20. April 2010 15:23
by
Julian
Unfortunately my hopes of being able to write this blog from sunny California on the eve of the BPI Sync Licensing Trade Mission to Los Angeles have been foiled by a volcano with an unpronounceable name in the Nordic wastes of Iceland and the consequent grounding of flights across Europe. This past weekend, we had over 40 delegates (plus myself) desperately trying to rearrange our travel plans with the no doubt over worked staff at the call centres for BA, Virgin and a host of other airlines – although, after you’ve been hanging on for an hour of more listening to upbeat corporate ads for car hire and the like (not to mention Lionel Ritchie’s ‘Dancing On The Ceiling’ for the seventh time), it’s hard to retain a full sense of humour.
The upshot is that on Monday morning with only 4 companies actually touching down in LA – and only because they had travelled before the flight lock-down to go to the Coachella festival there last weekend, or had other appointments – and no sign of the clouds of volcanic ash lifting, we reluctantly took the decision to postpone this week’s mission. I’m happy to report that however early signs are that, subject to all our presenters and guests availability, we can reschedule at the beginning of June.
Everybody involved (not least our delegates) put in a lot of work to make this year’s mission bigger than ever. From the Music Week co-operation with a CD featuring music from many of the mission companies and 2 page feature article; to the Ricall Music Licensing Company’s custom built site for the presentation of our delegates music; to the mission programme itself expertly put together by Carlo Cavagna & Sat Darshan of the UKTI office in Los Angeles, all the elements were in place. Unfortunately the airplanes to take us to Los Angeles weren’t and we remain grounded…for the moment. By the way, for the few of those who did make it to LA, the UKTI there has very kindly organised a short series of meetings there, so it is not an entirely barren exercise.
The BPI/UKTI Los Angeles Sync Mission 2010 booklet detailing delegate companies click here to read.
The BPI through this blog wish to thank all those affected by this (hopefully) once in a life-time situation for their patience and understanding through the last few days. None of this was meant to happen and although the ‘circumstances beyond our control’ element in this is self-evident, it still is a credit to our delegate companies, UKTI colleagues, travel agents, etc that this turn of events has been handled with such professionalism and competence. In fact, I think it has made everyone involved almost more determined to take part in the mission when it is rescheduled.
Speaking for myself, I am now a firm believer in that part of chaos theory which states that the outpourings of a 1,000 year old plus volcano in Iceland can affect the gathering of a few UK music people in a city 5,000 miles away. All of us who can, are meeting later this week to toast our collective fortitude and maybe raise a glass to that single delegate who is currently stranded in Moscow – still, at least she has Status Quo in her hotel for company there…….errr, every cloud etc.