in an IBDA-sponsored trade activity for the first time have since begun exporting internationally; 42 per cent of companies reported an increase in the volume of their exports; and 29 per cent started exporting to new markets as a result of IBDA activity.

Visit www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/ibda for more information or contact:

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