IMPALA Elects New Executive Board in Zagreb

IMPALA elects a new executive board and holds its first European Independent Music Summit at a crucial time for the indie sector amid the rise of AI.

IMPALA has elected a new board and set its priorities for the next two years at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Zagreb this week. The meeting was hosted as part of RUNDA Digital Day, RUNDA Adria’s annual conference supported by Merlin, which was represented by Shrina Patel, Merlin’s Senior Director of Business Affairs and Licensing.

Growth of independent businesses was highlighted as a key priority, as well as boosting the market in south and central eastern Europe; access to finance; AI opportunities; independent distribution; streaming reform; collecting society revenues; sustainability; inclusion; and access to market, including consolidation.

IMPALA’s second representative scheme was also underlined as a key tool to diversify participation in the organization’s executive board. Chair Dario Draštata (RUNDA Adria) was appointed for a second term, alongside Francesca Trainini (PMI Italia) as President and Geert de Blaere (BIMA) as Treasurer.

The list of IMPALA board members elected to the executive board are:

• !K7 (represented by Tom Nieuwboer and Andrea Lacroix)
• AIM (represented by Gee Davy and Chloe Van Bergen)
• AIM Ireland (represented by Ciaran Conroy)
• AMAEI (Carolina Reis and António Bexiga)
• ANMIP (represented by Ruth Koleva and Kristiyana Georgieva)
• Beggars Group (represented by Paul Redding and Martin Mills)
• Better Noise Music (represented by Dan Waite and Claudia Mancino)
• BIMA (represented by Geert De Blaere and Rémi Planchenault)
• Cosmos Music Group (represented by Robert Litsen and Lisa Öhman)
• DUP (represented by Kristoffer Rom and Laura Littauer)
• Edel (represented by Jonas Haentjes)
• Epitaph (represented by Roger Dorresteijn)
• Everlasting Records (represented by Mark Kitcatt)
• FONO (represented by Larry Bringsjord and Olga Solyanik)
• HAIL (represented by Zsolt Jeges and Csaba Nasz)
• Indieco ry (represented by Katja Vauhkonen and Riku Paakkonen)
• INDIERO (represented by Dan Muraru and Anca Lupes)
• IndieSuisse (represented by Andreas Ryser and Margot Voisin)
• Playground Music Scandinavia (represented by Rebecka Sjöström and Jonas Sjöström)
• Platforma (represented by Matej Burda and Martin Nedved)
• PMI (represented by Maria Romana Trainini and Guendalina Gramitto Ricci)
• RUNDA (represented by Dario Draštata and Pavle Eftimovski)
• SCL / Lusitanian (represented by Nuno Saraiva and Filipa Rodrigues)
• SOM (represented by Eva Karman Reinhold)
• STOMP (represented by Kees van Weijen and Luciano Winter)
• Sugar Music (represented by Andrea Cotromano)
• UFI (represented by Sonia Durán)
• UPFI (represented by Guilhem Cottet and Laure Cavaillé)
• VTMÖ (represented by Alexander Hirschenhauser)
• VUT (represented by Jörg Heidemann and Henrietta Bauer)
• Wagram Music (represented by Stephan Bourdoiseau)

A special tribute was paid to the late Horst Weidenmüller, founder of !K7, for his groundbreaking work in the sector. Merlin was thanked for their contribution to sustainability through the Weidenmüller Sustainability Fund launched earlier in the year.

Jeremy Sirota was also recognized for his contribution to the sector during his tenure as CEO of Merlin. That includes, most recently, the AI licensing deal with ethical AI operator Eleven Labs based on voluntary participation by Merlin members.

Taking place at the Croatian Employers Federation, IMPALA and RUNDA Adria organized an all-day series of meetings. This included the first-ever European Independent Music Summit, co-funded by the EU under the Creative Europe program.

The Summit brought together EU policymakers, the European Investment Fund, industry professionals including members of global independent music publishers trade body IMPF, and key music companies in the Adria region, to exchange with IMPALA’s members about the future of the independent music sector.

Within an overall aim of making Europe the best place in the music business, various priorities were discussed. Finance, market and regulatory frameworks, diversity and discoverability, geographical issues within Europe, as well as a strategic approach to grow Europe’s cultural and creative businesses filled the docket.

“This year’s discussions come at a crucial moment for the independent sector across Europe, as well as in our region,” said IMPALA Chair Dario Draštata, President of RUNDA Adria and Executive Director of Dallas Records. “Our goal is for independents to grow and for our artists to have a level playing field.”

“The board’s second representative scheme is designed to broaden participation and bring new perspectives to the table,” added IMPALA President Francesca Trainini, Vice President of Italian association PMI. “It was also important for us to brainstorm the whole framework around AI licensing.”

“Our goal is to make sure independents have the resources and opportunities they need to grow—from improved access to finance and independent distribution to better conditions in the market,” said IMPALA Treasurer, Geert de Blaere, Belgian association BIMA.