The Business of Music: Celebrating 10 Years
Music & Tech Conference & Showcase Festival
October 14-17, 2025
Mondo.NYC Speaker
Grace Blake
Programming Director, City Winery NYC, Pier 57 and Hudson Valley
Grace Blake is a music industry veteran who brings her many years of management and programming, artist relations, talent buying and production to her role as Programming Director at City Winery NYC, Pier 57 and City Winery Hudson Valley. During her previous tenure as Director of Operations, Artist Relations and Programming at The Iridium in Times Square she was recognized and inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame as a Great Music Manager & Promoter.
Blake is the producer of two award winning PBS series “Front and Center” and “Speakeasy,” which featured performances by superstar talent such as Shawn Mendes, Sting, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark, Jr., Liam Gallagher and many more. She also produced season one of MTV Live Set List, with performances by Dua Lipa, Kaleo, Børns, Léon and more, prior to playing bigger stages.
Blake is currently serving her third term as a Board member for NIVA (National Independent Venues Association) and has been an actively involved in NIVA Insurance, Commercial and Healthcare. Since May of 2020, Blake has served as Co-Executive Director of My Good (mygood.org), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization she co-founded with Charyn Harris and Grammy award singer Macy Gray, to provide support, mental health services and legal resources for the mothers and families who have lost loved ones due to police violence and brutality. My Good is not an anti-police organization.
Blake was recognized by Pollstar as one of 2022 Women of Live honorees and again in 2024 for Black Women Executives in the Pollstar February issue.
Born in Jamaica, raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Blake is one of the most respected music industry veterans worldwide.
Indie Stages, Emerging Artists: Securing the Future of the Live Sector
10/17/24, 4:00 PM
This panel will investigate the importance of independent venues, promoters, and festivals for local communities and up-and-coming artists. Hear directly from emerging talent and industry experts as they discuss preserving these spaces and promoting competition in the live sector amidst growing market dominance. And, learn how the new “Certified Live Independent” Program is enhancing the visibility and credibility of independent stages across the country.
Build your Booking Network Through Creative Local Opportunities
10/13/23, 5:00 PM
Booking shows in any city can sometimes feel like a crap shoot. Knowing where to seek opportunities that build out your booking network helps ensure you create valuable relationships and a range of local fans. Learn from a variety of players in the live music landscape including independent venues, community programming, cultural institutes, etc. about how they approach programming, what relationships lead to more opportunities and why supporting micro music communities are always a win.
Not every artist will sell out ticketed shows or make money from streams. But there are live booking opportunities that help ensure you can solidify an anchor date in a city market.
Unscrewing the Fans: Live Event Industry Changes on the Horizon
10/12/23, 4:00 PM
In the year of the $1,000 concert ticket, the world at large has added insight into deceptive ticketing practices. Fans now expect to be overcharged, erroneously thinking the artist, promoter, or ticketing company is benefiting from the inflated costs. But who really is? These stakeholders across the live event industry discuss the tools being used, and changes on the horizon that make it easier for fans to see shows at the prices the artist sets.
The State of the Music Business: Live Music’s Long Road Back to Normal
10/11/22, 2:00 PM
After a harrowing couple of years for the live-entertainment industry, the coronavirus has diminished and artists and festivals are back at nearly full strength. But with a glut of tours and festivals competing for limited fan budgets amid record-high ticket prices and an uncertain economy, how is it all going? We kick off Mondo 2022 with live music leaders and what promises to be a lively -- and important -- discussion.
NIVA Presents Building Back Better pt. 2: Being a Better Neighbor
10/15/21, 7:00 PM
Independent music and entertainment venues are for the community by the community; every day, their owners and staff do much more than entertain us. Join venue leaders from all over the country as they discuss how they became anchors of their community, what it takes to be a good neighbor, and how they are working to build back better post-pandemic.