In retrospect, it seems like a miracle: When Pasquale Rotella first came up with the idea to create a business conference covering the exploding dance music industry, he asked his Insomniac team to put it together in just three months. Somehow, they pulled it off. And next week’s fifth annual EDMbiz conference might be the biggest and most diverse event yet.
“In the beginning, it was very much a pure business-to-business conference, and the entire dance music ecosystem was there. The whole community signed up and everybody came to Vegas early before EDC,” says John Boyle, Insomniac’s chief growth officer and interim CFO. “It was very rushed that first year, but it was also ideal timing for what the industry needed, and over the years it has really broadened its reach and taken on a different focus of education.”
EDMbiz is now all about inspiring and assisting aspirationals, people who want to get into the business as a DJ, promoter, producer, manager or anything else. “As this business continues to mature and commercialize, the way it stays true and maintains its soul is by having talented, passionate people coming into it for the right reasons,” Boyle says.
Highlights of this year’s conference include a keynote discussion with Rotella and childhood friend, John Amato, CEO for Billboard; keynotes from iconic dance-music artists Moby and Armin van Buuren; the panel discussion “After the Drop: Where Do We Go From Here? The State of Dance Music” and a “Beyond the Boys’ Club” panel focused on the role and future of women in dance music. EDMbiz Conference & Expo at Caesars Palace, June 14-16, EDMbiz.com.
