While this is by no means the entire Winter Music Conference Miami line up (AMAZING events are being announced every day), here are a few of our favorites, including free parties, $10 all-day pool splashdowns and a couple of underground events.
Wednesday March 24
Pacha @ the Gansevoort South hosts a FREE party sponsored by Sirius XM Sat Radio featuring Above & Beyond, Markus Schulz and Kaskade starting at 11am. 2325 Collins Avenue, South Beach.
DJ Mag Recession Session Two $10 Pool Party at the Shelborne features an impressive line up including Steve Lawler, James Zabiela, Will Saul, Nic Fanciulli, Joris Voorn and more starting at High Noon! 1801 Collins Avenue, South Beach.
NOTE: The entire pool party lineup is here: http://www.wantickets.com/affiliates/Events.aspx?id=1080
Twelve Lounge presents “Witness the Sickness,” Prolific Loyalty Among Thieves release party with John B, R.A.W. Mason & DStar, Prolific, Ben Matrix, Vetoe and Kryteria. 1200 Washington Avenue, South Beach.
Thursday March 25
O.H.W.O.W. brings Busy P and DJ Mehdi Downtown for a Thursday night Ed Banger Party with a special art installation by Todd James. Bar 28 NE14 Street, Miami.
Fontainebleau Hotel Electro-House PopLife Pool Party features Brodinski, Aeroplane, Boy 8 Bit, Rory Phillips, Gina Turner, Erol Alkan, Boys Noize, Busy P, DJ Mehdi, Fake Blood, Jack Beats and Annie Mac. 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
Get “Nervous All Night” at ParkWest with a dizzying lineup including Peter Bailey, Tom Stephan, David Tor, Oscar G., Ralph Falcon, Baggi Begovic, Austin Leeds, Starkillers, Honey Dijon, Behrouz, Chus & Ceballos, King Britt, Theo, and Richie Santana. 30 NE 11 Street, Downtown Miami.
White Room brings you Smog vs BassHead with Mary Anne Hobbs, Plastician, 12th Planet, Datsik & Excision, Drop the lime, Otto Von Schirach, Juan Basshead & more! 1306 North Miami Avenue, Downtown Miami.
Arrive before 2pm at “This is Evolve” pool party at the Surfcomber Hotel and save $15 on an all-day ticket to hear Victor Calderone and Sander Kleinenberg. 1717 Collins Avenue, South Beach.
Friday March 26
Pete Tong Pool Party at the Shelborne will splash down with Pete’s guests Steve Lawler, Kaskade, James Zabiela, Mark Knight, Tiefschwarz, and more. 1801 Collins Avenue, south Beach.
Ultra Main Stage will boom to the beats of Tiesto, David guetta, Groove Armada, Passion Pit, Kryoman, Francesco Rossi, Little Boots and LMFAO. Bayfront counterpunches with The Disco Biscuits, Crystal Method, Rabbit in the Moon, and Infected Mushroom.
Louis @ Gansevoort hosts Pase Rock, Uffie, Autoerotique, Destructo, Rob Roy, SonicC, Fischerspooner, Shinichi Osawa, DJ Funk and Joachim Garraud. 2325 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
Kukaramakara hosts the SafeHouse Party with Passion Pit, Pirate Stereo, King Benjamin, Troy Kurtz and Santiago Caballero. 60 NE 11 Street, Miami.
Mansion wants you to join the Swedish House Mafia when Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and all their friends take over the decks wiith their booming beats from 10pm to 5am. 1235 Washington Avenue, South Beach.
Saturday March 27
Ultra Main Stage kicks off with Deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Armin Van Buuren, Benny Benassi, Damian Marley & NAS, Groove Armada. Bayfront presents Crookers, Orbital, Bloody Beetroots, Steve Aoki, Afrobeta and Japanese Popstars.
Back at the Shelborne Pool, Bob Sinclair, David Morales, Sarah Main, DJ Jazzy Jeff and a whole lottla love spins for the Pacha Ibiza Classics Event at noon. 1801 Collins Avenue, South Beach.
Sunday March 28
Closing out the weekend at the Surfcomber Pool at 11am is Axwell, Benny Benassi, Funkagenda and some surprise guests (Miamians love Cedric Gervais, Luis Puig, & Lazardi) at 1717 Collins Avenue, South Beach.
At the Shelborne, Danny Tenaglia’s beach party kicks off at noon at 1801 Collins Avenue and the Hotel Victor hosts DiP OuT, a pool party on Ocean Drive featuring Spooky, Menno de Jong, Josh Gabriel, Morgan Page Filo & Peri and many more. 1141 Ocean Drive, South Beach.
Background
Winter Music Conference roars into Miami Beach every March bringing with it musicians, record label executives and lots of music lovers, all ready to party in South Beach’s finest clubs amid the latest in electronic dance music. While, for some that means testing the waters of inebriation to see just how many late night/early morning adventures one can really handle before hanging up those dancing shoes, for others it means a shot at fame and a million-dollar record deal. Winter Music Conference is a celebration in every respect, but there’s much more to this huge event than club-hopping and DJ spotting. Here’s a look at what Winter Music Conference is really all about.
Genesis of WMC
Winter Music Conference started in 1985 as the brainchild of Bill Kelly. After attending music seminars throughout the United States, Kelly began to feel slighted because no one had produced a forum for his first love, dance music. With the help of a promoter, Kelly began soliciting record companies and soon found a willing audience.
Today, the conference draws crowds as large as 7,200, and the event is always headquartered in one of Miami Beach’s mega-resorts, such as the Fontainebleu or the Deauville Resort. This year from March 18 through the 22, the WMC returns to the Deauville to fulfill its mission of providing a platform for presenting new ideas, providing insight and stimulating growth in the dance music industry.
Winter Music Conference Directory
Even before music enthusiasts, wannabe DJs and A&R people set foot on the beach, the mighty task of WMC marketing and advertising must be tackled. The first piece of information passed out to delegates is the official Winter Music Conference Directory, which contains the industry’s top companies, artists, DJs and executives attending the event. For musicians looking for exposure, getting listed in this directory is a must.
With their names in the directory’s pages, the next step for DJs seeking fame is to get their work out there in front of the public. For those who sign up early, the WMC offers two options of shameless self-promotion: the music compilation CD and the DVD video wall. The compilation is handed out in the WMC Sample Sack to every delegate in attendance. And who doesn’t love freebies? But this CD is more than just a gift, after being handed out to producers, managers and label representatives, this disk may be a DJ’s link to a lifelong dream of fame. To compliment the CD, a DVD video wall offers a visual introduction to new artist’s work. To increase exposure, the wall is placed in a high-traffic area and runs continually throughout the week.
Dance Music
Once attendees receive their Sample Sack and view the videos, they’re off to the core of the Conference, the events. Whether you’re a veteran DJ hoping to learn something new, a label representative looking for the next big thing or a kid with hopes of becoming a star, you can get an education in electronic dance music for as little as $285 and as much as $415. The WMC’s goal is to explore and provide insight on sounds impacting the world, be it now or in the future. Some of the seminars and workshops the Conference offers include remixing and editing, demo listening, a DJ spin-off, poolside performances, nightclub showcases and the International Dance Awards.
Remix & Edit
Attendees who want to know what happens in the studio get the opportunity to interact with programmers, producers and remixers. Panelists teaching the seminars come from all over, including labels like Q Muse Ltd., Thunderpuss, *69 Records and Nu Soul Ltd.
Demos
For DJs with a song they know will revolutionize the way dance music is perceived, this is the place to be. But honesty is the name of the game at this workshop. From producers to songwriters, demo listening is the chance for artists to get their work on the loudspeaker for a little constructive criticism from the best in the business.
DJ Spinoff
Much like a battle of the bands, the DJ spin-off is a process of elimination to see which DJ will be victorious. The contest features two categories: scratching and beat mixing. Participants are judged on a technical and creative basis in their five-minute set. But crowd response and stage presence also play a big part in the spin-off. This poolside party is not only entertaining, but exposes some of the newest and freshest raw talent in the music world today.
Poolside Sets
This swimming pool soiree is better known as “the schmooze.” While DJs create an invigorating backdrop with their supple sounds, industry types use the event as an opportunity to trade business cards, while those looking for record deals pass out their demos. This is a party within a party—a chance to name-drop, an opportunity to meet and greet people who make the magic happen.
Club Showcases
Nightclub showcases are perhaps the events WMC is best known for. Tourists come from far and wide to see some of the biggest names in today’s DJ game. In the past, artists like DJ Peretz, MTV’s DJ Skribble, Kruder and Dorfmeister, John Digweed, Carl Cox, Timo Maas, Paul Oakenfold and Paul Van Dyke have put the needle to the record at clubs like Level, Crobar and Space (the latter being the home of Danny Tenaglia’s 16-hour marathon set.) Even if the extent of your electronic music knowledge reaches no further than what radio station to pick, this portion of the event is sure to get your music enthusiasm rolling—even in spite of the long lines and insane entrance fees.
International Dance Music Awards
What event would be complete without an award show? The International Dance Music Awards, held at the Jackie Gleason Theater, is the largest dance music ceremony in the world. Each year industry professionals vote on the best in the business. From Lenny Kravitz to Boy George, celebrity guests make their way to pay homage to the greats of this musical genre.
So whether you’re a DJ trying to get a record deal, a label looking for new talent or just a music enthusiast with a little time off from work in March, the Winter Music Conference has something for you.