shesaid.so reveals full program and mentors at ADE 2023 featuring DESIREE, House Gospel Choir, Louie Vega, Meta, and More. shesaid.so, the global network for women, gender non-conforming people and allies in the music industry, reveals their full program at ADE this year. The jam-packed program includes a full day conference as part of the shesaid.so space in partnership with ADE Lab on Thursday October 19th at Lynk & Co featuring talent such as DESIREE, Kelli-Leigh, House Gospel Choir and Louie Vega; the “we.grow at ADE” mentoring program for 40 mentees and mentors that work at companies such as Atlantic Records, TikTok, M&C Saatchi and Ultra Publishing with support from Meta; the relaunch of the shesaid.so Amsterdam chapter on Friday, October 20th; and a full day of music curation as part of Cosmopolitan’s ADE Clubhouse on Saturday October 21st.

shesaid.so Founder, Andreea Magdalina, states: “We are excited to return to ADE and create an environment where the global ADE and shesaid.so communities can connect, learn from each other and experience the latest trends in music.”

“The shesaid.so space and mentoring program we.grow at ADE 2023 will give ADE attendees the opportunity to engage with ideas and people that are guided by values rooted in innovation, equity & intersectionality. You will learn, network and further your career in an environment that will nurture you professionally, creatively and on a personal level.”

Taking place on Thursday, October 19th at Lynk & Co the shesaid.so space at ADE 2023 will reflect key topics from the shesaid.so community – including workshops and discussions focused on technology, career development, music marketing and other music business trends; plus networking and showcasing opportunities featuring both local and global talent. The shesaid.so space is a part of Amsterdam Dance Event’s official program and is open to ADE Lab and Pro pass holders only.

To kick things off, Sizzer & Music Matters invite two established advertising industry leaders to discuss the intricacies of finding the right track for a commercial. The panel is rounded up by applying these learnings to tracks written during this years’ Sizzer x Music Matters women+ writing camp, hosted on the 16th and 17th of October.

Studio VRij follows with “Embracing Identities: Digital Selves in the Metaverse”, a panel discussion that takes a philosophical approach to delve into the profound questions surrounding identity in the Metaverse and how it shapes our behaviour towards one another in the digital realm. The installation ‘Oxytocina Machina’ will fuel this thought-provoking discussion as it enables visitors to experience the Metaverse and interact with one another, or even form intimate connections with strangers. Together with this installation, the panel talk delves into the very essence of who we are in the digital age, how we interact with others, and the profound implications of Metaverse design and emerging technologies on our identities.
Attendees will be able to experience additional VR and AR content in one of the venue’s private rooms on Quest headsets provided by Meta. These headsets will be pre-loaded with experience in music production, DJ tutorials, music-based gaming, wellness & meditation – much of this with passthrough technology that will enable you to experience the room in mixed reality.

The shesaid.so space program continues with a session on Meta Best Practices For Artists hosted by Liz Miller who is a part of the Artist Partnerships team out of New York; and a panel that explores the challenges faced by vocalists who work with electronic music, curated by House Gospel Choir and featuring Grammy winning producer & DJ Louie Vega and singer-songwriter Kelli-Leigh in conversation with HGC founder, Natalie Maddix.

To wrap up, we are excited to invite our shesaid.so South Africa chapter to curate a discussion on African mobility and empowering African DJs for global opportunities, in partnership with Ballantine’s. Speaking on this panel are Kenya’s Coco Em and South Africa’s DESIREE who will also close the shesaid.so space at ADE with two DJ performances as part of a networking event that includes free beverages for guests.

The we.grow at ADE mentoring program has now confirmed its 20 mentors and 20 mentees as well. Mentors include artists Tiffany Calver, Cristina Lazic and Manuka Honey as well as executives from companies such as Atlantic Records, TikTok, Meta and Ultra Publishing. A full list is provided below. The 40 participants will gather for the first time at ADE on Wednesday, October 18th as part of a private event for mentors and mentees powered by Meta.

On Friday afternoon, the team behind the shesaid.so Amsterdam chapter is hosting a mixer that marks the relaunch of the local community. Free to attend with RSVP from 3-5pm at the Fuga offices in the heart of Amsterdam. shesaid.so’s activities at ADE conclude on Saturday, October 21st with a full day of music and experiences at Cosmopolitan’s Clubhouse that is free to attend with RSVP.

shesaid.so has been working with ADE since 2017 with a focus on programming around diversity and inclusion in the music industry and a mentoring program that paired senior-level members from the shesaid.so community with mentees selected by ADE Lab (formerly known as ADE University). Since then, the team at shesaid.so started shifting their focus towards programming that investigates the music business and educates its community on topics that are designed with shesaid.so’s core values at heart: diversity & inclusion, collaboration, and transparency.

H/T N.M.