IMS Aims For Higher Summit

The International Music Summit expects to underline its importance to the electronic music industry when it returns to the Ibiza Grand Hotel May 26-28.

It pulled only 220 paying delegates when it started in on the Mediterranean coast at Benidorm in 2008, but there were nearly 50 percent more for this year’s gathering at the Ibiza Grand.

Next year co-founder and BBC Radio 1 DJ Peter Tong’s organising team have taken over the entire hotel, apparently confident that the third IMS may attract as many as 500 paying visitors.

Tong, who also hosts the event, believes the venue is “probably the best setting imaginable for an international electronic music conference.”

“IMS is committed to helping develop the global scene that I’m so heavily involved in, and I hope industry people and clubbers alike choose to spend their time on the island around this very special gathering of global players and thinkers,” he said.

Tong created the event with partners Ben Turner, Danny Whittle, Mark Netto and Simeon Friend.

“An industry known for producing innovative music finally has an innovative conference,” was Juan Vandervoort from !K7 Records in Germany’s verdict on the 2009 gathering.

IMS is also developing a reputation for very lively debate. At this year’s conference global electronic pioneer Richie Hawtin told delegates they were lying when they said that they felt they were in touch with their audience.

It may also be developing a reputation for telling home truths. Apart from Hawtin’s very straight talking, apparently 69 percent of the delegates at IMS 2009 admitted it had made them question how their companies work.

The daytime sessions will be followed by special evening showcases at venues within walking distance of the conference hotel.
The first speakers, panelists and the topics for discussion will be announced Jan. 18.