BIME Bogota Returns to Elevate Latin American Music on the World Stage

By 07 May, 2023

BIME opened its doors to over 2,000 professionals who gathered at the Ean University from 3rd to 5th May. The event was inaugurated by various officials and the festival included over 50 concerts spread across five stages in the San Felipe Creative District and The Ghetto Project. The second edition of BIME in Latin America and the 12th in the world had a diverse and intense five-day program that included knowledge-sharing, networking, concerts, and over 100 activities for professionals, artists, institutions, companies and media from over 50 countries to encourage them to do business, debate and build the future of an expanding industry.

Felipe Jaramillo, Catalina Valencia, Ruben Irisarri, Brigitte Baptiste, Victor Francos

BIME brought together professionals from Europe and America in a necessary dialogue, maintaining a strong spirit and commitment to establishing routes that facilitate and multiply artistic and professional flows between both continents. The meeting was inaugurated by people from different backgrounds, including the rector of the Universidad Ean, the Secretary General of Culture and Sport of the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Spain, who emphasized the importance of the music industry in promoting the economy and reflecting cultural diversity. The Director of BIME also highlighted the responsibility of the industry towards issues such as equality, sustainability, innovation, rights, and education. The Director of BIME in Bogotá emphasized the event’s role as a platform for artists, producers, start-ups, students, entrepreneurs, and professionals to showcase their work, exchange experiences, connect, and establish alliances that will bear fruit in future events and festivals around the world.

Maria Becerra, Jessie Reyes and Leila Cobo

The first activities of the BIME Music Equality Forum began at the University Ean. In one of the panels, journalist and writer Leila Cobo presented a discussion on “What is really the empowerment of women in music today – the sexualization of women,” with the participation of artists Jessie Reyez and María Becerra. Another conversation, presented by Women in Music Colombia, featured Madame Periné, Kany García, and other prominent women in the industry, discussing the tangible and concrete impact of Latin women artists on positive change, inclusion, and gender parity in the music industry. Colombian producer Lex Borrero also participated in a panel where he talked about his beginnings in NYC, his first projects, and the creation of his company, Neon16, which has worked with artists such as J.Balvin, Selena Gomez, and Bad Bunny. These events served as a prelude to the Billboard’s “Mujeres Latinas en la Música” gala.

The BIME PRO conference also started with networking activities such as networking cocktails, business rounds, and pitch sessions, as well as workshops and masterclasses on topics such as sustainability, music supervisors, mental health, and web 3.0 and AI. More than 150 media outlets from around the world covered the event, and BIME LIVE showcases featuring over 50 concerts took place in the San Felipe Creative District. The event also included various activities open to the public and a Vinyl Market with exclusive releases. The conference ran for five days, with both in-person and virtual attendance options available through the bime.org platform.

Stay tuned for our in depth coverage of BIME. You can check out the full schedule here.


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