Q’s With: CAA’s Jen Hammel On The Ibiza Market

For the last 23 years, Jen Hammel has headed to Ibiza for the summer. She started off going as a fan at 18, coming to the island either earlier in the season or towards the tail end of it, when shows were more affordable. Now, flying down to Ibiza from her offices in London is a regular task for the CAA agent.

Her clients this year include MEDUZA as part of the “Our House” residency at Hï each Monday.

Hammel also puts large emphasis on the fact that more women than ever are headlining shows and holding residencies on the island. “While it’s not the first year that a female artist has had a residency, this is the most the island has ever seen,” she tells Pollstar. “Which feels like a positive step in the right direction. Women making a massive splash this year include Hannah Laing plays the club room at Hï Ibiza; Miss Monique, Joseph Capriati, Hugel and Indira Paganotoo also all at Hï throughout the week, Blond:ish at Pacha and Honey Dijon at Chinois. Sara Landry and Charlotte De Witte have headline shows at the newly opened UNVRS this year, with Hammell noting their landing on the island marks a shift in tastes and signifies harder techno – typically associated with clubs in Berlin – is making its mark and selling tickets.

She comes down to Ibiza several times a year now, attending each of her artists’ residencies and seeing what’s going on in the market. She pops in at different points to see how the crowd is, mentally calculating what time of year would be best for a particular client. Hammel sat down with Pollstar to talk about the market, her process and more. 

What have your clients been up to in Ibiza this year?
Jen Hammel: This year is super exciting with the opening of UNVRS. It’s a 7,500-cap venue, which is half the size of what Privilege used to be, which was 16,000. People were worrying how other clubs would survive with this brand new venue that’s opening seven days a week, but I was there and every show I went to seemed busy. In fact, I think it makes the experience more enjoyable for fans, because some of those shows were packed. I remember being on the dancefloor 20 years ago, and you had way more room to dance. When I was there, everything feels busy, but more enjoyable. 

Ibiza is trying to introduce new sounds and new artists, they’re not just repeatedly booking the same artists. They’re trying to give new residencies and opportunities. This year, more female artists are having residencies than there’s ever been before.

What dance music subgenres have you seen thrive in Ibiza compared to other markets?
The regular audience with names everyone knows do really well. Regular people are going to be there –  it’s not just an island for club-goers, everyone is going to be there. Those household names are clearly doing better business. As for subgenres, harder sounding techno such as with Sara Landry and Charlotte De Witte is doing well and starting to make waves in the scene where traditionally an Ibiza audience wouldn’t have gone to. So you’re seeing a few of those nights pop up more regularly. But I wouldn’t necessarily say that kind of music is going to do better than David Guetta or Calvin Harris or Solomon, people that have put history on those islands and appeal to the masses rather than a sub-genre niche.

How do you approach going to the market?
There’s a different audience that goes on May 1 compared to who goes in July and August to who’s there in September. It’s good to go and see all the events happening and what’s popping. So then, when it comes to programming for the following year, you know where to place your artists. Obviously there’s the full residencies, which are 16 to 18 weeks. Some artists go in and do shorter residencies in May and September. It’s just needing to know the audience that’s going to be on the islands at those times, and when is the right time for a particular artist.

What sort of crowds are there depending on the time of year?
September’s a lot cheaper, so if you’re wanting to target a slightly younger crowd, it might be easier for them to afford tickets, hotels and flights that time of year. So, looking outside the box of July and August, which is very much prime time but it’s very expensive to be in Ibiza. When I first went – the island has always been expensive – but when I was 18, I could afford to be there for two weeks. Obviously, I had to save money to go on holiday there. But, when you’re talking to the audience now, they’re coming in for four or five days, max. That’s all the money they’ve got, they’re having to choose which nights to go to and which days, where and how they’re flying in and flying out. It’s not just the prices of venues, but hotels as well. 

Because this is such a competitive market that’s gotten more expensive in recent years, how do you help your clients stand out so fans would be more drawn to your shows?
It’s slightly different if someone has their own residency. Then, you’ve got full control over how that show is portrayed or what the production is. If you’re an artist supporting someone else’s show, you’ve got less power on how you’re going to do that. So, then it’s about choosing the right show that’s going to make sense for their audience and making sure you’re utilizing the crowd and not going to be competing. It’s got to make sense for their career, being there.