From Liverpool to New York: Expanding UK Music and Tourism Across the Atlantic

15.11.2024: UK Music's Head of Diversity Eunice Obianagha joined a high-level Liverpool City Region mission to the States aimed at driving trade, investment and tourism.

In a personal piece below, Eunice writes about her visit and the work of the Liverpool City Region's efforts to use the area's musical heritage and vibrant cultural scene to drive growth and inward investment.

"I have the privilege of representing music and culture on Liverpool City Region's Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) board-a group dedicated to guiding the region's tourism growth. In October, as part of this role, I was invited to join the Mayor of Liverpool on a trade and investment mission to New York City.

Our delegation was part of a larger effort to expand Liverpool's international profile and in turn build meaningful relationships across the Atlantic for the UK. I was excited to explore new ways Liverpool's thriving music sector could connect with New York's energetic cultural scene.

Connecting with New York

The mission kicked off with a data driven session with the Senior team at Visit Britain. According to Visit Britian, the USA is the UK's largest inbound market in terms of both tourism volume and value.

Its important to also reference at this point that UK Music's latest "Here, There and Everywhere" report on music tourism stated that the North West attracts 1.9 million music tourists and cites Liverpool as a leading global music city. With all of this in mind, our discussions with Visit Britain centred on how we could build to attract even more international visitors from the US, further boosting Liverpool City Region's profile as a cultural hub - music being a key asset.

Many successful artists have emerged from Liverpool City Region, the most influential, of course, being The Beatles. In a particularly moving moment, our delegation visited the John Lennon Memorial in Central Park. With a local busker playing 'Imagine' in the background, we laid flowers at John Lennon's tribute-a powerful reminder of the lasting legacy he left on both music and social activism between the two cities. For me, this was a profound way to honour Liverpool's influence on global music.

Across the trip I had the chance to meet with several US-based music industry experts.

Following a very kind invite to experience live music together, I had the opportunity to touch base with colleagues Sam Gordon IV, CEO, Crossover Records LLC, Entertainment and Intellectual Property Attorney, Niya R. Pearson, Esq, and Lanre Gaba, President of Hip Hop, RnB and Global Music at Atlantic Records. Our discussions focused on the latest developments in AI and career pathways in the music industry.

Against the backdrop of Bryant Park, Kevin McManus, Head of Music Liverpool City and I, met with the Rev Moose the Managing Partner/Co-Founder at Marauder and Founding & Emeritus Executive Director at National Independent Venues Association (NIVA). Our meeting was a thought-filled exchange of ideas on everything from nurturing diversity in the music industry to supporting emerging music scenes and creating sustainable performance spaces.

Another highlight was the Music & Culture Summit we held at the Central Park Boathouse. The summit brought together New York's creative leaders, city officials, and music industry professionals to discuss cross-cultural collaborations. Among those present was UK colleague, Vanessa Reed, now President and CEO of New Music USA. Having moved to the US five years ago, she has done incredible work in building the organisation, which supports emerging talent.

During our time in New York, she played a key role in connecting us with Shira Gan, Head of Music, New York Mayors Office and Erika Elliott, Artistic Director, Summer Stage, both of whom were enthusiastic about developing a long-term relationship. These connections hold great potential for future opportunities in the US for UK artists and music businesses.

At the summit, I had the opportunity to meet with the Sentric Music team. Founded in Liverpool, Sentric Music has expanded its North American operations to New York, while still proudly keeping its headquarters in Liverpool. Sentric's journey is a testament to how businesses from Liverpool can scale globally. They present as a great case study to inspire other Liverpool-based music businesses to expand internationally.

Although the trip lasted only a few days, the exchanges were productive and highlighted the shared challenges and opportunities faced by both cities in advancing music and culture. It was particularly helpful to exchange perspectives on initiatives such as the Re-MAP report, Liverpool's study on Black music professionals, UK Music's upcoming study on the economic impact of Black British music, and the broader approach UK Music takes to policy and industry development-an approach that, internationally, seems to be quite unique.

Looking Ahead

As a member of the LVEP Board, I'm excited about the future of Liverpool as both a cultural leader and a welcoming hub for music lovers worldwide. With both Liverpool and New York's shared reputation for creativity and innovation, this mission laid the foundation for lasting partnerships that I hope will open new opportunities for artists and music businesses in both cities.

Additionally, as a representative of UK Music and the Head of Diversity, this trade mission underscored the importance of international relationships and cultural exchange in building a sustainable, globally influential music economy."

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