Buckinghamshire New University graduate Lara Baker is among organisers behind an international music conference in London which is welcoming singer/songwriter Dua Lipa as an International Women’s Day guest speaker.

Lara, who gained a first in BA (Hons) Music Industry Management, owns her own music events, marketing and diversity consultancy, and is part of the team behind the International Live Music Conference, a leading annual gathering of professionals involved in the global touring, festival and live entertainment industries, in London this week.

Lara will be running a Futures Forum event on International Women’s Day on Friday, focusing on the future of the industry and, in addition to Dua Lipa, will also welcome guests including DJ Judge Jules and BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Steve Lamacq.

“We're very pleased that in its first year, and on International Women’s Day, the event has achieved a 50/50 gender line-up of speakers,” said Lara.

“Dua Lipa will be talking alongside her father about her live career and a large-scale festival they put on in Kosovo. The event will also feature an International Women’s Day drinks reception in partnership with promoter Live Nation.”

Lara is an influential voice on improving diversity, gender balance and inclusivity in the music business and has sat on on UK Music’s Diversity Taskforce, supports the Love Music Hate Racism campaign, and organises regular women in music and diversity-focused events.

She also regularly blogs on improving diversity, gender balance and inclusivity in the music business for The Huffington Post, and has contributed to articles in Marie Claire, Forbes, and Music Week.

Lara was named in Music Week’s Women in Music Roll of Honour and SheSaidSo's Alternative Power List in 2018 and 2017. Lara founded the AIM Women in Music conference and co-founded the Music Week Women in Music Awards.

She added: “International Women’s Day highlights the many issues facing women in the music business and whether it is artists or people working behind the scenes it is really important we continue to aim for gender equality.

“Until we succeed in achieving equality we must keep the dialogue going about how we move towards a more equal business and take action in any way we can.”

Lara returned to Bucks in December to deliver guest lectures to BA (Hons) Music and Live Events Management and BA (Hons) Music Business students on ‘Women In Music: The Gender Pay Gap, #MeToo and efforts towards equality.

She worked for the Association of Independent Music (AIM) for 13 years before launching her consultancy business last April.

Lara is also working as a consultant responsible for programming all sessions and speakers for BBC Music Introducing Live at Tobacco Dock, in London, in November.

BBC Music Introducing Live is a three-day event for aspiring musicians and people looking to work in the music industry, which attracted 15,000 people last year, including students from the School of Media and Creative Industries at Bucks.