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The first ever Vinyl World Congress launches in Brighton this summer

All of the major stakeholders under one roof...

With vinyl sales continuing to rise, Brighton will host the world's first ever Vinyl World Congress which aims to bring the vinyl manufacturing industry together under one roof.

The conference will focus on the format's continued resurgence, issues surrounding lead times and the growing need to facilitate trade and co-operation within the industry.

The first event, taking place 15th-16th May 2018 at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, UK is sponsored by the machine manufacturers Pheenix Alpha, Viryl Technologies, Newbilt Machinery, Dugdale and CAF.

All of the manufacturers will be demonstrating their machines and products for prospective record labels, managers and investors who want to bring vinyl manufacturing in-house or expand globally.

During the three-day conference, there will live demonstrations of the latest vinyl manufacturing machines, which cost anywhere from £150,000 to £300,000 depending on specs.

There will be speakers from all the major stakeholders in the music industry including Universal, Sony & Warner as well as Ninja Tune, PIAS, XL Recording, Cooking Vinyl and more.

Trade associations from the music industry will be well represented too, with the likes of BPI, MMA, ERA and AIM all confirmed to be in attendance.

The conference will also take a deep dive into future threats to the sector, including the possible impact of Brexit on the vinyl manufacturing sector.

The event's Director, Connolly Mellon said: “Demand for vinyl is higher than it’s ever been with lead times between 2-6 months for some to get it manufactured.

“Both ends of the spectrum (indie and major) have different concerns about the future but right now it’s happy days for most manufacturers. We want to see more pressing plants in Asia, South America, Africa, BRIC and beyond, that is where the untapped potential is.”

In addition, Vinyl World Congress is planning a Japanese edition which will launch in Tokyo in October, with a Latin American event in Brazil pencilled in for 2019.

For tickets and more information head here.