Up to £500 is available for music companies in the West Midlands to visit the renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference in Austin Texas.

UK Trade & Investment West Midlands and Fused Magazine are offering the opportunity to band managers, promoters, record label owners, music journalists, A&Rs, DJs or anyone related to the music industry to receive up to 50 per cent of their costs to attend the event.

These can include an event pass or ticket, travel expenses and accommodation costs up to a maximum of £500.

The SXSW music and media conference, which runs from 18th to 21st March, offers excellent networking opportunities for companies in the industry.

The event showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. By day attendees do business at the SXSW Trade Show in the Austin Convention Center and can go along to panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers of international stature.

• Anybody interested should contact Kerry Thomas on 0121 246 1946/kerry@fusedmagazine.com.

www.sxsw.com.