Photo by Caitlin Abrams
Electric Fetus
Calling all vinyl enthusiasts: The nation’s biggest conference dedicated to the making of vinyl records, the Making Vinyl Conference, is coming to Minneapolis from June 7–8 at the Loews Minneapolis Hotel. Hosted by The ADS Group (whose subsidiary company, Copycats Media, opened Minnesota’s first major record-pressing facility last year), the industry centered trade show will feature numerous panels and presentations to discuss the future of vinyl, including panelists Dawn and Jim Novak of Electric Fetus, who will represent the “Women in Vinyl” and “Minneapolis Love Vinyl” panels respectively. Hot topics of discussion will span trends related to manufacturing, marketing, and sustainability.
This year’s conference will notably celebrate 75 years of the LP format as well as commemorate the birthday of Minneapolis’s own homegrown pop star: Prince. It also marks Making Vinyl’s sixth annual conference, with more than 25 presentations from notable figures in the record industry on the docket, such as keynote speaker Nabil Ayers (son of the musician Roy Ayers). In addition to a host of other events, Copycats Media will offer tours of their Osseo-based record-pressing facility, which produces about 20,000 vinyl records a week.
According to Billboard, 43.46 million vinyl records were sold in 2022, making it the biggest year for vinyl album sales since 1991. Making Vinyl keeps up to date with the latest on how the “vinyl industry continues to pump out record-setting volumes amid consumer demand,” according to its website.
Check out more about the Making Vinyl Conference on their website at makingvinyl.com/minneapolis-2023.
