The Beatport Group, the global leader in music for DJs, producers, and their fans, announced today that it has acquired a majority stake and formed a partnership with the International Music Summit (IMS) Ibiza. IMS Ibiza is the premiere educational, inspirational and motivational thought-leadership platform dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, electronic music, DJing, and all related art forms. The partnership will enhance and secure the future growth and expansion plans of the IMS business platform.
Established in 2007 by five partners, including iconic DJ, A&R exec and BBC Radio 1 presenter Pete Tong MBE and industry executive and artist manager Ben Turner, IMS Ibiza was created to inspire debate and discussion while helping to implement progressive change within the electronic music industry. The three-day immersive event features live seminars, keynote interviews, technology masterclasses, performances, and industry networking opportunities. IMS is renowned for driving dialogue on issues beyond just the music: diversity, mental health, and sexual harassment, and has worked closely with the shesaid.so organization for the last seven years - who have co-curated their speaker line-ups and hosted their own events and safe spaces. It also publishes the annual IMS Business Report, and its data, analysis and annual valuation have become critical to the industry’s own positioning and success. The event is hosted every year by Tong with fellow BBC Radio 1 dance presenter Jaguar. IMS Ibiza will continue to operate under the direction of its co-founders, with the full support of The Beatport Group.
“IMS has become one of the most impactful gatherings for the global DJ and dance music industries, and everyone at Beatport is excited to take this brand to the next level,” said Beatport CEO Robb McDaniels. “We look forward to partnering with Pete, Ben and the entire IMS team to broaden the IMS footprint as a major component of our plan to expand the Beatport brand around the world through community, education, and thought leadership initiatives.”
The IMS founding partners (Ben Turner, Danny Whittle, Mark Netto, Pete Tong & Simeon Friend) commented: “We are very proud of what we’ve built at IMS over these past 16 years, driving the narrative and agenda of the culture forward from the genre’s spiritual home of Ibiza. Aligning with Beatport, who have been supporters of IMS from our inception, will enable us to action many of our ideas on how to continue to grow the platform all year round; to further educate and mentor the next generation; and to help focus the industry’s attention on the issues that matter. It will help increase our ability to have more impact for the genre.”
Beatport powered the IMS College platform alongside Microsoft Surface and Point Blank Music School for its 2022 ‘In Pursuit Of Purpose’ edition. The activation, held at Tox within host venue Destino, focused on empowering the next generation of creatives through hands-on production experience and marketing techniques. Beatport’s takeover of IMS College offered a robust schedule of artist-led workshops, DJ & production masterclasses, production feedback sessions, career coaching and product demonstrations. During the 2022 summit, CEO of The Beatport Group, Robb McDaniels, delivered his “Road to Recovery” opening keynote which reunited delegates from around the globe after a two-year COVID-induced hiatus, and Beatport live-streamed the Dalt Vila concert finale.
IMS has a long international history, previously hosting satellite summits in Los Angeles for five years (IMS Engage), Shanghai and Singapore (IMS Asia-Pacific), and in Malta more recently with IMS College. However, its flagship event remains IMS Ibiza. With Beatport now onboard as partners, there are plans to strengthen this global footprint once again for the iconic summit.
IMS Ibiza returns for its fourteenth edition this April. The summit will unite the entire ecosystem of the genre for three-days of purposeful conversation, connection, and celebration. IMS Ibiza 2023 will take place on Wednesday, April 26 through Friday, April 28 for the second time at Destino Pacha Ibiza resort. A limited amount of Early Bird Delegate badges are priced at €320. Discounted badges for full time students, under 27s, Ibiza Residents and those choosing sustainable travel are also available. For more information, visit: www.internationalmusicsummit.com.
