Marlton, NJ – April 26, 2010: NARM, the music business association, announces that 
Rio Caraeff, President and CEO of VEVO, the web’s leading music video and entertainment network, will speak at the What’s Ahead for the Digital Marketplace breakfast presentation at its Annual Convention on May 17 at the Hilton Chicago. Caraeff will be interviewed by renowned industry executive and entrepreneur Ted Cohen, the Managing Partner of TAG 
Strategic, a digital entertainment advisory whose clients have included Gibson, Verizon, SanDisk, Qualcomm, and many others. TAG has collaborated with NARM to present 
this special program.

Caraeff will discuss VEVO’s innovative music industry model, an extensive syndication and distribution strategy. He will also share his insights about how VEVO leverages its relationships with artists and content owners to create unique co-branded content. Created in partnership by Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and Abu Dhabi Media Company, VEVO is the number one music entertainment service in the U.S. and is top 10 among all video content properties on the internet with nearly 40 million unique visitors every month.

With extensive experience in the music industry, Caraeff generated an array of new digital business opportunities during his tenure at UMG. Prior to founding VEVO in 2009, he held the position of EVP at UMG’s eLabs, the division responsible for the company’s global electronic commerce initiatives, Internet exploitation, digital strategy and technology enhancements.

NARM President Jim Donio says, “Rio is an incredibly talented and highly respected visionary. 
Our audience will appreciate his forward-thinking outlook, as well as his vast mobile knowledge in integrating digital retail and music context to create a total entertainment experience.”

“I’m honored that NARM asked me to keynote this year’s digital presentation,” said Caraeff. “The exciting changes in the digital landscape present many opportunities for the music industry. I’m looking forward to presenting just one example of this and to share our vision and strategy with this year’s attendees as an innovative model for the industry.”

Previously, Caraeff was GM of Universal Music Mobile, the division he launched in 2005. Under his leadership, the company sold over 300 million mobile music units and its business expanded more than 200%. UMG also became one of the first companies to launch a direct-to-consumer mobile retail business, “GetMusic,” which enabled every UMG label and artist to sell music directly to mobile phones.

The session will also feature an update about NARM’s Digital Think Tank; as well as DDEX, an organization developing standard XML messages and other supporting standards for the exchange of information relating to the management of digital music content and rights.

About NARM: NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) advances the promotion, marketing, distribution and sale of music by providing members with diverse meeting and networking opportunities, information and education resources, and advocacy for their common interests. NARM is based in Marlton, New Jersey. www.narm.com.

Media Contact: Marla Cimini,
856 616-1194,
cimini@narm.com