Much like a foghorn heralds the return of a ship into port, the International Music Summit trumpets the official arrival of summer in Ibiza. The three-day event allows us to look back on the collective developments and challenges of the music industry over the past year, while simultaneously looking forward and considering how the coming months might unfold. It's a time when a squad of dance music's most influential figures come together to share ideas, stories and plans for the future, always delivering plenty of tasty food for thought.
This year, the event will take place at Hard Rock Hotel in Playa d'en Bossa between Wednesday 25 May and Friday 27 May, and with a packed schedule of events to unpick, we've selected some Summit highlights. Eyes peeled and notepads open: school is in session.
Day 1
1. IMS Business Report, 1.10 - 1.25 PM
Presented by Kevin Watson, the IMS Business Report provides an annual barometer for the commercial value of dance music, always providing an eye-opening touchstone for comparing how much the industry has grown in the previous 12 months.
2. Space Ibiza: End of an Era, 4.25 - 5 PM
A topic close to the heart of all clubbers this summer is Space, which will close at the end of this season. This talk will bring together some of the iconic club's originators, including owner, Pepe Roselló, Lynn Cosgrave of Safehouse Management and Carl Cox. Expect to delve deeply into the realms of nostalgia with some of the island's finest. Tears are inevitable.
3. IMS Engage Presents Vinyl Exchange: Seth Troxler ‘In Coversation' with Dave Haslam, 5.05 - 6 PM
Legendary Haçienda DJ, Dave Haslam, recently sold his entire vinyl collection (amounting to around 4,500 pieces, no less) to Seth Troxler. Here, they'll unite to discuss their love of vinyl while choosing 10 tracks to play for your aural pleasure. Fun and anecdotes will ensue.
Day 2
1. Striving for Excellence & the Art of Playing Differently, 12.10 - 1.10 PM
Richie Hawtin, Black Coffee, Guy Gerber, James Zabiela, Nicole Moudaber and Carmine Conte (Tale of Us) will all be on stage to discuss how using different mixing products affects individuality of performance. Something that this lot, between them, know quite a lot about.
2. Keynote Interview - Yann Pissenem (CEO, Ushuaïa), 2.10 - 2.30 PM
Yann Pissenem's influence on the Ibiza (and global) landscape is undeniable - with Ushuaïa he's transformed the way people party on the island. His next challenge will be to take over the old Space, so all eyes will be on this interview, conducted by Spotlight's own, Grego O'Halloran, to see what clues he'll unveil about the club's future.
3. Back2Live: Hard Rock Hotel, 8 - 11 PM
Returning for a second year, Back2Live promotes the increasing cross over between electronic and live music. Appearances will come in the form of Szjerdene, Delamere, Sea Bed, Our Future Glory and Stimming, who'll be performing his high-concept album, Alpe Lusia. A fusion of sounds not to be missed.
Day 3
1. The Great Annual Ibiza Debate: Year 9, 11 AM - 12 PM
A selection of industry tastemakers, tossing Ibiza's hottest potatoes, in a bid to make sense of the challenges facing the island. This year, Dubfire, Jacobi Calthorpe (Housekeeping), Mr C, Pete Tong, Shauna Slevin (MD, Canopy Artists) and Matteo Milleri (Tale of Us) will all be throwing down the gauntlet.
2. Keynote Interview - Pet Shop Boys, 4 - 5 PM
Pete Tong in conversation with Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, pioneers of electronic pop sounds and one of the most successful UK music acts of all time. It doesn't get much bigger than that.
3. IMS Dalt Vila, 6 - 12 PM
Three days of the finest talks and biggest names in electronic music culminates at Dalt Vila in Ibiza Town, one of the most visually pleasing venues you'll ever have the pleasure of partying in. This year, the bill includes Francesca Lombardo, B. Traits, Benjamin Damage (live), Nicole Moudaber, Tale of Us and Dubfire, who'll be presenting his critically acclaimed, dubfire:liveHYBRID show. And that friends, is what you call the icing on the cake.
