This past year, Miami’s Winter Music Conference returned to South Beach as the longest-running gathering in music. This coming March, “WMC” will celebrate its 35th anniversary where it began, and pledges to bring more impactful programming to Floridians and its visitors from around the globe in 2020.
IF YOU GO
Winter Music Conference
March 16-19, 2020.
Faena Forum Miami Beach.
Dating back to its origin in the mid-80s, the Winter Music Conference has been a major influence in the electronic music world by connecting its top artists, insiders and fans each year with interactive forums and events. In the last decade, however, its influence lessened as issues aroused from programming to scheduling conflicts with Ultra, leading the conference to take a hiatus in 2018. Shortly after, WMC was acquired by the organizers of Ultra Music Festival, breathing new life and relevance into this historic event.
While 2019 marked a successful return for the conference, WMC ownership were fraught with the festival’s ill-fated, one-year exile on Virginia Key. The festival ultimately worked out a deal to return to Bayfront Park in 2020 (March 20-22), and will kick-off its renewed relationship with the city by hosting the Winter Music Conference at the Faena Forum during Miami Music Week (March 16-19).
“Next year marks the 35th anniversary for WMC, which is kind of crazy to think about,” said WMC Director David Ireland, who reached out to CL via email last week. “We are the longest-running conference in dance/electronic music. To celebrate this and the 10th anniversary of Miami Music Week, we are adding several things to our programming to make it even more exciting for our attendees.”
2020 WMC will offer its standard main stage panels, fireside chats, education rooms, and industry panels, but also promises a new mix of new activations and programming for 2020. The MMW Oasis — a social HQ located at Generator Miami — will offer mentor sessions, Q&As with various artists, new technology demos and panels, yoga, and more.
The event offers a wide array of events for artists, producers, talent managers, entrepreneurs, and even the average music fan wanting to know more about the industry. While in previous years the conference has separated fans from industry, 2020 will unite all with varying levels of access. Badges will consist of three tiers: WMC Access, WMC Plus, and WMC Pro, each offering various industry panels, nightlife programming, and education sessions over the four-day event.
In addition to its panels and info sessions, the conference offers fans the first chance to see the latest tech in the industry, Ireland says.
“A lot of the latest gear is still under wraps until the NAMM trade show in January, but we are expecting some big announcements from some of the DJ gear brands, and WMC will be the first place consumers can see it and maybe even buy it,” Ireland told CL.
Having been hosted in the Sunshine State since its inception, Ireland says WMC programming will also look to give back and focus on issues here at home. “One of our key focuses that resonates with Florida is climate change and how our industry can do better to help stop the acceleration of the climate crisis,” he said. “Our environmental panels are always well attended. We hope to eventually work with some environmental groups to get a beach clean up going for the kick-off of WMC.”
The initial announcement for programming, partners, and WMC events will be announced as the event approaches. For those who plan on traveling down from Tampa, WMC offers registered badge holders access to discounted hotel rooms on Miami Beach.
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This article appears in Jan 9-16, 2020.
