Europe in Synch returned to MENT Ljubljana for its 2023 edition with an ambitious follow-up to our string of outstanding workshops focussing on the regional aspects of music in advertising. Based on the commitment of the proactive Slovenian advertising community – Ljubljana is a remarkable location for a motley array of major network and independent agencies, production companies, and brands. – to engage in an ongoing cooperation with the regional music sector, we pioneered a real-life “The Pitch – An Invitation To Bid”-session for artists and music rights holders, leading the participants and partners through the process of music search and submission in advertising campaign projects.

Over 30 submissions were seriously reviewed by the jury and then, in a closed-door session during the conference, individually addressed. The project received some great acceptance and feedback from the both the music and the advertising sides, the intense and serious concept provided valuable insights and learnings and it gained most promising professional attention for some of the participants. The unexpected icing on the cake was provided by one of the brands – digital mobile provider re:do – contributing their upcoming campaign film with a music brief via their agency, Shift: they acknowledged the project by spontaneously awarding EUR 1.000,- to the jury’s – close, but unanimous ! – “winner” of the pitch, the distinguished artist and producer ZEVIN.

The concept of this project was initiated, brought forward and managed by EinS Academy manager Markus Linde together with Manca Ogrin and Primož Kristan of EinS-partner SIGIC (Slovenian Music Information Centre), Slovenian manager extraordinaire Masa Pavokovic, synch-agent Ziga Drofenik, both alumni of the EinS-workshops at MENT, pitch and jury duties supported by senior advertising professional Eva Gradišnik.

It was also SIGIC/EinS, co-producing with Motovila, who initiated the first ever Round Table at MENT – a music conference ! – bringing together top-rank professionals from the Slovenian Film and TV sector. True to the EinS mission and moderated by our own Markus Linde, the protagonists set out to discuss the status and common practices with regards to the use of music in domestic productions and to inquire if there is room for improvement, but within minutes a significantly greater frame opened, openly addressing culture-political and structural context. Thanks to a great panel and an engaged professional audience, all participants agreed that this talk had created the trust and the dynamics to open an ongoing dialogue.

The panel consisted of Barbara Daljavec (RTV Slovenja), Klemen Dvornik (film director, professor of television directing at AGRFT, President of the Federation of Slovenian Filmmakers’ Associations), Ziga Drofenik (Synch Agent), Dejan Krupic (Pop TV), and composer Aldo Kumar.

For both these sessions and the trustful collaboration over the years, the role of MENT cannot be credited too much for providing the climate and the platform for cultural development and outreach.