CAN ONE SCHMOOZE AND SKI AT THE SAME TIME?

This year’s Aspen Artist Development Conference is inviting music industry leaders to its meetings in Aspen, Dec. 6-8 at The St. Regis Aspen.

This year’s marketing-themed conference will feature guest speakers such as New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell and Jon Spoelstra, a top name in sports marketing, who will discuss how selling Clippers car flags at shows will help Lenny Beer like your artists more.

Taking a hint from Herb Allen's media/technology "moguls" conference, the AADC will be focusing on social interaction. Attendees will have the ability to schmooze with each other on the ski slopes during the day, since meetings begin in the afternoon, after the ski lifts close and execs start feeling antsy for happy hour.

In the meetings, guests will be broken up into teams, which compete through marketing exercises and team building events like scavenger hunts, broom ball games and capture the flag competitions. At night, the conference holds social events that include cocktail parties and a dinner at the top of Aspen Mountain. Basically, it’s like those high school conferences your kids go to, spending thousands of your hard-earned dollars to pretend to learn something, but in reality, just wanting to get away for a few days to party with their friends.

Now in its sixth year, the AADC assembles managers, agents, record company executives, concert promoters, lawyers, business managers and others for discussions on developing talent. Rooms at the hotel must be booked through the AADC office. The AADC's enrollment is capped at 200 registrants to maintain its intimate, relaxed feel and keep someone from taking pictures of this seminar.