The Business of Music: Celebrating 10 Years
Music & Tech Conference & Showcase Festival
October 14-17, 2025
Mondo.NYC Speaker
Vanessa Ferrer
Founder & CEO, Merch Cat
Vanessa Ferrer is the founder and CEO of Merch Cat and has been a successful businesswoman for over 15 years in finance and the music business. A NYS CPA and Alumna of NYU, Ferrer started to marry her passion for music and her business experience in 2007, solidifying her music business acumen via Berklee College of Music.
Armed with the heart of an artist, the belief that she could make a difference, and the drive to make it happen, Ferrer founded InFocus Artist Management in 2009. After managing several touring clients and consulting with high profile industry professionals, she realized a market need for emerging artists and their business teams. Using her multi-faceted background, she developed and launched (December 2015) Merch Cat (http://www.merchcat.com), a musician friendly platform for artists to sell and manage merchandise at live shows. Following on Merch Cat, Ferrer launched Merch Cat FAN, a connected direct-to-fan app to help artists further capitalize on the artist-fan connection at live shows.
Ferrer has become a familiar face and voice at both artist and industry focused conferences. Being passionate about education, she has participated in over 20 speaking engagements about the importance of merchandise as an artist revenue stream, fan engagement and other music business interests at SXSW, Music Biz, AmericanaFest and A2IM Indie Week. Ferrer is a member of the Recording Academy (NARAS), the Independent Record Label Association (A2IM), the Music Business Association and Women In Music.
Building New Music Economies: Restoring the Value of Music
10/15/24, 6:00 PM
The music industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation driven by empowered fans who are no longer passive consumers but active participants in the music ecosystem. Nowhere is this shift more apparent than in the world of K-pop, where fans have become collaborators and co-creators, driving unprecedented engagement and revenue for artists. This panel will explore what the broader music industry can learn from K-pop’s model of fan empowerment, the resurgence of physical media formats, and the innovative use of emerging technologies.
From KiTbetter’s hybrid music formats to new fan-funded revenue models, we’ll discuss how artists, brands, and retailers are collaborating to create deeper, more meaningful connections with their audiences. Whether you’re an artist, marketer or brand looking to harness the power of fandom, this session will offer essential insights into the future of music, entertainment and consumer value.
Sales, Music and Conferencing!
10/10/23, 9:00 PM
In this era of automation, how has the landscape of business transformed when it comes to forging connections and seizing new opportunities? While various tools have streamlined countless processes, the significance of face-to-face conferences remains steadfast and even more crucial than ever before -- at least for now.