Following our first festival line-up announcement on Tuesday, today we are proud to announce Arts Council England Chief Executive Alan Davey and co-Owner of Rough Trade Retail Stephen Godfroy as keynote speakers for our 2013 convention. Tackling compelling topics from arts funding to the future of high street retail, these industry heavyweights will offer unique insights into the music business to convention delegates.

Alan Davey will officially launch the first ever artist-centric music funding initiative - The Music Industry Talent Development Fund - and outline the Arts Council's vision for music talent funding. Also speaking at this keynote session and divulging how this initiative will work in practice is Vanessa Reed, Executive Director of PRS for Music Foundation, which will manage and administer the new scheme.

The downfall of retail giant HMV this year has dominated headlines, emerging as a major talking point for the music business and consumers alike. In the face of the prominent issues threatening the entertainment retail sector at large, Stephen Godfroy, co-Owner of Rough Trade Retail will explain how his company has defied the odds. Admired across the industry, Godfroy will discuss the opportunities that he and his colleagues at Rough Trade see amidst the doom and gloom.

In addition, Convention Programmer of The Great Escape and Business Editor of CMU, Chris Cooke, will delve behind the scenes into how artists, both grass roots and established, are learning to navigate the new music industry. He'll chat to some of the most admired managers - including Brian Message (Radiohead and Nick Cave) and Garry Blackburn (Madness) - on the new kinds of approaches and deals that are already working for them in 2013.

Commenting on the launch of The Music Industry Talent Development Fund at TGE 2013, The Great Escape Co-Founder and Creative Director Martin Elbourne said: "The launch is a landmark moment for music in England, and it is great news that Alan Davey, who has personally spearheaded this new initiative, will officially unveil the programme at The Great Escape this year. This fund offers so much potential for emerging artists, and TGE will provide a platform where it can be fully embraced by the industry".

Delegate passes are currently available at the Early Bird Rate of £145. These get you into all key strands of the convention, including panels, parties and networking sessions, as well as priority access to festival venues, subject to capacity. So book today!