November 6-7, NYC. GEMS is a pretty big conference for indie entertainment and media types for a reasonable price (about $100 in advance).

Here's what they have to say about themselves:

The Entertainment Business as we once knew of it, is over. Radio is hardly playing new music. The studios are releasing the same movie over and over again. Television is at the worst state it's been in for years.

But for the independently thinking creative artist and industry, there's an incredible opportunity.


As the major companies have consolidated and radio airwaves have become controlled by a few mega-conglomerates, there are still new and exciting opportunities for those who know how to take advantage of opportunities, and those who know how to create them.

GEMS was created to provide a forum for the exchange of views, ideas and contacts in the independent music, film, video and multimedia worlds of the entertainment and communications industries in a context of innovation, reinvention, and the creation of possibility for sustainable careers and a revolution in marketing and distribution.

Previous speakers, panelists and participants have included recognized leaders in media, humanitarianism, music, film and video.

Welcome to your future:
With an entire industry in transition, it has become an absolute necessity that the music industry reinvents itself in order to survive in the long run. The Summit will not only address these important issues, but provide its audience of music, film and media artists and industry with enlightenment and new opportunities to gain the access they need.,

By bringing together visionary leaders from the music, film and media worlds, it is our intention to provide a productive forum of ideas and new distribution concepts that when acted upon, can help the industry grow effectively. that helps to facilitate change for the industry.

Heading up the "Producers on Artist Development" panel are my old pals Phil and Joe Nicolo, aka the Butcher Brothers. I interviewed and profiled them a few years ago:

Twins Joe and Phil Nicolo - aka the Butcher Brothers - have exec-produced, produced, mixed and/or engineered an astonishing array of music over the last 20 years. They are owners of Philadelphia's Studio 4, and Joe is president and co-owner of the wildly successful Columbia imprint Ruffhouse. Between the two of them (separately or as the Butcher Brothers), they have produced the rap of Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Cash Money, The Goats, Hard Corps, Kris Kross, The Psycho Realm, Schoolly D, and Urban Dance Squad; the rock, modern rock and metal of Anthrax, Big Chief, Dandelion, Dishwalla, Fig Dish, Life of Agony, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Skypark, and Urge Overkill; and the everything-else of Goat, James Hall, Hamell On Trial, Billy Joel, Taj Mahal, and Wailing Souls!