Opinion: Liverpool Sound City’s ‘significant contribution’ to city’s economy
Kevin McManus is head of creative and digital at Liverpool Vision
It is timely that in the week Liverpool Sound City (LSC) takes place that UK industry body UK Music has published its Destination: Music report.
The headline figures from the report are that large scale music events attract at least 7.7m attendances by domestic and overseas music tourists who collectively spend £1.4bn during the course of their trip.
This is the equivalent of £864m GVA to the national economy which equates to 19,700 full-time jobs.
Now in its fourth year Sound City, already makes a significant contribution to the Liverpool economy. Last year LSC brought in over 1500 international delegates and attracted audiences of over 35,000 to gigs across the city, generating £2.1m of visitor spend and providing local companies with business worth over £100k.
Digital Music firm Ditto Music moved its operation to Liverpool as a direct result of attending LSC 2010 and Sound City will continue to deliver these wider benefits to the city region.
These stats make great reading and many companies would be content to bask in this success. But one of the many strengths of Sound City is the fact that it is always looking forward. Although ACME initiated Sound City in 2008 and we continue to be a key partner, it is the vision and ambition of LSC’s director Dave Pichilingi that really drives the company forward. LSC has grown in size and significance each year and can now safely be called the most important UK music industry event, having quickly overtaken the likes of longer established competitors such as In The City and The Great Escape.
But being a key player in the UK is only part of the Sound City strategy. Over the last few years the Sound City brand has been exported to the US, the UAE, and Norway. As well as benefiting Sound City itself these international events have been highly successful in promoting the Liverpool brand across the world and helping new Liverpool music from the likes of The Wombats and Miles Kane to resonate across the world.
Crucially, these events also provide opportunities for Liverpool businesses to win access to new markets and secure significant international contracts. An announcement about even more international events is expected shortly as Sound City looks to expand its global reach.
So while the 300-plus bands playing across the city are the visible (and highly enjoyable) public face of Sound City, it is worth remembering that it is also a significant player in the city’s economy.
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