EDC 2012 at the Las Vegas Speedway
Insomniac's Electric Daisy Carnival started out as a kind of minifestival by promoter Pasquale Rotella, celebrating all things dance music. But the 17th annual Las Vegas-based version of the fest has now expanded into what organizers refer to as "EDC Week 2013," (June 18-25), a sprawling series of events that range from club shows, pool parties and after hours gatherings to a beefed-up series of professional workshops and talks at the EDMbiz Conference.
“It has become huge and with it selling out earlier than ever, we’re really ramping up for a great event,” said Thushan Rajapaksa with Staff Pro. The security agency expanded its presence at the festival in 2013, taking over all interior staffing for the event. Last year, the company managed perimeters and the VIP areas.
This year, Staff Pro will be deploying its Executive Services Team, explained Rajapaksa, who said ‘even though it’s going to be 110 degrees, all VIP cabanas will be serviced by team members in full, black suits. It’s a polished look reminiscent of The Strip’s vibrant nightlife scene.”
Another improvement — traffic in and out of Las Vegas is expected to be smoother after a special route was created for buses, cabs and limos. More traffic attendants have been hired, along with increased participation from state police.
Organizers are expecting fans traveling to EDC from all 50 states and 46 countries. A full week is hardly enough to contain all the action they have in store. Things kick off on the night of June 18 with a show at the Palazzo's LAVO nightclub with Dutch trance group Dash Berlin. By the next night, the music spreads to five different locations for day and night parties, from the Marquee Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan to the Eclipse at Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay, the Hakkasan at MGM Grand, LAVO and Surrender at the Wynn Las Vegas.
"When we did our deal with Pasquale (Rotella), instead of just giving him sponsorship dollars, we told him we wanted to extend the festival into the midweek and add a conference component, and on all fronts he’s delivered," said Pat Christenson with Las Vegas Events, which provides coordination and hotel services to EDC.
Rolling into the weekend, the June 20 roster explodes to 13 events all over town, 14 on the 21st and 15 the night after. Among the major acts performing on those nights are former Swedish House Mafia star Steve Angello, Afrojack, Avicii, Calvin Harris Skrillex and "Harlem Shake" star Baauer. The Electric Daisy Carnival itself, North America's largest electronic dance festival, will unfold at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from June 21-23.
The EDMbiz conference was launched last year as the first-ever business forum for electronic dance music, covering topics including social media, licensing, technology platforms and keeping the music and culture credible during a period of massive growth. This year's gathering will take place at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas from June 18-20 and feature a keynote conversation between WME music division head Marc Geiger and Lollapalooza partner Perry Farrell as well as a conversation with CAA managing partner and head of worldwide music Rob Light, who will discuss the agency's global EDM strategy and its relevance to the firm's film and TV business.
Among the other confirmed presenters and speakers: James Barton, president, Live Nation Electronic Music; Bruce Eskowitz, COO of Red Light Management; Shelly Finkel,vice chairman, SFX Entertainment; and Vivien Lewit, director, Content Partnerships Music, YouTube.
The EDMbiz conference package ($499), includes an opening night party on the 18th, and two days of panels, presentations, cocktail receptions, demos and networking, as well as exclusive nightclub parties, a closing night party and entry to a number of other club events during the week.
Interviewed for this article: Thushan Rajapaksa, (714) 230-7223; Pat Christenson, (702) 260-8605