A day in the life: International Music Summit Ibiza 2019 – EDM All Day

Photo courtesy of Fernando V

Twelve years ago, International Music Summit emerged in Ibiza as a thought leadership platform in dance music. The three-day summit paved the way for debate, discussion and progressive change in the music industry, tackling contentious topics like sexism, mental health and gender inequality. Today, IMS Ibiza unites the best in the business through a series of keynotes, interviews, panels, technology master classes and of course, parties.

8:00am: Silky beams of light slips through the patio door as birds chirp outside our window. Built in the heart of Ibiza Town, El Hotel boasts the quality, essence and luxury of the famed club brand, all while offering guests an exquisite home away from home. Heavenly meals crafted by chef Iñigo Rodriguez give guests a taste of authentic Mediterranean cuisine, which can be enjoyed at El Hotel’s outdoor terrace and pool. Guests fuel up for the day with a nourishing breakfast inclusive of pastries, prosciutto, Manchego, and an impressive fruit spread.

Featuring over 1,200 delegates and press hailing from more than 50 countries, IMS Ibiza has earned its stripes as one of the globe’s most influential electronic music conferences. In just over a decade, IMS has shaped an electronic music mecca on an island that invites electronic music fans and industry folk from all corners of the world.

Our journey begins in Ibiza Town at El Hotel Pacha. The behemoth, which is dressed with whitewashed walls, marble floors and risqué artwork throughout, is within walking distance of the party, but removed just enough to provide a sanctuary for those who need it most.

9:00am: London-based yoga teacher Sophie Clyde steps onto her bright purple mat at the Hard Rock Hotel rooftop as she prepares to teach an hour-long vinyasa flow. Students enter the space, which boasts breathtaking views of the island and the Mediterranean Sea. Intentions for the day are set and the sun is strong as we slowly descend into chaturanga.

10:45am: Following yoga, IMS attendees are greeted at Tatel Restaurant for a breakfast hosted by female empowerment community, shesaid.so. The shesaid.so team kicks off IMS by walking guests through the week’s itinerary, and inviting us to buy into their mission of gender diversity, community, safer clubbing and sexual harassment prevention.

12pm: Andreea Magdalina, founder of shesaid.so, delivers a bold keynote speech inviting men to support their female counterparts in restoring the balance of gender equality. By working with and not against us, both men and women can see equal opportunities in the workplace, in the studio and on the stage.

12:20pm: IMS’ annual Business Report sets the stage for electronic music’s performance over the last year. One of the report’s biggest findings was that the estimated earnings of highest-paid DJs dropped significantly in 2018; in total, the ten highest-paid DJs earned around $261m in 12 months, down 12% YoY. Also alarming, though not surprising, is the increase in club closures due to factors like gentrification and health and wellbeing trends.

1:30pm: Down the hall at the Hard Rock, Sign is handing out ice cold samples of their product – a hydration alternative composed of orange juice, lemon juice sea salt, vitamins B6 and B12, and magnesium. Even a shot-sized sample packs a punch by replenishing lost fluids and injecting the body with a dose of electrolytes to help keep the party going into the early hours of the morning. Across the hall, Ibiza <3 Ears is educating delegates on the importance of hearing health through the use of custom in-ear monitors, ACS.

4:30pm: Klas Bergling, father to the late Avicii, is seated in the middle of the Hard Rock Hotel conference room surrounded by the likes of Pete Tong, Sasha and Luciano to discuss one of electronic music’s most pressing issues to date: mental health. The Tim Bergling Foundation, which was announced in March, will not only address mental illness and suicide but also focus on endangered animals and the environment – two of Tim’s passions outside of music. The interview soon transitions into raw anecdotes of anxiety and addiction, as told by Sasha and Luciano themselves.

6pm: IMS Delegates wrap up a successful day of learning and networking with Palomas at the Hard Rock pool, courtesy of Absolut. The music is thumping and sliders are making their way around the pool, just in time for pre-dinner. A long night awaits.

6:45pm: Hard-hitting techno is audible from the streets, and we know we’ve gone to the right place. IMS Ibiza’s annual Dalt Vila party is in full swing, and music fans find themselves dancing at an unlikely location – a 2,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site. True techno fans patiently wait for the night to progress, as veterans like Joseph Capriati, Pete Tong, Charlotte de Witte, Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg prepare to take the stage.

9pm: Lee Burridge’s iconic party series, All Day I Dream, lands at Cova Santa – an open-air and terraced venue near San José. The party’s signature blue and purple fabrics and paper lanterns flutter in the light Ibiza breeze as the sun begins its descent. It’s here that we express ourselves on the dancefloor through costume and concerted movement, knowing that this is one of the safest spaces on earth.  

12:15am: This week, Spanish creative concept and party series, Elrow, and Absolut Vodka announced their latest joint venture: The Gardenarium. The brand new day festival, which will take place on July 31 at Cova Santa, will explore the relationship between nature and the power of imagination. Partygoers get a glimpse of what The Gardenarium will entail at Growenlandia, Elrow’s Ibiza opening party at Amnesia. It’s not long before inflatable mushrooms, confetti blasts, aerialists and wild animals infiltrate the space. This is exactly the Elrow we know and love.

3am: Transmoderna, a creative concept developed by Dixon, is making its grand debut at Pacha – one of Ibiza’s longest-standing nightclubs. The brand’s iconic cherries clearly distinguish the club from any other on the island, as well as its custom d&b audiotechnik soundsystem, which covers every last inch of the space to provide clear, crisp sound. El Hotel resides just across the street from the club, making the 6am commute to bed as effortless as possible.

Watch the official IMS Ibiza aftermovie here.