Musician and internet pioneer.

Mark Kelly has played in Marillion for 30 years; a band that has thrived in the new online world while much of the music industry suffers. Mark invented online Crowdfunding in 2001 following on from a fan supported Marillion tour in 1997 and pioneered many of the ideas copied by other music artists since.

Mark will join us to talk about crowdfunding and how it has developed into a worldwide phenomenon, not just in music but in many other industries too. He will tell the story of what led to the idea of crowdfunding and why he was convinced it would work before anyone else had tried it. He will explain the incredible power of willing fans or evangelists (whether it be of a music group, product or brand) and explore with us ways to harness that power.