From October 14 to 16, 2026, about fifty IESA students joined the volunteer teams of MaMA Music & Convention, the major gathering of music professionals in Paris. Three days in the heart of Pigalle and Montmartre, between concert venues, conferences, and behind the scenes of a leading event for the entire industry.
What Is MaMA?
MaMA is both a festival and a professional convention. Created 17 years ago, it has established itself as the largest gathering of the French music industry.
On the festival side, the 2026 edition brought together about 150 artists, emerging or established, from the French and international scenes. Concerts were held in the neighborhood’s landmark venues: Cigale, Boule Noire, Machine at the Moulin Rouge, Trois Baudets, FGO-Barbara, and the Backstage by the Mill.
On the convention side, more than 5,000 professionals gather every year: independent labels and majors, tour managers, venues and festivals, managers, publishers, startups, media… and artists. On the program: about a hundred conferences, debates, and workshops, but also organized meetings, professional get-togethers, and showcases designed to spark collaborations.
Our Students at the Heart of the Organization
For three days, our students were assigned to the festival’s and convention’s various venues. Their duties covered the essentials of what keeps an event of this scale running:
- welcoming festival-goers and professionals, directing them and controlling access;
- accreditation management and ticketing;
- supporting artists and assisting the production teams in the venues;
- logistical assistance during conferences, workshops, and professional meetings.
An intense immersion, often late into the night, alongside the teams organizing one of the most anticipated events of the music season’s return.
On site, our students could count on three of their teachers, Fabrice Bonniot, Florian Levrey, and Frantz Steinbach, who served as the link with the MaMA teams. Their presence made it possible to supervise the assignments, answer questions, and make these three days a true educational experience.
Why It Is a Valuable Experience for Our Music Students
Seeing the industry from the inside. In three days, MaMA brings together every profession in the industry: production, booking, management, publishing, communication, distribution. Our students see concretely how these professions work together.
Building your network. Meeting programmers, labels, tour managers, or managers in a professional setting is a rare opportunity. In a sector where opportunities often arise from encounters, these first contacts matter.
Learning in the field. Managing crowd flow, supporting an artist before they go on stage, reacting to the unexpected: these skills cannot be learned in class alone. They directly complement the training provided at IESA.
Following industry trends. The conferences address the major issues of the moment: live economy, streaming, artificial intelligence, ecological transition, diversity. Food for thought for future professionals.
Discovering tomorrow’s artists. With its programming geared toward emerging talent, MaMA is an ideal observation post for spotting the talents who will shape the scene in the years ahead.
A Big Thank You
IESA warmly thanks the teams at MaMA Music & Convention for their trust and welcome. Congratulations to our students for their energy, professionalism, and commitment throughout these three days.
See you next year for a new edition!