International Music Summit 2013 - The Final Report

In 2013, IMS reached new heights, with tickets being taken off sale two days before the launch and the Ibiza Gran Hotel being sold out weeks in advance. This is a summary of the event held in Ibiza between 22-24th May 2013.

International Music Summit 2013 - The Final Report Photo by IMS - International Music Summit

The sixth International Music Summit in Ibiza, the electronic music platform which recently branched out with IMS Engage in Los Angeles, has reported its biggest year to date. The event has grown steadily throughout the last six years, but its turning point came last year with the huge interest in the genre from investors and large promoting companies. In 2013, IMS reached new heights, with tickets being taken off sale two days before the launch and the Ibiza Gran Hotel being sold out weeks in advance.

IMS 2013’s high points included keynotes from Jean-Michel Jarre, Sven Väth, and Nile Rodgers returning for a second year in a row “post Daft Punk” plus blogger Bob Lefsetz cut to the chase with two hard-hitting statements. Perhaps the biggest story to emerge from IMS was the news that the annual IMS Anthem, created each year by an artist nominated by the event partners, was to be auctioned off for charity. This was a reaction to it being created by Nile Rodgers and remixed by Eats Everything - two of the hottest names around at the moment, the former for producing Daft Punk. IMS will reveal full details this week about how to bid for the record - with the advance fee going to the cancer charity set up by Rodgers.

Key highlights from the event were
- IMS Business Report announced that the genre is now worth $4.5 billion a year globally. Vegas now contributes $600 million in direct revenues alone. And the industry has seen over $300 million in acquisition in the last 12 months from just Live Nation and SFX Entertainment, with more expected. USA digital track sales have grown to over three times that of other major genres

- Pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre became the second ambassador for AFEM: Association for Electronic Music, created by IMS Partner Ben Turner with attorney Kurosh Nasseri. He joins Nile Rodgers, with the pair meeting on stage at IMS for the very first time

- Fatboy Slim being given the IMS Legends Award in a plush dinner at Cipriani - completed with video messages from Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Carl Cox, and more. The dinner is held annually and is partnered with Nokia Music

- Long-serving Def Mix agency/management company creator Judy Weinstein was presented with the IMS Pioneer Award by her own artist David Morales plus industry rivals David Levy (WME) and Maria May (CAA) in an emotional moment on stage

IMS partner Ben Turner states: “This was our strongest IMS to date. Coming off the back of IMS Engage, it really feels like there is strong momentum for us as a business platform. And with the development of the AFEM association and the key quotes from speakers like Bob Lefsetz, the continued rise of Nile Rodgers, the honesty and warmth of Sven Väth, the Legend status for Fatboy Slim and beyond, IMS has managed to put the business of electronic music into the headlines all around the world. IMS is proud to have elevated the debate a little further for the benefit of electronic music as a whole.”

IMS 2013 had over 550 paid delegates plus speakers, media and sponsors. Attendees came from 39 countries this year. Full information about the IMS Anthem will be announced this week, and information about Early Bird prices for 2014 for both IMS Engage and IMS Ibiza will be revealed shortly.

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