Introduction

The biennial World Conference for Music Education is the biggest and most important event in this area. It is hosted by the International Society for Music Education and is affiliated with the UNESCO and the International Music Council. From August 1st to 6th 2010 the World Conference was held in China for the very first time. The concert and conference venues were located in the China National Convention Center and the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. As cooperative partner of the 29th ISME World Conference Organizing Group, Beijing Eurovista Arts Promotion Co., Ltd. (following: “Eurovista”) has taken care of the completed concert management and logistics of more than 1000 artists from 20 different nations, and another 1000 artists from different Chinese provinces. Eurovista was responsible for all performing groups, incl. selection, planning, logistics, advocacy, liaison, reception, concert-site services and other supportive activities for the overall project.

Project Duration and Working Fields

The entire project management process for Eurovista lasted for approximately 19 months, starting with a successful bidding as official concert management partner and the selection of the performing groups. The organisational work included: communicating continuously with all artists, dealing with all formalities for different institutions (Beijing Cultural Bureau, Chinese Ministry of Culture), obtaining performance permissions and visa notifications, translating all groups information into Chinese respectively English (incl. biographies, name lists, lyrics, instrument lists), negotiating with the Beijing Customs Office, setting up a complex rehearsal and concert schedule, planning transportation and logistics for all attending groups, assisting with single problems and requests, consulting the organizing committee about performers needs, briefing volunteers for performances, introducing different stage and equipment needs, setting up and designing stages according to particular requests, organizing instrument rental possibilities, providing basic travel information, helping out with visa problems, organising concerts and rehearsals and audience securities etc.

Statistics of Performing Groups

Nationalities: 20
Performing Groups: 

Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland,  Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey,United Kingdom, United States of America

Concerts at ISME: 57 (excl. Opening/Closing Ceremony, Special Events)
      Noon Concerts: (Time: 13.00-14.30)
Afternoon Concerts: (Time: 17.45-19.15)
   Evening Concerts: (Time: 20.30-22.00)

Artists: 897(Foreign groups)

Fringe Concerts:
Beijing Forbidden City Concert Hall
Tianjin Concert Hall
National Center for Performing Arts
798 Art District
Yantai Grand Theatre 

Feedback from groups

The feedback from the majority of the groups was extremely positive. In the future, some artists would also like to have more opportunities to meet other performing groups during the week. Potential conflicts were tried to be solved and communicated in advance: There occurred no problems regarding significant delays or over time playing. Due to a careful stage management, almost all requests of the groups could be met. 

Feedback from COG:
“Although Eurovista is a young company with all young people, but its high proficiency, efficiency of the team and enthusiasm to ISME insured a very successful concert management. We have never worried about this team and their work as ISME concert management.” –Yan Tuoshi

References:
Ira and I want to take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for all your help with the arrangements for our trip to ISME. From the outset, you were always responsive to our concerns and questions, and we greatly appreciated your patience and efficiency. It was an enormous job to organize the multitude of details for all the performing groups, and yet, you provided us with the individual attention we needed. (Nancy and Ira Shankman, New York University)

Just a short note to thank you for the assistance at the ISME Conference.  We certainly had a lot of communication in the months leading up and it made our experience all the better.  I know you were dealing with many foreign groups and special issues, so we appreciate the friendly help along the way. (Resta Craig, Bernardus – Ensemble for Medieval Music)

Just a quick note to say a very big thank you for everything you and the staff at Eurovista did to make our tour such a wonderful experience. All of the venues were absolutely fantastic, the sightseeing was amazing, the accommodation was (mostly) excellent and the guides were very friendly and accommodating. It was easily one of the smoothest and best organised tours we have ever done and the kids (and staff) had an absolutely wonderful time which I’m sure we will all remember for a very long time. (John Nolan, Sydney Children’s Choir)

Thank you for you and your Chinese staff’s efforts. As results we could succeed in our concert. Your comment at our waiting room was very impressive one for us. “You did a great work. You are Japanese music ambassador to music in the future.” I would like to quote your comment in my report. (Suguru Agata, Showa Academia Musicae Electronic Organ Ensemble)