Thug Life Army

The Billboard/AURN R&B Hip-Hop Conference is the premiere event for the industry's who's who to network, share knowledge and discover new talent! The 6th Annual Conference & Awards Show will be held in its new location, Atlanta, & feature savvy speakers, must-attend panels, skills-sharpening workshops, artist showcases, a stellar Awards Show line-up and more!

Now in its 6th year, the Billboard/AURN R&B Hip-Hop Conference and Awards brings together the music professionals that help to create, produce, promote and distribute the hottest genre on the charts today. Attendees include over 700 industry players including agents, artists, managers, producers, press and record label executives. The event is 3 days packed with conference sessions, artist showcases, networking opportunities and, of course, the awards program.

Bringing the Beats to the Street... Hotlanta ''05" explodes Aug. 3-5 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead. Capping the three-day conference once again will be the annual R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.

SCHEDULE

AUGUST 3 - 5, 2005

HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL • BUCKHEAD

3315 PEACHTREE ROAD NE, ATLANTA, GA

Schedule of Events as of 7/11

(subject to change)

Wednesday, August 3

1:00pm - 5:00pm

Windsor Ballroom Foyer

REGISTRATION

Lanyards sponsored by SESAC

Badges sponsored by THE ROYALTY NETWORK

1:30pm - 2:45pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

DECLARING INDEPENDENCE: In the wake of major label consolidation, the Internet and other factors, a growing number of artists are taking the independent route. And in many cases, they''re opting to stay on that course. Indie artists and label executives outline their roadmaps to creative and financial success.

Moderator: Ivory Jones, Editor, Billboard

Panelists:

Buckshot, Artist, Duck Down Records

TJ Chapman, CEO, TJ's DJ's Record & CD Pool

Anthony David, Artist, Brash Music

Richard Dunn, Artist Development/A&R, Brash Music

Dru Ha, Duck Down Records

Rob Jackson, Artist, Blackout Music

Danny "Blaq" Tran, COO, Baylo Entertainment

3:00pm - 4:15pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

Sponsored by The Recording Academy

CENTS AND SENSIBILITY: All the cutting-edge music in the world doesn''t mean a thing without a sound financial plan and legal guidance. Spend face time with several gurus of capital and entertainment law and learn how to understand the legal ins and outs, raise funds, spend wisely and account for everything accurately.

Moderator: Kendall Minter, Attorney

Panelists:

James Chippendale, President, CSI Entertainment Insurance

Walter Coulter, Financial Advisor, American Express

Sean Glover, Director of Royalty Administration, Sound Exchange

Omara Harris, Attorney

Rasheed Muhammad, VP Music Private Banking, Sun Trust Banks Inc.

Daniel Stuart, Attorney, Manatt, Phelps and Phillips

4:30pm - 5:45pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

REGGAETON: FAD OR LASTING FORCE?

The music industry's current hot commodity is the Latin rap/reggae hybrid, Reggaeton. Rap icons Jay-Z and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs are jumping into the mix with Latin rap divisions and reggaeton-formatted radio stations are popping up coast-to-coast. Key players in the reggaeton movement will assess the reasons behind the music's burgeoning popularity, its appeal to the urban rap audience and its ultimate staying power.

Panelists:

Anthony Perez, President, The Roof Records/Perfect Image Productions

Gus Lopez, President, Machete Music

Hector El Bambino, Artist, GoldStar Music

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Venetian Ballroom & Garden

WELCOME RECEPTION

Co-sponsored by AURN & GSAT/The Lowery Group

with LIVE performance by

HECTOR "EL BAMBINO"

YUNG KING PINZ

& BUCKSHOT

Thursday, August 4th

9:30am - 4:30pm

Windsor Ballroom Foyer

REGISTRATION

10:00am - 11:15am

Windsor Ballroom AB

BRANDING POWER: Marketing experts and corporate reps discuss strategies for aligning urban artists with corporate America. This panel will also explore how to pitch companies for sponsorship and how to effectively use a successful corporate partnership to raise an artist's profile.

Moderator

Erin Patton, President, The Mastermind Group

Panelists:

Errin Cecil-Smith, Vice President Marketing, AND 1

Edward P. Foy Jr., CEO, eFashion Solutions, LLC

Scott Hunter Smith, Director, Coca-Cola Global Brand Team, Coca-Cola Company

Munson Steed, CEO/President, STeed Media Group/Rolling Out Urban Style Weekly

11:30am - 12:45pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

THE DIGITAL DIALOUGES: Ringtones. Downloads. Mobile distribution vs. Online. In this digitally driven age, there are more avenues than ever to get your music heard and sold. Providers, carriers, label execs and traditional retailers square off on their roles in the digital evolution.

Moderator: Terry Bello, Founder, Groovenation/ Soul Lounge

Panelists:

Jonathan Dworkin, Vice President, A&R, Lagardere Active North America

Andrea Jacobs, Royalties/Digital Specialist, EMI Music Group/ AJ Media Group

Mike Johns, CEO, Urban World Wireless

LaSean Smith, Sr. Product Manager/Media Solutions, Motorola

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Venetian Ballroom

LIVE ARTIST SHOWCASE AND LUNCH:

Feast your eyes and ears on the freshest, hottest new talent on the R&B and Hip-Hop fronts including:

Compozitionz, Strategic Alliance Entertainment

DuVal, Carolantic Management Group

Kia, A List Artist Management

Justyn Matthew, Decade Records

Michelle Renee, Jadamour Music

Samm, ETU Entertainment

2:30pm - 3:45pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

ASCAP SUPER PRODUCERS WORKSHOP: Successful producers/ songwriters share their perspectives on the state of the industry, how to break into and stay in the business plus what's ahead musically.

Moderator: Jay Sloan, ASCAP

4:00pm-5:15pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

BETWEEN THE SHEETS: Traditional radio's long-running love affair with consumers is being compromised by the iPod, satellite radio, the internet and cable radio. Executives from the various sectors discuss how to share the consumer's bed- and still remain profitable.

Moderator: Kevin Fleming, Editor/Publisher, The Urban Buzz

Panelists:

Atri Chatterjee, VP Marketing & Business Development, Mercora

Lisa Ivery, Program Director, XM Satellite Radio

Lamonda Williams, Director Urban Programming, Music Choice

5:15pm - 6:15pm

Venetian Ballroom

LIVE ARTIST SHOWCASE & HAPPY HOUR

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Buckhead Grand 3338 Peachtree Rd. 2nd Floor

BMI presents...Fun In The Sun Pool Party

Featuring: DJ Ruckus

Friday, August 5

11:00am - 2:00pm

REGISTRATION

Lanyards sponsored by SESAC

11:00am - 12:00pm

Windsor Ballroom C

EXPERT CONVERSATION: How do I secure publishing and distribution? What do I look for when hiring a pr/marketing consultant? Here's the chance to query experts from all sectors of the music industry. Following a brief introduction, conference attendees can cruise among roundtables manned by key industry players in the fields of publishing, distribution, promotion, public relations, A&R and radio programming.

Moderator: Gail Mitchell, Senior Editor R&B/Hip Hop Billboard

Panelists:

Chris Ayears, Director of urban Sales & Marketing, Fontana Distribution

John Battaglia Jr., Founder/ President, Rockstar Image

Gordon Chambers, Songwriter/ Producer, Chamber Music

Sean Garrett, Producer, HITCO Music

James Leach, Director/ Writer/ Publisher Relations, SESAC

Kawan "KP" Prather, Sr. VP of A&R/Sony Urban Music

Steve Pritchitt, GM, Fontana Distribution

Helen Shelton, Executive Vice President, Ruder Finn Arts & Communications Counselors

Blue Williams, President, Family Tree Entertainment

Jennifer A. Williams, Owner, J. Sharpe Agency PR

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

THE BILLBOARD Q&A

1:00pm - 2:30pm

Windsor Ballroom AB

THE TEEN BEAT 411: What do teens really crave when it comes to R&B/Hip-Hop music? Get a candid look at what shapes their tastes, how they acquire music, their take on the ringtone explosion as well as other lifestyle habits of this coveted demo.

Moderator: Gail Mitchell, Senior Editor R&B Hip/Hop, Billboard

Teens:

Daneille J. Anderson

Simone O. Davis

Adriano Gomez

Brian Vickers

Brittany White

7:00pm

COMPOUND (1008 Brady Avenue)

THE BILLBOARD R&B/HIP HOP AWARDS SHOW

Join us as we honor the best in R&B and Hip-Hop

including special Founder Awards presentations.

Please note : Compound’s dress code is strictly enforced during regular “club hours”. If you plan to stay at the club after the awards, please note : No sneakers, athletic gear or hats.

For full info and registration details please visit http://www.billboardevents.com/billboardevents/rb/2005/index.jsp