Denver to host Music Cities Convention in 2020

The Music Cities Convention, first held in Brighton, UK, in 2015, is going to Denver, Colorado, 23-25 September 2020. The event, which organisers claim is the largest conference in the world exploring the relationship between music and the built environment, will be held at the McNichols Building. Music Cities Convention has been held eight times across Europe, Australia, Asia and North America, bringing together 2,000+ attendees from over 280 cities and 45 countries. University of Colorado Denver professor Storm Gloor, who developed a course called Music Cities, which teaches how municipalities could benefit from the music economy, linked up with Denver venues and the university to bring the international convention to the city. Gloor’s idea of music cities was inspired by a presentation at South by Southwest by Shain Shapiro, founder of Sound Diplomacy, organiser of the Music Cities Convention, who spoke about the importance of fostering thriving music communities. Gloor said he wanted, “at a very high level, to be sure that our students at CU Denver were aware of what we’ve got going here. And I was hoping they would be involved in the future of our music economy.” The Red Rocks Amphitheatre (pictured) and innovative local non-profits like the Music District and Youth on Record are all part of a strong Denver DNA for hosting big music events. The Denver convention will be the 4th edition in the US and ninth global edition. Organisers expect 40 speakers and 300 delegates the September event.