Key people of the United Nations World Food Programme and EXIT Festival spoke at EXIT Festival’s new panel, Conscious Music.

Fifth panel in a row within EXIT Festival’s Conscious R:evolution platform, named Conscious Music, was held on Thursday, September 3rd starting at 7pm CET, and marked the official start of the Life Stream event.

Panelists discussed how music and the creative sector can contribute to raising awareness and helping humanitarian and environmental causes.

The panelists are David Beasley, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme and Dušan Kovačević, founder and CEO of the EXIT Festival.

The host of the discussion is Nikki McNeill, founder of one of the most successful public relations agencies in the music industry, Global Publicity.

The Conscious Music panel is held within the four-year HEMI project supported by the Creative Europe program and marked the beginning to the Life Stream event, which took place between September 3rd and 6th at the Petrovaradin Fortress in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme, the largest humanitarian organization in the world fighting hunger.

The panel was broadcast live on EXIT Festival’s official Facebook page.

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Participants:

David Beasley
Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme

David Beasley

As Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley continues his life’s work bridging political, religious and ethnic boundaries to champion economic development and education. At WFP, Mr. Beasley is putting to use four decades of leadership and communications skills to mobilize more financial support and public awareness for the global fight against hunger. Before coming to WFP in April 2017, Mr Beasley spent a decade working with high-profile leaders and on-the-ground programme managers in more than 100 countries, directing projects designed to foster peace, reconciliation and economic progress. He travelled to as many as 30 countries a year, organizing, leading or participating in conferences and missions in Kosovo, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen, among others. As Governor of the U.S. state of South Carolina from 1995 to 1999, Mr Beasley guided the state during years of economic transformation, helping to reshape the state’s economy into a healthy, diverse and robust market. Mr Beasley received his Bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of South Carolina and taught at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. He was first elected to public office at the age of 21 as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.
Dušan Kovačević
Founder and CEO of EXIT festival

Dušan Kovačević

Founder of world-famous EXIT festival (SRB) as well as Sea Dance festival (MNE), Revolution festival (RO) and No Sleep festival (SRB).

EXIT festival, founded by Kovačević, is one of the best-known festivals in the world. It has been awarded on several occasions as Best European Festival (2007, 2013 and 2017), and has graced the pages of almost every influential worldwide media such as CNN, BBC, Time, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Sun, Forbes, Daily Mail, Independent, Euronews, Lonely Planet, Huffington Post and many more.

EXIT has thus far attracted hundreds of thousands of tourists to Novi Sad, bringing more than 200 million euros in profit to local economy while expecting to at least double those numbers in the next decade. Along with the contribution to Serbian tourism, EXIT has significantly contributed to Serbia’s and Balkan’s image promotion all around the globe.

In 2015 Kovačević became the youngest person ever to receive a February award, given by the city of Novi Sad as the most significant recognition to extraordinary individuals who have contributed positively to the city. He is also the initiator of numerous social activism and humanitarian projects which led to the shift in attitudes of the decision makers and general public, instigating positive social changes in Serbia and in the whole region.

Nikki McNeill
Founder of Global Publicity

Nikki McNeill

Moderator

Founded in 2007 by Nikki McNeill, Global Publicity specialize in worldwide PR and communications for music, festivals and events, having earned a reputation for hard work and professionalism, consistently delivering effective campaigns that raise the profile of artists, festivals, labels and music-led events around the world. With over 20 years of music industry experience, Nikki can also be found regularly contributing to industry panels at music conferences around the globe.