WMC 2010 – Attention music junkies!
Attention music junkies! The time is approaching again for the much awaited Miami Winter Music Conference; and this year is special as WMC is celebrating its 25th birthday. This season’s magical dates are March 23rd – 27th 2010. Location: Miami Beach Florida.
Although I’m pretty sure you know what it is about, let me tell you a little bit about its history.
It was founded in 1985 by DJs and Record Pool Directors Louis Possenti and Bill Kelley. The first WMC took place in February 1986 at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott with approximately 80 dance music industry insiders. The event festivities are presented across Miami Beach and Downtown Miami. The major event is the International Dance Music Awards – the first and largest awards ceremony dedicated to dance music; an evening packed with performers and celebrity guests. The event has major international draw, with around 38% of attendees coming from outside the US.
The conference serves as a platform for several underground and indie artists from over 70 different countries which gather at events and panels; it is also a medium used by several entrepreneurs and consumer electric companies to present their business and technological developments.
In 2009 the WMC introduced the first annual VJ Challenge with celebrity hosts, judges and VJs from various parts of the world, hosted by VJ Psyberpxie and Felix Sama.
The WMC is recognized for serving around 60.000 visitors during one week. 3.726 industry delegates attended in 2008, most of them being from the US. Other areas being represented at the WMC were: Europe, the Latin-American community, Canada, Asia and others. Some examples of professionals attending the WMC are: record label representatives, publishers, A&R, press & media, music production specialists, concert promoters, managers, agents, consultants.
Getting back to “our days”, let’s have a look at deadlines, prices, accommodation, line-up, and what else might be of interest and use.
Registration has already started and there are several deadlines, each corresponding to a price, which gets bigger the more the start date approaches; the earlier you decide, the less you pay. Let’s have a look at those deadlines.
Until December 9th 2009 – $ 275, Jan 6th 2010 – $ 325, Feb 3rd 2010 – $ 375, Mar 3rd2010 – $ 425.
Official headquarters for this year’s WMC is the Eden Roc Beach Resort & Spa where special prices can be obtained by registered delegates only, trough the WMC Housing Bureau.
Saving money:
The general recommendation is to stay close to the parties; within walking distance of the strip (1st Street to 40th Street is “The Strip”) in order to avoid spending the money saved with accommodation on cabs stuck in traffic. The “WMC 2010 Sweet Spot” is between 15th Street and 43rd Street.
Another recommendation on saving money is sharing the hotel room with around 4 people in rooms booked for less, as no hotel representative will notice… Now, if you take this risk, it’s, of course, for you to decide, but I would recommend getting informed about what happens if you’re caught, ‘cause being thrown out the hotel in the middle of the fun, wouldn’t be too funny, would it? Unless you’re ok with sleeping on the beach or paying more than you initially thought, which would be the opposite of saving J
Then you can save by taking public transportation (they say it’s not very reliable in Miami Beach, meaning you should leave an hour earlier to be on the safe side), or renting a bike.
If you enjoy drinking at this kind of events…do you?…it’s recommended to drink before getting in, as alcohol prices range from 7$ a beer to 10$ a vodka. Oh, and if you’re really interested in getting wasted on alcohol look out for the free drinks parties (for ex. Bacardi B. last year).
Among the last recommendations about how to get around at the Winter Music Conference, I found a pretty amusing one, check this out and keep in mind! “Avoid passing out, getting robbed or going to jail” – you wouldn’t have known if I wouldn’t have told you, right? 
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Going further with our guide, don’t forget sunscreen, shoes you can keep on for a long time, Tylenol and WATER 
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This is the last recommendation and probably most important for first timers at the WMC: NO party hopping! Plan your itinerary before you get there and don’t chase only the big venues as you risk spending most of the time waiting in line.
Now that we have a clue about the in and out’s, let’s see what the WMC has prepared for this year in terms of events and panels:
Seminars & Panels: addressing the important issues affecting the music industry today.
International Dance Music Awards: the first and largest awards ceremony dedicated to dance music. This evening will be packed with performers and celebrity guests as the industry comes out in force.
DJ Spin-Off: the most promising DJ talents mixing and manipulating their way to victory.
WMC Record Collector’s Show: 4th edition this year; for all vinyl enthusiasts.
Remixing and editing workshops: a chance to interact with the top producers, programmers and remixers – doing what they do best.
Exhibits: WMC’s international marketplace showcasing the leading products, services and gear from around the world.
Demo Listening Workshops: developing artists and producers can showcase their talents and gain insight and feedback from leading record labels, publishers and A&R reps.
South Beach Sessions: Founded on the principles that make music compelling – individual expression, empowerment, creative thinking and collaboration, the program’s mission is to create greater exposure for artists and ideas.
Club events: Renowned DJs and performers from around the world headline at venues throughout Miami during 5 non-stop nights of WMC club events.
Ultra Music Festival: official festival for Winter Music Conference. WMC badge holders receive complimentary admission to this event.
VJ Challenge: VJs from all over the world mixing their way to glory.
The official WMC website didn’t schedule any events yet, however I found a party list on an unofficial uncensored WMC guide, you can have a look here.
We will keep you posted as soon as there are official news on this.
Before I end, I want to inform our readers from overseas that there are employment opportunities and volunteer work at the WMC so if you are considering mixing fun and work, you might want to apply.
by Di
Tags: 25th birthday, Miami, Miami Beach Florida, registration, special prices, Winter Music Conference 2010, WMC, WMC guide
