Jack Blog
November 13th, 2023 By Jack Morton
With dance music booming – an industry that grew 34% in 2022 YoY – up 16% from pre-pandemic levels1 – Jack Morton went onsite to the vanguard of dance music, Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).
ADE is a juggernaut dance music celebration, where people in and around the industry come together – from the biggest artists, to the upcoming, to their fans, and everyone in between. Another record year for ADE made it clear there is a cultural crave for the escapism that dance music experiences can offer. Thomas Vig, Senior Strategist, talks key trends and observations:
1.LED Experiences.
A great way for artists to stand out, increase reach and grow in dominance is with performance art and light shows, offering extraordinary AV experiences. Artists Mathame, Adriatique, Tale of Us and WhoMadeWho are all working with creative studios to do this, and London’s new event space, Drumsheds, Hï Ibiza and the newly opened LED Dome, Sphere in Vegas, are showing us a future where LED and content will play an increased role in the artist’s ideas and overall experience design.
2.Party hard. Feel safe.
Gen Z’s demand for brands to practice DEIB, means it is becoming normal for venues, clubs, festivals, and promoters to have a clear safe space policy. The progressive party series, He.She.They, promote diversity in the world’s biggest clubs to break down barriers. He.She.They was present at ADE, in partnership with our client Desperados, to manifest their cause. Brands looking to engage the community must do it with deep understanding and respect for the audience, like Desperados did with a community marketing mindset, promising attendees to fund projects that empower diversity in music through their Dance Club app.
3.Club music is big business.
In a time where artists like Fred Again, Four Tet, and Skrillex, have the power to fill Madison Square Garden, it’s only natural that investors are looking for ways to join the party. Talking with talent agents at ADE you quickly learn that there’s been a surge in demand for talent across the electronic music spectrum and across the dance music industry.
Being at ADE you quickly sense an industry led by creative minds attracting other creatives – from creators to ravers to entrepreneurs to digital nomads to DJs and producers from all over the world. As talent becomes more in demand, larger audiences attending and ticket prices inflating, brands have a unique opportunity to support the culture and elevate the fan experience. Bacardi did an excellent job of joining the party with a community-first approach through a partnership with local fashion brand Filling Pieces. The W hotel partnered with Cercle to program art, talks, workshops, and music and Mercedes Benz x Dolby Atmos also crafted a two-day event to engage people in exclusive experiences with top music producer’s, to sell the message “concert on the move”. It’s important for brands to understand how to best tap into these opportunities and engage in an authentic way.