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http://www.skipfilms.com.au
A Skip Film Production, Producer / Director Noel Sadler, crew Guy Sadler & Sharna Garton,
Presenter Bob Browne/ Radio Host Get Your Country On , 2GLF
In 2008 - A few fans decided to have a small gathering in Tamworth during the 2009 Country Music Festival. The idea was to mingle with their favourite Artists on the day for an hour or so and get to know the people behind the music that they love and know so well. So on Wednesday the 21st January 2009 a group of 7 Fans rocked up to the Golden Guitar along with 3 of the most well known Artists in Australia today - Col Finley, Nellie Finley & Jason Kemp.

During this time the Artists mentioned how it is always great to get together with the Fans and hear what they like and don`t like and just get some feedback in general from thier fans

Touching Base with Fans is a crucial part of any Artists future Career - for without the Fans - there ain`t no career and there ain`t no CD sales. And when those Artists are Independant with no backing from Major labels to assist with funding of thier CDs and Merchandise - this then makes it even tougher as the funding has to be found from thier own pockets. This means that the Fans become the most important part of thier careers and the road to success becomes a lot tougher leading to discouragement, despair and in rare cases (luckily for us) a loss of Artists to see &hear.
The question was raised - `How could a group of Fans help our much loved Artists?`

Hence .. `Meet n Greet Country` was born. So!
What is Meet n Greet Country? Who are they? What do they do?Since the initial unofficial gathering in 2009 - this idea grew and expanded into what it is today. Fans dedicated to the Music and the people who create and promote it, pulling together as a Team, A Family, with a common goal. To Create an even bigger fan base and generate even bigger interest in Todays much loved, Independant Music makers .. and our equally if not more so important Radio people and promoters.
But how do we acknowledge on an annual basis the work and the effort put in by our Indie Artists?
What about an award presentation that was decided by fans all across the Country. No Industry officials to be involved just the Fans! How would we do that? Answer: By way of a website and an automated Voting system.. Brilliant!
So meetngreetcountry.com came into play for the first year but didn`t work out however we acknowledge thier expertise in IT helped to build a highly successful fan base for most of our Artists to date. So we owe a huge thankyou to Trinity Designs for thier Sponsorship in the first 3 quarters of 2010. We couldn`t have done it without you guys so thankyou for that.
Meet n GreetCountry will continue on to support and acknowledge the Indie Artists and both Commercial and Community radio people who work hard and long every year, and although as a group of committed Music Lovers and fans we can`t afford too much to do that we hope that the awards we present each year are appropriate forms of thanks.This brings me to the Awards themselves .. what do we present? And how do we present them? After much thought and deliberation, the founder of Meet n Greet came up with Trophies in the shape of a star .. Why A Star?
Because in the eyes of the Fans .. Our Indies will always be ``Stars`` and while each of us may have our favourites we acknowledge the work of ALL Artists and we acknowledge that they are ALL winners

So while some see the awards as a competition in fact it is not.

Rather it is just another way of showing that the Artists have support for what they do out there .. and when the going gets tough they can remember that, by the token of acknowledgement presented to them and others each year, and what better place to present these than in Tamworth NSW .. The Country Music Capital of Australia. The one place when ALL would be there and ALL could attend.
But Meet n Greet needed a Face that people were familiar with. One that could really drive home the message of what Meet n Greet was all about .. and who better to do that than the man who has supported us and been with us since before we were a Meet n Greet - A Man who lives and breathes his Fans .. who else indeed but ........
COL FINLEY - THE OFFICIAL AMBASSADOR FOR MEET N GREET COUNTRY & AUSTRALIAS BEST KEPT SECRET - `TIL NOW!
Skip Film Productions www.skipfilms.com.au