Tamworth to strike a chord at music convention

A voice from Australia’s Country Music Capital will be among those heard at the world’s largest music cities conference in the United States next month.

Tamworth Regional Councillors tonight authorised the Director Business and Community, John Sommerlad, to attend the Music Cities Convention in Lafayette, Louisiana on 11 and 12 October, 2018.

They also authorised Mr Sommerlad to visit a number of other locations in Tennessee, South Dakota and Denver to investigate some economic development opportunities.

Mr Sommerlad was invited to speak at the Music Cities Convention which is attended by worldwide leaders of government, cities and regions, academics, organisations and people from within the music industry.

“It’s a huge honour for Tamworth to have the opportunity to be front and centre with an international audience at the Music Cities Convention,” he said. “It showcases best practices on the use of music, and all its variants, to grow the economy and improve city life.

“For Tamworth to be invited to add to that agenda is a real positive for our brand as Australia’s Country Music Capital.’’

The Music Cities Convention has been held six times previously in Europe and North America and has attracted attendees from more than 220 cities and 40 countries. 

Mr Sommerlad’s economic development research will build on work undertake during previous trips which has helped develop key focus areas for Council to grow the regional economy which are identified in the Tamworth Regional Economic Development Strategy – Tamworth Tomorrow.

Among the meetings Mr Sommerlad will attend is one with the Chief Executive Officer of the Dollywood Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Foundation was formed by award-winning singer songwriter, Dolly Parton, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is one of its key initiatives.

Tamworth Regional Council also decided tonight to establish the Imagination Library - a project which helps improve the literacy of young children – in the local area. It will provide a free book each month to registered children under the age of five and will start in January next year.

Mr Sommerlad’s investigation of event driven economic opportunities is seen as timely as Council looks for ways to support any financial recovery of the Region from the current drought.