The 2012 ABO Conference is now open for booking! Hosted by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and taking place from 18 - 20 January 2012 at the Marriott Hotel, Liverpool, our 27th Annual Conference takes as its theme, IMPACT.

A full and busy schedule of conference sessions that stretch right across the three days in Liverpool will see speakers and panellists leading vital discussions on the DCMS’s current research into measuring the value of culture, and will see a timely partnering with the Musicians’ Union to talk about performance review and CPD for orchestral musicians, culminating in a session that aims to improve everyone’s personal impact within their organisation, whether Chief Executive, manager or departmental assistant.

In addition we have developed full day’s streams for Marketing and Fundraising Managers to look at how to analyse and evaluate your audience and your organisation in order to maximise your investment in retaining and growing your audience and funding base. And the Education Managers will examine the latest policy developments in music education and hear the most up to date results of the RLPO’s celebrated and inspirational In Harmony project in West Everton.

After 3 years of being based in a concert hall, this year we return to a hotel based conference, staying and meeting at the Marriott Hotel, just opposite Lime Street Station and the Walker Art Gallery, right in the centre of Liverpool. Well appointed rooms, excellent 4 star facilities and a good room rate, along with a reduction in the cost of delegate places from last year, mean that a visit to the conference this year is an affordable must!

Click here to visit the conference pages and to book your place at the Early Booking Discount Rate.

October has been one of the busiest months in the ABO's history. Not only were we delighted to welcome our new Finance and Events Officer, Jenny Lomas, to the team, but it was all hands to the pump in order to pack and crate up the office to transfer it to our new suite at 32 Rose Street, where we have settled in with and been warmly welcomed by our colleagues at SOLT/TMA.

Despite the pressures of the move we also had Specialist Managers Meetings of Opera & Ballet Members, Development & Sponsorship Managers, Digital, Chamber Orchestras, and Concert & Orchestra Managers. Conference planning moved into its most complex phase as we finalised content and speaker invitations, web pages were written, and interviews given and copy written for the special conference edition of Classical Music magazine. And at the start of the month we held the last of our three fringe events, at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, in association with the Hallé and the ISM.

In addition to all this feverish beavering away, the ABO team also met with the following people on your behalf: Roger Neill; Rhinegold Publishing; Peninsula; La Playa; Orchestras Live; Claire Whitaker, Serious; ResPublica; Peter Gregson; Lexington Communications; Sarah Gee, Indigo; Creative & Cultural Skills; Cathy Graham, British Council; Dr Dave O'Brien. We also represented the ABO at ACEVO and NMC meetings, held a meeting of the the Sustainable Touring Steering Group, and attended the launch of LCACE's Cultural Capital Exchange, the ISM Corporate Members lunch, the memorial celebration for Richard Pulford, and the ACEVO conference on Impact.

We also attended the Royal Opera House season launch, the launch of City of London Sinfonia's Shaping the Future campaign, and concerts by RLPO at Classic FM Live, RCM, Ulster Orchestra and Scottish Ensemble.

The Autumn/Winter series of the ABO's popular Brass Tacks courses are now all confirmed and can be booked via the ABO website.

All that you ever wanted to know about fundraising but were afraid to ask!
22 November 2011, 10am - 5pm
Royal Over-Seas League, London SW1A 1LR

A workshop is tailored for fundraising beginners (who may not be working in a development department) and those who are simply interested in learning more about their colleagues' responsibilities.

Introduction to Press and PR

29 November 2011, 10am - 5pm
LSO St. Luke's, London EC1V 9NG

Introduction to Press and PR will explore how you can maximise media coverage and raise the profile of your organisation. The day will include practical exercises and real life examples. This course is suitable for people who need to deal with the media as part of their job, but haven’t received any formal training.

Finance for Non-Finance Managers

06 December 2011, 9.30 am - 4 pm
LSO St Luke’s, London EC1V 9NG

This one-day course is designed for managers who wish to understand financial reporting, both in annual accounts and in management accounts. It aims to demystify those areas which cause non-financial managers the most problems.

Introduction to Marketing

08 December 2011, 10am - 5.30pm
Mountbatten Room, Royal Over-Seas League, London SW1A 1LR

Introduction to Marketing will start by giving you an understanding of what marketing is and how it benefits an organisation. The day will include a number of practical exercises and various case studies. This course is suitable for people who are expected to ‘do’ marketing as part of their job, but haven’t received any formal training, for those who want to get into marketing and for those who are currently doing it and want a better grasp of the bigger picture.

For more information and to book your place on these events, please visit: www.abo.org.uk/Events/Brass-Tacks/ or email Jenny on jenny@abo.org.uk.

Please follow the links for details of events, training and networking opportunities offered by the Theatrical Management Association:

• Working Effectively with Creative People - Tuesday 8 November 2011
• IOSH Managing Safely: health and safety management within the performing arts - Monday 14 November 2011
• Managing Conflict with Customers - Tuesday 29 November 2011
• Pricing at the Cutting Edge - Wednesday 7 December 2011

For further information and to book your place or on any of these courses please visit www.tmauk.org/events or email events@solttma.co.uk or telephone 020 7557 6706.

Marketing standards …

• The AMA has contextualised the marketing National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the arts and cultural sector which means that for the first time the industry has a set of standards explaining the skills and knowledge marketers should have at each stage of their marketing career. Find them here: www.a-m-a.co.uk/tna
• In today’s rapidly changing world, keeping staff up to date with the latest skill, knowledge, theory and best-practice techniques in marketing and audience development has become crucial for arts organisations to stay relevant and meaningful to the audiences, visitors, and communities in which they work.

Training needs analysis …

• The AMA has also launched an online suite of Training Needs Analysis tools to enable people to compare their current skills and knowledge against the marketing standards. Tailored for the different levels of marketing these will have relevance for arts marketers throughout their career.
• AMA members can log in at www.a-m-a.co.uk/tna to complete the analysis one short module at a time and receive a summary of their strengths, current development needs, and potential future needs (in line with their aspirations).

The tools can be used to:

• Support training programmes, courses and workshops – click here to see the trainer’s toolkit for how to use the tools
• Support marketers’ appraisals, training plans and future career progression – see the marketer’s toolkit
• Plan marketing role/s and job descriptions and support appraisals / performance reviews – click here to refer to the employer’s toolkit introducing the tools to line managers etc. and click here for the job description template

Click www.a-m-a.co.uk/tna for the marketing standards and the training needs analysis for AMA members

The British Council is pleased to announce the launch of the 12th round of the Connections Development Grant. The grant will enable one member of staff from your organisation to visit your counterparts, with the aim of furthering the face-to-face discussions needed to develop projects between you and your counterparts. The deadline for applications is Sunday 13 November 2011 for visits taking place between February 2012 and July 2012. Applicants will be notified on Monday 19 December 2012. Please click here to read more.

Arts Council England has published details of how it will invest £440 million of strategic funding between 2012 and 2015, including two new programmes for Capital and Touring.

The new Arts Council Plan sets out in more detail how it will use strategic funds to achieve its aims over the next four years as it works towards its 10 year goals. You can read the plan here.

29th January is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Delius

Join in the celebrations!

Frederick Delius (1862–1934) is considered to be a true cosmopolitan composer, greatly influenced by the places he visited, particularly Florida, Scandinavia, and France where he finally settled, and much of his music is inspired by the literature and natural world of these surroundings.  Delius composed in all forms – operas, orchestral, choral, concertos, chamber works and songs. Concerts, events and a large number of new recordings are already being planned in honour of this remarkable and individual Bradford-born composer.

If you are able to include some Delius in your festival programmes the Delius Society can support you by: 

• providing lists of compositions and arrangements, with forces required and publisher, in all categories, see: www.delius.org.uk/2012.htm
• promoting your concerts on our website and in our Journals and Newsletters
• providing information on Delius, his life and music
• suggesting musicians who regularly perform Delius, see: www.delius.org.uk/2012.htm
• providing you with leaflets promoting the Anniversary

For more information visit: www.delius.org.uk or contact Michael Green, ViceChairman@ThedeliusSociety.org.uk, who will be delighted to hear from you at any time.

For information on some of the commemorative events already planned are please visit: www.delius.org.uk/forthcomingconcerts.htm

Delius Society members receive a Journal and Newsletter, published twice-yearly, and regular events are hosted.  The AGM is often combined with a ‘Delius Weekend’ where members also enjoy recitals, talks and films.  With the aim of encouraging young musicians, the Society organises an annual Delius Prize competition.

Claire Barton has taken over as Development Manager at London Sinfonietta.

Debbra Walters has joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as Orchestra Manager.

Max Puller is the new Administrator & Development Officer at Vacation Chamber Orchestras.