London, New York, and soon Asia: Venues for the Art Business Conference with director Louise Hamlin

BARELY RECOVERED FROM THE MASSIVE AUDIENCE AND ENTHUSIASM OF THE LONDON ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE ON SEPTEMBER 4th, LOUISE HAMLIN, FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER OF THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE, IS PLANNING THE NEW YORK SPEAKER PANELS AND AGENDA. THE NEW YORK CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE TIME WARNER BUILDING IN MANHATTAN NEXT APRIL 2019.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE LRFA BLOG WILL CONTINUE ITS INTERVIEW WITH LOUISE ABOUT THE CURRENT PROGRAMMING AND HER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CONFERENCE. YOU COULD HARDLY IMAGINE THAT A WOMAN OF THE CALIBER AND ENERGY OF LOUISE HAMLIN WOULD STOP AT TWO VENUES.  READ ON!

IN THE CONFERENCE, SPEAKERS EXPLORE WHY PEOPLE BUY OBJECTS, ART WORKS AND ANTIQUES. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE DOMINANT REASONS?  HAVE THEY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS FROM A COLLECTOR ZEAL TO ONE MORE FOCUSED ON ART AS AN ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT?

There will always be collectors but there are an increasing number of other groups buying art, including those looking to make alternative investments.  The internet has made the art market accessible to all and more and more businesses are ready to provide services which will help buyers make informed choices. 

Such examples recently highlighted at the NY conference in April, were The Magnus App, which works like Shazam for art, founded by art market economist and entrepreneur Magnus Resch, is a good example of the art world accommodating the consumer.  Jennifer Deason, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Strategy & Corporate Development at Sotheby’s made some fascinating insights on Taste Profiling in the Art Market in her closing address.  Art is evocative and inspiring – there will always be buyers – but understanding their needs and educating them will only help to broaden the buying market and this is key.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN THE ACQUISITIONS IN THE UK AND THE US AND HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THEY MIGHT CHANGE? WILL THEY LOOSEN OR TIGHTEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

Wow tough question! And as I am not an expert on this, I consult with the conference legal and tax & accounting sponsors who are best placed to advise on this.  In fact, there was just a session on Anti-Money Laundering at the London conference on Tuesday. I also consult with the heads of the Trade Associations to see how we can best to shape presentations to make them relevant and useful for art businesses.

GLOBALIZATION MAKES IT IMPERATIVE THAT WE CAN TRADE INTERNATIONALLY IN ART AND ANTIQUES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES IN TERMS OF BREXIT AND U.S TARIFFS?

Leslie, I think you might have just offered me a topic for the NY Conference in 2019?  As it’s something I can’t answer….perhaps we should include this next year?

LVR: AND ALSO THE TOPIC OF US AND CHINA TARIFFS AND HOW THEY ARE AFFECTING THE ART MARKET! I’D LOVE A PANEL ON THAT.

THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THE ART MARKET, THE INSURANCE, THE SHIPPING, THE TRANSPORT, ARE CRUCIAL TO THE BUSINESS? HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE BEST PEOPLE IN EACH OF THESE AREAS OF THE INDUSTRY TO SPEAK AT THE CONFERENCE.

My years at The Art Newspaper certainly helped provide me with a nice list of contacts, but there are also a number of trade associations in the Art Market whose members all have to adhere to strict guidelines of best practice.  Many of our speakers are members of these associations including APAA, PAIAM and CINOA.

IN APRIL 2018, THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING TOPICS, SUPPORTED BY KNOWLEDGEABLE SPEAKERS IN EACH FIELD.

Art Market Principles and Best Practices

This session opened with a presentation by Noah Horowitz, Director of Art Basel Americas, who defined these sets of principles and their implications for exhibitors. This was followed by a panel discussion exploring the codes of conduct and best practices that already exist in the US art market and looked at what can be done to improve standards in the industry for the future. 

Protecting an Artist’s Legacy

This session offered practical advice for artists’ estates and foundations and explored how technology is working to support artists and their estates. 

Traveling Exhibitions

This session explored the planning process behind travelling exhibitions from the museum perspective, discussed changing trends and how technology is assisting the evolution of travelling exhibitions globally.  The panel also examined best practice when loaning to traveling exhibitions focusing on insurance and contracts.  

The Future of Collecting

How will the next generation collect Art, Antiques and Collectables?  

Cybercriminals in the art world

This interactive workshop offered guidance on proactive measures art businesses can take to protect themselves and covered the following areas: the Human Firewall – training staff to detect and respond appropriately to threats, invoice fraud, password hygiene, shadow IT. Plus GDPR – the largest shake-up in data protection for 20 years, and what it means for US art organisations.

DO YOU FORESEE THE GROWTH OF THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE TO INCLUDE HONG KONG, OR SHANGHAI OR ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL SITES?

Yes absolutely, I am working on developing the conference in the Asia for 2019.

IT IS WONDERFUL WHEN SOMEONE DILIGENT AND COMMITTED HAS THE INSIGHT TO OFFER A WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND THE FORTITUDE TO EXPAND IT FIRST TO NEW YORK AND THEN TO ASIA. HATS OFF, LOUISE! I ADMIRE YOU AND THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCES ENORMOUSLY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN NEW YORK IN APRIL.

SO MANY THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE LRFA BLOG!

 

IN OUR NEXT POST THE LRFA BLOG IS DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE DEBRA FORCE, PRESIDENT OF DEBRA FORCE FINE ARTS. DURING A TImE WHEN CONTEMPORARY ART DOMINATES THE MARKET, DEBRA HAS COMMITTED HER PROFESSIONAL LIFE TO THE MASTERWORKS OF EARLY AMERICAN ART. HER EXPERIENCE IN THE ART WORLD IS VAST, RANGING FROM MANAGING A DISTINGUISHED CORPORATE COLLECTION TO HEADING CHRISTIE’S AMERICAN PAINTING DEPARTMENT TO OPENING HER OWN GALLERY. THE CONSTANT IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE POSITIONS IS HER KNOWLEDGE AND COMMITMENT TO AMERICAN ART AND HER ENTHUSIASM IN SHARING IT WITH US.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING DEBRA’S VAST KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLIGENCE WITH YOU.

The Art Business Conference, united by our love of art, with founder and director, Louise Hamlin

Louise Hamlin & panelists
Founder and Director
Art Business Conference

THIS YEAR’S ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE, IN ITS FIFTH YEAR IN LONDON AND THIRD IN NEW YORK, IS GROWING IN ATTENDANCE BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. IN A REVIEW OF THE NY CONFERENCE BY JOURNALIST, TIM SCHNEIDER, IN THE APRIL 20, 2018 ISSUE OF ARTNET NEWS, THE EXPLANATION IS SIMPLE: THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSES THE MOST PRESSING IDEOLOGICAL CONCERNS IN OUR CURRENT ART MARKET.

http://www.theartbusinessconference.com/

Earlier this week, a cross-section of art industry professionals converged in Midtown Manhattan to debate some of the market’s most urgent questions. Hailing from around the globe and across sectors, participants in the second annual ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE in New York dissected topics ranging from the practical (how to guard your data against malicious hackers) to the philosophical (how to steward an artist’s legacy). 

We’ve packed the most important themes into an easy-to-digest capsule for anyone not in attendance. And since every good medicine is just the result of chemical reactions, here are the three main ideological collisions on display at the conference—and why they matter so much for where we go next.

TRANSPARENCY VS. OPACITY : The importance for dealers to do away with the secrecy-driven elitism of the traditional art sales process but to think of transparency is a much broader sense for the arts to continue to grow.

PROVINCIALISM VS. PROFESSIONALIZATION: From the challenges of globalization to the escalating scale of exhibitions, to the 21st century courtroom battles, the conference addresses the vast change of the art business from a cottage industry…Art has become too expensive, too complex and too globally mobile to keep handling with handshakes and ad hoc plans.

TECHNOLOGY VS. TRADITION: Technology is coming to the art world, whether the art industry is ready or not. The Art Business Conference should be applauded for giving the subject as much stage time as it did. But it will be the industry’s loss on multiple levels if it runs from the changes instead of meeting them head-on.

https://news.artnet.com/market/art-business-conference-1270700

BEFORE RETURNING TO THE AGENDA AND PANELISTS FEATURED IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE FORTHCOMING LONDON CONFERENCE ON SEPTEMBER 4th, WE REJOIN LOUISE HAMLIN, ITS FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER, TO CONTINUE WITH HER PROFESSIONAL HISTORY AND THAT OF THE CONFERENCES THEMSELVES.

LOUISE, THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK!

THE ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE IS IN ITS FIFTH YEAR, A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE FOR ART MARKET PROFESSIONALS. HOW WAS IT INITIALLY FORMED AND WHAT INSPIRED THE IDEA?

During my time at The Art Newspaper, I worked with a very large number of businesses across the art market, from galleries and museums, trade associations, art fairs and auction houses to professional service providers including insurers, shippers and web designers.  I saw the need for a forum to bring all these different businesses together in a new learning environment to share knowledge in this unique and special industry. 

As Kevin Lay of Arcis said in his closing remarks, at the most recent NY conference, “we are all united in our love for art”.  A love of art and a desire to bring those working with it together was the inspiration for the conference.

APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTEND AND HOW MUCH WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT GROW?

The conference now has over 630 delegates attending the 2018 conferences, representing over 350 global art organizations. I would love to grow, but physically, I think there is a limit. If we had unlimited space available, would we want to have unlimited places available?  I don’t think so.  It would become too difficult to make the presentations relevant to all and networking could become more challenging. 

Growth in terms of reputation and success:  Yes, of course. I would like to continue to build on the current success to ensure we attract good people to attend and put on presentations which are interesting, informative, educating, challenging, inspiring.

WHAT ARE THE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STORIES IN WHICH NETWORKING PRODUCED POSITIVE GROWTH RESULTS FOR THOSE WHO ATTEND?

As I have said previously, networking is key to the event and we provide a good number of opportunities to do this throughout the day (networking breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, and of course evening drinks).  In New York, the conference room is set up so that delegates sit at large round banqueting tables to encourage this.  And at the forthcoming London conference on 4^thSeptember, we will be introducing networking tables over lunchtime. This is a great opportunity to join a discussion around a specific topic, ask experts and meet fellow attendees. We have facilitated a number of connections during the conferences and also post conference – connecting people and businesses is what we love to do.

THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ARE VERY DISTINGUISHED IN THEIR AREAS OF EXPERTISE. WHAT ARE THE SUBJECTS THAT THE CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON WHEN CREATING PANELS OF DISCUSSION?

The subjects are diverse but the brief is the same for whatever the subject. I want to secure speakers who are knowledgeable and engaging.   A lot of time and effort is given to putting together panels of people who do not necessarily share the same opinion on a subject but can bring different perspectives and experiences to the debate. There is always a need to be a little creative in putting together an interesting panel group. In terms of the topics, I try to make them timely, whatever is shaping the art market news at the time that is relevant to the buying and selling of art and also consulting widely across the industry to gauge interest in topics.  

WHAT IS THE CURRENT MARKET IN THE U.K. AND THE U.S. AND HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE IT SHIFT AND GROW?

As a humble conference organizer and not an art market economist or journalist, I wouldn’t like to say!

However, in consulting across the market on topics as I do, it is an interesting time. Brexit in the UK and the Trump administration in the US have brought uncertainty to the art market, but as with everything there is always opportunity too!

IN OUR NEXT LRFA BLOG POST, WE WILL RETURN TO THE SPECIFICS OF THE NEXT ART BUSINESS CONFERENCE ON SEPTEMBER 4th IN LONDON. IT WILL BE WELL-ORGANIZED, INFORMATIVE AND PROVIDE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS OF EXPERTISE.

WELL WORTH ATTENDING!