ASCAP, the world leader in performing rights and advocacy for music creators, today announced that its 13th annual ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO will take place May 7 - 9, 2018 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.  

The United States’ largest conference for songwriters, composers, artists and producers, ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO offers a rare opportunity for aspiring music creators to learn from and collaborate with some of the most successful and creative people in the music industry. 

"When we started the ASCAP EXPO, the vision was always to create a sense of community and offer songwriters a chance to network and hear from their peers and idols. One of our EXPO high points was the presentation last year of the inaugural ASCAP “Key of Life” Award to Stevie Wonder and the chance to hear him perform and talk about his life and music,” said ASCAP Executive Vice President/ Chief Marketing Officer Lauren Iossa. “That was an incredible moment, and every year EXPO attendees have one-of-a-kind opportunities like this to be inspired to take the next step in their careers.” 

Other highlights included thrilling performances at ASCAP’s Annual Membership Meeting from Grammy and ASCAP Award-winning singer-songwriter Michael McDonald and chart-topping country music songwriter Ashley Gorley. During the three-day event, attendees also heard from other top songwriters such as Dave Bassett (Elle King, “Ex’s & Oh’s”), Poo Bear (Justin Bieber, Usher, Chris Brown), Bibi Bourelly (Rihanna), James Fauntleroy (Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars), J.T. Harding (Kenny Chesney, “Bar at the End of the World,” “Somewhere with You” Keith Urban), Matt Jenkins (Kenny Chesney, Pink, Old Dominion), Lindy Robbins (Jason Derulo, “Want to Want Me”), Malik Yusef (Beyoncé, Kanye West) and more. Weighty topics were also covered, such as the urgent need for music licensing reform with two members of Congress, Rep. Karen Bass of California (D) and Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia (R), ASCAP President Paul Williams and songwriter Priscilla Renea (Fifth Harmony, Selena Gomez); and the growing concern about proper credit for songwriters with Songwriters Hall of Fame member Desmond Child, songwriter Aloe Blacc and composer Alex Shapiro.

Every year, ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO participants attend creative and business-focused panels, workshops, master classes, keynotes, one-on-one sessions, networking events, state-of-the-art technology demonstrations and performances. The ASCAP EXPO provides music creators with an unforgettable and authentic experience – real knowledge, tools, connections and a community of support and guidance they can’t find anywhere else.

Since its inception, the event has brought together some of music’s biggest talents and most successful industry players. Previous keynote speakers include Justin Timberlake, Tom Petty, John Mayer, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Quincy Jones, Ludacris, Carly Simon, Sara Bareilles, Lindsey Buckingham, Randy Newman, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller, Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart), Diplo, Big Sean, Ne-Yo, Stargate, Bill Withers, Aloe Blacc, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Jeff Lynne.

For at peek at the experience, check out a short ASCAP EXPO video at https://youtu.be/hvqOllpspwM, visit https://www.ascap.com/expo, follow EXPO on Facebook or at @ASCAPEXPO on Twitter and Instagram. Registration for the 2018 event will be announced at a later date. 

ASCAP also makes videos of the 2017 ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO panels available to previous attendees for free. Non-attendees can purchase access for $99. For more information visit: https://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/expo/2017/videoaccess.

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With more than 625,000 members representing more than 10 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.