PAULETTE
ADE 09
As an ADE
virgin I really didn't know what to expect or what I might achieve
from this conference. I thought
that, as a dj without a record
label, hit single, compilation or a fully fledged production career
behind me, it wouldn't be that relevant to me. However I was open-minded
and since I had a firm idea what sort of results I wanted to achieve
and since I had also been invited as a panellist I was sure it would be
interesting whatever - and I was not wrong.
I was there
from Wednesday to Friday afternoon and found that, train delay
aside, it ran relentlessly around the clock, was full on from Day One and
left me wishing I had taken fuller advantage of the four day feast.
ADE 09
DAYTIME
Being a
panellist made accreditation a joy, there was no queue for panellists or press!
Next year i will go early to avoid the delegates queue misery.
The two
sites for the daytime conference are the Felix Meritis and Dylan
Hotels and they are less than 25 metres apart. I bounced between the two
locations like a superball for three days, and found the stretch of
street in between was an easy place to catch just about everyone as
they were in transit. Getting from one end of the street to the other took me a
good hour, sometimes more since everyone meets outside, subtly doing business in the ...
rubbish Amsterdam Autumn weather.
:-) I passed the
time of day quite happily here with my Joia friends - Luciano,
Jonas, Albin, Cocoon friends Marco, Lutz and Eddie Thoenick, Secure recs
- Tony, Mixmash Sander and Tom, Defected, Stealth, Toolroom -
plus many djs/ producers / agents / singers / songwriters. It reminded me of how Miami WMC
used to be - an intense yet fantastically intimate networking opportunity. However, don’t let the Miami element of
hanging out with DJ 'friends' mislead you, the emphasis is always on doing
effective and real business and is not recommended for beginners / rubber neckers
/ fans or stalkers.
Whilst a
lot of work is done on an informal level, doing business goes way beyond
the pavement, the parties and bars.
The ADE pass gave me access to
all the panels and meeting rooms in both hotels where labels,
agents and organisations have tables and stands. The point of this set up
is to introduce, meet, negotiate and secure deals (mainly international
licensing & syndications) with people, to make new contacts and freely
& openly discuss future opportunities. It was worth running around every
room even without booking an appointment but if you have product to sell or
license it pays to be better organised. Even if your meetings do not take place
in these rooms, the value of this set up cannot be underestimated. Be on your guard for missing scheduled
meetings, meet and greets, showcases or panels by getting waylaid in the street
outside, if you have no real agenda it's all too easily done.
The ‘Ladies
In The House’ panel on Thursday afternoon was a well attended
and lively affair. Speakers were
myself, Lottie (UK), Shinedoe
(NL), Olga Zegers (ID&T, Mysteryland) and mediated by Vika Kova. Topics discussed included image,
profile, presence, equality, competition,
evolution, new media amongst other issues. As cool as this was i
think it would be conference dynamite to hear a man's viewpoint
on the same issue to avoid it alienating industry professionals who felt that
the topic itself plus the single sex panel ghettoised the real issues. So ADE
ORGANISERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING, a 50/50 panel split would be
worth considering for next year, then we can be better informed and aware of
both sides of the story.
ADE
NIGHTTIME.
The early
evening showcases and night parties were an added bonus. Wednesday
saw me running around the Viva / Ovum party at Melkweg with Charlotte
from Enjoy, Seb Leger, Lottie, Josh Wink, Luciano Ingrosso (Joia), Michael
Weiss (Nervous Records), David Vendetta and a whole host of booking agents,
club owners, singers, djs, producers – too numerous to name. Thursday – aside
from the panel I had two long lunch meetings, ran quickly around the David
Vendetta 2nd Album Showcase, then had a very long ‘meeting’ session
at the Dylan Bar with various international radio producers, IMS organizers Ben
Turner and Matt Glover, record label execs and promoters before going back to
my hotel for a much needed breather and costume change. Then it was out again for a lovely
Chinese meal with Charlotte (Enjoy), Rachel (IMD) Arash (Bullitt), Don Diablo
and his management team and then onto Don Diablo’s packed album showcase at
Jimmy Woo. I was sad to have missed out on the 6th Annual ADE Network Bash at
De Duif as not enough of my party had delegates badges, wristbands or invites
but I did catch Darren Emerson and all at the 6 Years of Little Mountain
Recordings party at Club Home before calling time on a very long night.....
Friday came
around all too quickly and I realised that I had so much left to do but no more
time. The opportuities at ADE are
incredible. This is not Miami or
Ibiza – God is not a DJ here.
This is not tourist party central, nor is it a commission
for Radio 1 or national TV to print and devalue money by discovering,
exploiting, diluting and ultimately destroying the very thing it is
promoting. This is not Spring
Break along the Dutch canals with house and techno sprinkles on top - this is
an intense, four-day, business hotbed where the industry movers, shakers and
tastemakers get real nuts and bolts business done and more power to it. I
returned to Paris feeling fired up about the future
for this industry and armed with invaluable contacts, leads and a fair few new
friends. I will definitely be there
for the whole four days next year but with a tighter conference plan - just
show me where to sign.