Shaggy Chairs Industry-Facing Island Music Conference Day One in New Kingston

“Despite a snowstorm raging thousands of miles away in New York, the fourth staging of Island Music Conference opened on Wednesday to a packed Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston, proof that neither weather nor distance could cool the momentum of an industry in motion.” That sentence, printed in the Jamaica Observer, set the tone for Day 1 of the industry-facing Island Music Conference chaired by Orville “Shaggy” Burrell on Wednesday, Feb 25.

IMC’s opening day carried a stated emphasis: “the influencer economy, talent ownership, and practical networking strategies for Caribbean creatives.” The official programme positioned those themes front and centre and scheduled four core panels between 10:00 AM and 3:30 PM to tackle how creators convert visibility into long-term control and revenue.

The 10:00 to 11:00 AM session, Mastering the Art of Influencer Entrepreneurship, was listed on the IMC schedule with panelists JAII FRAIS, Blaise Ffrench, Grace “Spice” Hamilton, Wayne Marshall as host, and NOAH POWA. A Jamaica Observer photo caption for that same session names Jaii Frais, Spice, Noah Powa, Becca Dudley, and host content creator Wayne Marshall onstage, with the photo credited to Joseph Wellington. The programme and the photo caption disagree on Blaise Ffrench and Becca Dudley; both appear in the source material and the line-up discrepancy remains on the record.

IMC’s midmorning and afternoon panels laid out practical marketing and publishing pathways. New Rules for Marketing ran from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM with David Miller of Sevengrand Ent., Terrence “Hustle Simmons” Randolph of Agency 3-2, Portia Clarke of BET UK and Founder of Aisle Forty Four, Dee Sonoram of Brooklyn Knights Ent, Shauna James of Atlantic Records, and Tina Matalon as host representing Restaurants of Jamaica. Breaking into Publishing met from 1:00 to 2:00 PM with Jon Baker of Gee Street Records / Geejam Studios, Ethan Baer of Warner Chappell Music, and host Nigel Telesford. The Power of Global Radio Play closed the core programme from 2:30 to 3:30 PM with Paul “Mastermind” Pahar of VIBE 105, H.B. Monte, and Steve Billings of Sun City 104.9 FM.

Parallel to the panels, IMC ran a Songwriters Workshop described as “designed to equip songwriters with practical skills, creative insight, and exposure to today’s music-making tools and technologies. The workshop provides focused instruction and guidance aimed at developing songwriting techniques, enhancing creativity, and strengthening participants’ ability to write for today’s global music market.” The workshop listed Brandon Bakshi as Workshop Director, described as “an experienced music industry executive with a strong background in managing relationships with international songwriters, composers, and music publishers. His extensive experience includes overseeing high-profile programs and events such as the BMI London Awards and the BMI at Abbey Road Songwriters Sessions.” Tasha Thorbourne was named Assistant Director and is described as “an accomplished singer and songwriter best known as a former member of the group Brick & Lace, where she played a key role in the group’s songwriting and creative direction.”

Jamaica Observer framed the day as one that “laid bare the evolving realities of modern entrepreneurship, challenging creatives to rethink how they engage with visibility, branding, and power.” Echoing that, the paper recorded a summation from panellists: “By emphasising ownership over endorsement, personality over performance, and discipline over impulse, panellists offered a blueprint for navigating the influencer economy with purpose.” IMC’s programme page also signals continuity: “UP NEXT: THURS, FEB 26:: DAY 2,” with more sessions and the conference’s practical focus set to continue on Thursday, Feb 26.