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Designed to help you step away from daily distractions and dive deep into your music management business. This retreat offers a unique opportunity for professional development through facilitated work with other managers, master classes in negotiation, financial planning, and strategic thinking.

Retreat Details: 

• Dates: 22nd – 24th January 2025
• Location: The George in Rye – 98 High Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7JT
• Cost: £500 (plus VAT) per person
• Includes:
  • All retreat development sessions and workshops
  • Private room for 2 nights at The George in Rye “100 Best Places to Stay in Britain for 2023” The Times 
  • All meals
  • This event is 50% discounted subsidised by MMF with a donation from PPL Giving

Please note that travel expenses are your responsibility. A small number of travel bursaries are available for those travelling a significant distance. 

Retreat outcomes

• A strong understanding of your personal leadership style
• A network of managers at a similar level working across the UK in a breath of genres with insights into different music management models
• Refined skills in negotiation, financial planning, accounting, investment and wealth management 
• A greater knowledge of the importance of mental health, nutrition and wellbeing 
• Building trusted business relationships with artists and partners

Important Dates:

• Expression of Interest Deadline: 11th October 2025
• Full Payment Due: 3rd January 2025
• Cancellation policy. 50% is refundable if paid in full and you need to have cancelled before 3rd January 2025

Spaces are limited to ensure a deep and meaningful experience. The MMF reserves the right to approve attendance based on a short needs assessment to determine suitability for the program based on your current business level.

If you wish to be considered for this unique opportunity, please complete the Expression of Interest Form by the deadline. We look forward to potentially welcoming you to this enriching retreat.

Sample Programme – Subject to change

Wednesday 20th January 2025 – Friday 22nd January 2025
Day 1 – 22nd Jan 12pm
The first day will start with a workshop exploring your personal and company finances, your relationship to money and an honest group conversation about objectives and expectations for the retreat.
We will then kick off with a professional business coach and facilitator leading a series of discovery sessions on what leadership, entrepreneurialism and growth mean for you and your business. Break out sessions will allow participants to uncover and share their own goals with others in the group, gain personal insight into core motivations in business while also uncovering new ideas and targets and solutions with other advanced managers on a similar path to next level success. The day ends with dinner followed by conversation and drinks and an optional night walk with star-gazing before bed.

Day 2 – 23rd Jan
The second day kicks off with a series of optional morning wellness options (yoga) followed by breakfast at the hotel before a morning of management skills workshops including; developing your leadership skills, communicating your vision, motivating teams and raising finance. After a light lunch the afternoon is filled with visiting speakers covering music finance, consumer and international market future-gazing insights. Day 2 ends with a 2 course dinner with a selection of invited guests and the night ends with drinks at the hotel.

Day 3 – 24th Jan
The final day begins with a group breakfast followed by morning talks with advice to grow your business, personal reflections and your commitments to next steps to carry out after the retreat. We end with a closing exclusive guest speaker, light group lunch and departures on the way back to the station before returning home at 1pm.

Peter Leathem OBE, CEO of PPL said:

“Talented artists need talented managers to help build and grow sustainable music careers. This retreat is a fantastic opportunity for managers to take time away from their day-to-day and spend time learning from industry experts and peers as well as developing essential skills to improve their management and leadership style. Those attending will walk away with new skills to navigate the ever-changing music landscape and with more resilience for themselves and the artists they represent.”

Hannah Joseph, Decibelle Management, PPL Board Member, MMF Member shared:

“I had a brilliant time on the Advanced Manager Retreat and am pleased PPL can support its growth. For me it provided the ‘step off, regroup and reflecting time’ that I was in need of – and I think is beneficial for all managers periodically but that perhaps we don’t allow ourselves ! It was very well curated – mixing a diverse range of managers from all walks of the industry, all with unique experiences, in an environment where it was possible to share freely and open up. It provided the opportunity to indulge in alternative aspects of our work, including a focus on wellbeing and peer support, as well as inspirational business opportunities and thought-provoking discussions from both the guest speakers and also fellow managers. As with most MMF events, it also created several lifelong friends/ contacts which have already proven incredibly valuable. I thoroughly recommend the MMF retreat to anyone looking for a space to reflect, refocus and re-energise – do yourself a favour and sign up !!”

Paul Bonham, Professional Development Manager, MMF:

“Making time for oneself is possibly the hardest thing for a manager spinning multiple plates every moment to achieve. Across the 6 years of Accelerator, and in our pilot year of the Advanced Manager Retreat the MMF have realised the importance of creating opportunities for music managers to get together and make time to get under the skin of their business needs, personal ambitions and drives. We are really thankful to PPL and Arts Council England in supporting this activity to keep costs as low as possible and supporting the growth of music management businesses.”

Previous participant feedback

Stephen Budd, Stephen Budd Management:

“The retreat was really informative and interesting. We dove down a lot deeper than you would at a typical networking event, and having 3 days together really allows you to share knowledge and learnings that perhaps you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do. The speakers had some really useful information to share – not only on a technical management basis, but also around the psychology of building a business.”

Katherine Hogarth, 5B Artists & Media:

“The genre that I work in – heavy metal – can be very isolated, and everyone keeps themselves to themselves. While I’m very connected within that genre, I rarely speak to artist managers outside that lane. So it’s been super refreshing to liaise with this group, and it’s been reassuring that we’ve all got the same concerns and we’re all fighting the same battles. It’s not like a normal networking event, and during the first task we were told that we’re going to have to open up and be vulnerable, and that’s not what I expected at all. It’s been hugely beneficial for my personal development, and a real success as an event.”

Dan Garber, TAPE rec:

“The experience has been really insightful, and probably one of the biggest things has just been to share a collective space and realise that we’re all in the same boat and there’s so many experiences, worries, concerns and talents we all share. It’s been really validating. The experts we’ve interacted with have discussed everything from finance to mental health, and for such a concentrated amount of time we’ve covered a lot of ground. It’s totally different to a network event, because you’re making proper connections. You’re not trying to sell yourself, we’ve all been very vulnerable right from the start with opening up. In terms of the next one, I’m going to be selfish. I’m not going to recommend it, I’m just going to sign up and do it again.”

Maija Rivenburg, Kipepeo Agency:

“The retreat has been really successful, and it’s been really great to connect with other managers and feel the camaraderie that you’re not alone. For me the most insightful sessions were those on the hardware and software of leadership. I have my own company and have four people working for me, and I’ve never studied how to run a business. The whole experience has made me reevaluate how I do things.”