WMC DATES: WHO IS AFFECTED AND HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER
SPACEFEST: DO WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER WMC MUSIC FESTIVAL?
This year marks the 20th anniversary of WMC which promises to be not only the biggest and best WMC ever but the busiest as well. While the conference has grown 100 times its size in the past 19 years it has not extended its dates to accommodate the masses. For years I have been trying to convince the director of WMC and my very good friend Bill Kelly to extend the WMC dates in order to accommodate the ever growing crowds and attendees. The following is a list of reasons why I believe the WMC dates must be extended. Included is also my bid for adding a second music festival (Spacefest) to the list of WMC events. This decision on my part has caused some unwanted drama, speculation and attention as well as questions that I hope this letter will answer.
A. The Attendees: Too many WMC attendees, too little time. Not everyone can attend the conference the week that is designated by WMC. Attendees can't just take off the week they choose. Having 2 weekends of conference and two festivals allows for more flexibility for people to attend and plan their trips. The flight and hotel rates will also be more affordable if we extended the dates due to the fact that visitors would be more spread out. At present the rates are over priced due to the fact that we are over populated and over booked.
B. The Events: Too many events, too little time. Ibiza lasts for 142 days, WMC only lasts 5 days. It is time to extend this conference! There is no way visitors can attend every event (day and night) and still get to enjoy this beautiful paradise. How many events did you miss last year because you just didn?t have enough time or you just didn?t wake up? There is just not enough time to attend all your events and enjoy the sunshine. People are returning home whiter and pastier then when they arrived. Most don?t even get to see the beaches. Extending the dates will allow attendees to plan their events and have some time off to soak up the sun and beaches. We need more time to enjoy.
C. The DJs: Too many DJs too little time. How many times during WMC did you miss a DJ performing at a club? Don?t you just hate it when two of your favorite DJs are playing on the same night but at two different venues? We need more nights to accommodate our DJs and label parties. The one great thing about Ibiza is that DJs perform weekly. If you miss Morillo at Pacha on Wednesday there is always next Wednesday. If you missed a DJ?s set during conference you missed it until the next year. What about those horrid festival one hour set times? What DJ does not have a complaint regarding their scheduled festival set times? If I only had a dollar for every time a DJ told me, ?I got cheated out of my set time again? or ?I got cut?. Who came up with the one hour set time idea? This craziness needs to stop. DJs need to play at least 2 hours or at least long enough so you can walk from one arena to the other and not miss their set. Give the DJs their due time. They drive to Downtown Miami, look for parking for an hour and fight their way through crowds just to spin for 45 minutes! Spacefest will bring more quality DJs and more quality time. Give the DJs their time.
D. The Expenses: Too much money not enough rewards. WMC is the most expensive music conference anywhere. Extending the conference dates will benefit all involved. Clubs will benefit from the extra nights of income. Attendees will benefit from the lower door covers due to non over crowding. Promoters, booking agents and DJs will benefit from the extra events and gigs. Having 2 festivals during WMC will force door cover and ticket prices to come down benefiting the attendees and the promoters, booking agents and DJs will benefit from the extra gigs and set times. Everyone wins.
E. The South Florida Locals: Not one local attends any WMC event due to the high cover at the doors. As one of my customers put it, "why pay $50 or $60 to see a featured artist when I can see him at Space any time of the year for $20 or $30 without getting mobbed by punters?? Having an extra weekend and festival just before the mobs arrive will allow for the locals to be able to enjoy the best of clubbing and festivals without losing their monthly rent money.
F. The Spring Breakers: This Spacefest event will be directed to the college spring break crowd that is in town the weekend before WMC. This crowd is only here for spring break and never gets the chance to attend WMC events or Ultra. Even if they could attend the events, they cannot afford the expensive Ultra tickets or the admission to WMC night clubs which are 21 and over for all WMC events. Spacefest will be the only chance these kids get to see these artists before they have to go back to school. Ticket price for this event will be $35 and $40.
G. The Charity: Good music for a great cause. Last I would like to remind you that the Spacefest event will be donating proceeds to the Red Cross's hurricane victims program. As you all well know Florida and our neighboring states really got hit hard by a series of hurricanes this summer. This people really need our help. We at Space are dedicated to helping others in their time of need. In the past we raised $25,000 for the 911 victims, sponsored Miami Police Officers to go help out at Ground Zero and collected $24,000 at the Space Labor Day Weekend DJ-Athon for MDA (Muscular Dystrophy) and hurricane victims. We are always looking to give back to our community. This is something that we need to do more of if electronic music if we are to attain the respect of our communities. There is a ton of money being passed around during conference. Let some of it go to help a worthy cause.
In conclusion, I am all for more conferences, more attendees, more events, more DJs, more festivals, more music, more fun and less expenses. If you are with me please email my good friend Bill Kelly at [email]Bill_Kelly@WinterMusicConference.com[/email] and let him know how you feel. See you all at Space or Spacefest or maybe even at the beach?if the dates are extended.
Kindest regards,
LOUIS PUIG OWNER OPERATOR
CLUBSPACE / SPACEFEST
[url]WWW.CLUBSPACE.COM[/url]
SPIRITS NIGHTCLUB
[url]WWW.SPIRITSNIGHTCLUB.COM[/url]