About Us

SMES was founded in 2001 by James E. Heyward and Tony “Chubbz” Marcus, to give artist in non-traditional markets access to the music industry.
The Southeast Music and Entertainment Summit (SMES) is the premiere independent music festival in the southeast. SMES was founded in 2001, with the goal of educating attendees about the music industry, exposing independent artist to the marketplace and developing an outlet that will allow independent artists to be successful.

The inaugural Southeast Music and Entertainment Summit was a one-day event that took place at the Durham Marriott in Durham, North Carolina. Over 700 attendees had the opportunity to learn about the music industry, while enjoying the networking and entertainment aspects of the summit. The day was filled with various activities including a trade show, panel discussions, and various artist showcases. Due to the initial success, SMES was expanded to a three-day event in 2003 and drew the attention of artist such as Kanye West, Petey Pablo, Little Brother, Consequence and 9thWonder.

After a hiatus, SMES was relocated to Myrtle Beach, S.C. The restructured event expanded on concepts introduced in previous years such as the SMES Awards Show, SMES King of the Ring (Freestyle & Beat Battle), and SMES Fashion Show. We also increased focus on independent artist through the SMES Sound stage which has also added more entertainment value for attendees.

The 2008 SMES Summit will take place September 26th – 28th at the Holiday Inn (Ocean front) in Myrtle Beach, SC with an expected attendance of 1,500 throughout the weekend.