Conference Programme
BMIM Conference (previously known as BMIM Special) on June 3 is the moment for composers, producers and other professionals to gain new insights, get inspired by international and national experts, and expand their network.
We are happy to announce the first programme items and confirmed speakers. More to follow.
Register now for our matchmaking sessions. Deadline: 25 May
Buma Breakfast Club XL
Following a successful first edition during the Netherlands Film Festival 2025 and the equally successful FilmForwardFika, BMIM and Vrouwen in Beeld present the Buma Breakfast Club XL.
During this morning event, we bring together women* from different disciplines within the film and television industry for an informal moment of meeting, conversation and connection. An accessible networking opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas, make new contacts, and further strengthen the visibility of women in the sector.
When composing the tables, we aim for a diverse mix of backgrounds, experience levels, ages and disciplines. Afterwards, participants will receive a contact booklet with names and details, making it easy to continue the conversation beyond the event. With breakfast, coffee and mimosas.
*Including trans women and people who identify as feminine.
Please note: this programme item is by invitation only. Would you like to attend? Please contact us at info@bmim.nl.
Do I Need an Agent?
Representation, strategy and building a sustainable career
When do you need an agent, and what can an agent actually do for you? For many Dutch composers, working with an agent is still far from common practice, which makes this conversation especially relevant.
In this panel, Annette Gentz and Valerie Dobbelaere discuss the role of representation in the world of music for film, TV, games and media. They will share insights on how agents discover and position talent, build relationships with producers, directors and music supervisors, negotiate fees and contracts, and help shape long-term careers. A practical and honest conversation about timing, trust, expectations and how to know whether representation could be the right next step.
Find Your Voice: From Creative Identity to a Pitch that Lands
A practical workshop that helps participants articulate their ‘voice’ in clear, memorable language. Natalia Forster guides the room through a set of short exercises to define personal values, sharpen positioning, and translate that into a one-line intro and a confident 30-second pitch that works in meetings and networking moments.
Participants leave with actionable text they can use immediately and a clearer sense of how to communicate their value and music across creative collaborations.
Speakers
Natalia Forster
Founder, VOICE, NL
From Music Row to the Screen: Nashville’s Sync Machine (and what we can learn from it)
From our perspective, Los Angeles has long been seen as the place where opportunities for composers and sync in the entertainment industry come together. And for good reasons. But there is another hub that is becoming increasingly relevant: Nashville.
No longer just the home of country music, Nashville has grown into one of the world’s most efficient sync ecosystems, where songwriting, publishing, and screen come together quickly and effectively.
In this panel, we’ll explore how pitches, decisions, and deals actually come together in practice: from the realities of the studio to catalog strategy and pitching music for film and television ín Nashville. Expect practical do’s and don’ts, relatable examples, a clear view of the opportunities Nashville offers, and how you as a creator or rights holder can tap into them.
Speakers
Heather Cook
Founder / CEO & Executive Producer, Freedom Music Group, US
Lost in Translation
An interactive session exploring the collaboration between composers, directors, editors and producers, and where that collaboration truly comes to life. Directors often speak in terms of feeling, story and imagery (“less cheerful”, “more tension”, “a bit more blue”), while composers think in sound, structure and musical language. Is that difference in language a problem? Not at all. It’s exactly where the composer’s value becomes most apparent.
In this session, we make that translation process visible. Through relatable scenes and real-world examples, we explore how composers can interpret, question and translate abstract feedback into concrete musical choices. What questions should you ask? When do you follow, and when do you challenge? And how do you ensure that you’re not just executing ideas, but actively contributing to the storytelling? We’ll dive into the creative tension between image and sound: because it’s often within that friction that the most compelling work emerges. The result: stronger collaboration, more confidence in the creative process, and music that doesn’t just support the story, but elevates it.
Speakers
Maarten Ernest
Film Editor, Studio Galácticos, NLMichael Middelkoop
Film director, Juicy Films, NLRui Reis Maia
Composer, NLSandy Seifert
Curator, programmer, actor, NL
Matchmaking
The popular matchmaking sessions are back! Whether you want to pitch your music, gain insights, ask questions about future projects, discuss the future of the industry, or simply close a solid deal: we are proud to bring different worlds together.
If you’ve purchased a ticket for BMIM Conference, you can register for these matchmaking sessions. Check out the names below, and share your reasons for wanting to meet with certain people through the link. Please note: this motivation will be shared with the participants, and used to make a schedule. These matchmaking sessions upfront are designed to make the initial meeting easier for both parties. We’ll try to match everyone with one or two preferred choices.
Register here for the matchmaking sessions. Deadline: 25 May
Speakers
Fé Baan
Director, Screenwriter, NLPirke Bergsma
Owner, Pirke Productions, NLJoey Boeters
Creative Partner & Co-Founder, Happiness Amsterdam, NLHeather Cook
Founder / CEO & Executive Producer, Freedom Music Group, USMaarten Ernest
Film Editor, Studio Galácticos, NLJazon Eugenio
Founder / Creative Director, Quasi & Kin, UKTom Fekkes
Post Production Supervisor, Pupkin Film, NLOlivier S. Garcia
Director, NLLaury Hooghuis
Director, Hooghuis Productions, NLHyo Soon Kaag
Filmmaker, writer, director, NLShanice Kamminga
Director & Screenwriter, Perseid Pictures, NLMira Mendel
CEO / Producer, Interakt, NLNafiss Nia
Writer & director, 1001 Production House | Granate, NLAnneliek Noordermeer
Film editor, NLNicky Onstenk
Producer, IJswater Films, NLJiska Samson
Post Production Supervisor, NL Film, NLCharlotte Stricker
Music Supervisor, Bell Music Supervision, NLBiserka Šuran
Director, NLFroukje Tan
Writer / Director, NLMiguel Teixeira
Founder & Global Executive Producer, FutureFrank®, NL
Pop-Up Office: Rights (by Sena)
Your track gets played on the radio. You’re in a bar and suddenly hear your own song. Or your music pops up in a commercial. Great moments – but is everything behind the scenes actually arranged properly? Are your tracks correctly registered, are your roles clearly defined, and are you getting paid when your music is used?
At the Sena stand, you can dive deeper into exactly these kinds of questions. From optimising how you register your repertoire, to understanding how distributions work in practice, what happens with international exploitation, and where things often go wrong in collaborations or when defining your role as a performer. The specialists at Sena are there for focused questions and real-world cases.
Speakers
Silvia Biemans
Accountmanager Relations, Sena, NL
Pop-Up Office: Sync & Licensing (by BumaStemra)
Do you work at the intersection of music and image? Then we’ve got something for you. Our friends from BumaStemra will be present at the upcoming edition of BMIM Conference, with a Pop-Up Office. This is the place to go with all your questions about sync deals, licensing, and rights. Whether you’re just starting out, or want to have your next major deal reviewed: Dominique is at your service with some personal advice.
About Pop-Up Offices: A low-threshold walk-in space where you can bring your questions, doubts, or cases. No complicated registration procedures or formal setting: just pull up a chair and exchange ideas with an expert (or peers) about topics that matter. From sync to mental health, from tech to rights: these offices are the place to have one-on-one conversations, get practical tips, or find some clarity within the chaos of the industry.
Speakers
Dominique Oude Nijhuis
Syncs & Licences, BumaStemra, NLFrank Zichem
Syncs & Licences, BumaStemra, NL
Pop-up Office: Contracts (powered by BCMM)
Do you have questions about contracts, rights, royalties, sync, splits or negotiations? Wondering what’s really hidden in that clause, and how to negotiate a deal that actually works for you? At the Pop-Up Office, you’ll gain not only insight, but also practical tools to approach your next agreement with greater confidence.
Legal expert Mattijs van Andel will be available for short one-on-one sessions, where composers and creators can bring their questions and leave with clear, actionable advice they can immediately apply.
Speakers
Mattijs van Andel
Legal and Business Counsel, Press Play Legal, NL
Talent Tuner
From shaping your sound to finding the right words for it: putting your work out there takes time, energy and a fair bit of courage. What truly makes a difference along the way? Honest, constructive feedback.
That’s where our Talent Tuner comes in. A unique opportunity to sit down with experienced professionals from the field, share your work, and get direct input on everything from your music and pitch to your strengths and next steps. No pressure, just a focused and supportive environment designed to help you grow.
Expect one-on-one sessions with a carefully selected group of industry experts, all ready to offer their perspective, share their experience and help you fine-tune your craft. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your sound, your story or your direction: this is your moment.
Curious how it works? With a BMIM Conference ticket, you can apply for these sessions by sharing who you’d like to meet and why, through the form below. We’ll take care of the matchmaking, aiming to connect you with the people who can help you move forward. Come prepared, stay open, and see where the conversation takes you.
Application for Talent Tuner opens Monday 11 May.
Speakers
Maik Cox
Executive Creative Director & Composer, Ambassadors, NLEinar Ihle
Composer & Sound Designer, NLSteve Johnsen
Executive Producer and Founder, Never Square Music, NLElla Sonke
Founder & Business Director, Heron Music, NLDarius Timmer
Composer, NLMees van der Velde
Music Producer and A&R, Sizzer, NL
The Cost of Creativity
Working as a (film) composer or creative professional demands a lot: artistic sensitivity, flexibility, discipline, and a constant drive to perform. In an industry where personal taste, rejection, deadlines, and uncertain income play a major role, the mental pressure can build up quickly.
The creative sector can be wonderful, but also quite demanding. As a film composer, producer, or (film) creative, you often work from a deeply personal place, which can create additional pressure. In this interactive session, guests from the field will engage in a conversation about themes that resonate with many creators: (social) insecurity, the urge to prove oneself, perfectionism, the balance between work and private life, and the question of how to prevent your entire identity from becoming tied to your work.
Together with the audience, an open and honest dialogue will emerge about the mental realities of the profession: about pressure, doubt, and vulnerability. But also about resilience, support, and ways to stay healthy in a demanding industry. A session for those seeking recognition, wanting to share experiences, or simply curious about how others deal with these challenges.
Speakers
Katja Keersmaekers
Psychosocial Therapist, The Mental Crew, NLEsther van der Poel
Mental Coach, The Mental Crew, NLMaik Cox
Executive Creative Director & Composer, Ambassadors, NL
The Sound of the Launch: How Music Shapes Game Trailers
From cinematic reveals to gameplay edits and launch campaigns: music plays a crucial role in how games are introduced to audiences. But who decides what kind of music a trailer needs, when is original music commissioned and how are rights, fees and long-term value handled?
This panel brings together perspectives from the game-publisher, creative production and composer side to unpack how music for game trailers is developed: creatively, strategically and commercially.
Speakers
Jarl Hector
Founder, Clear Music, NLJade Schiff
Executive Producer, Mathematic Studio, FR
Roundtable: AI in Music & Media
AI is no longer a futuristic concept: it’s embedded in the tools, search processes, briefs, and workflows we use every day. Laurens Vreekamp (journalist and design thinker, former Google News Lab, author of The Art of AI and co-author of Niet onze AI) leads an interactive roundtable exploring what AI means right now for composers and professionals working in film, TV, games, and advertising.
Rather than focusing only on ‘opportunities’, the conversation also addresses the more complex issues that will determine whether AI ultimately strengthens or weakens the creative ecosystem: transparency, consent, dataset usage, style imitation, bias, credits, and agreements with clients.
Expect a clear-eyed perspective beyond the hype, along with practical insights on how to navigate AI in everyday professional practice.
Speakers
Laurens Vreekamp
Author, journalist, Future Journalism Today, NL