BlackBook Magazine

Raging house music and lots o’ headphone hair can mean only one thing: Winter Music Conference is back. The 23rd annual dance music conference got Miami’s South Beach partying even harder than usual last week, with nonstop events ranging from remixing and editing workshops to DJ spin-off contests, to the International Dance Music Awards. The conference welcomed industry professionals from over 62 countries, but in recent years the declining dollar and all-powerful Euro has lead to skyrocketing prices that have been accused of muscling out Americans and making Miami the new discount St. Tropez. “I think WMC gets a bad rap because in the past it’s been sweaty house boys on ecstasy, but now it’s radio stations, label reps, and diverse talents from all over the world,” says Morgans Hotel Group’s VP of Entertainment Ben Pundole.

Contrary to rumors, Pundole claims the conference has not become a Euro club kid Mecca, but instead offers events for all musical palettes. “Now you’ve got the indie electro parties, the techno, the Happy House in the Sunshine, along with all the Hed Kandi,” referring to the dance music label. “[The conference is] definitely a lot more upscale than it has been, due to talent diversity and a bigger money-spending crowd. But now it’s more for everybody, and the stigma attached has slowly dissipated. People who used to be wary of WMC aren’t afraid to come anymore.”

“House music has come a long way in the past ten years, and is now far more diverse than it has ever been,” Pundole continues. He rejects claims that the conference has become too commercial as house music creeps closer to American mainstream. “I think right now although it’s somewhat commercial, it’s not overly so. A few years ago, [WMC] seemed a little trashy and in your face,” but with brand sponsors like Stoli and Ultra Music Festival and merchandising, organizers can now book more mainstream talent amidst the sea of aspiring DJs and turntable seminars.

“This year we saw more soul in the entire conference,” says Pundole. As the Shore Club and the Delano, both Morgans hotels, are generally considered the hotel hosts of the festivities, he’s privy to every emerging conference trend. “Now it’s not all about hard techno.” He explains that while WMC is still largely about scouting new house talent, most of hotel events have moved towards acts with more diverse appeal. Popular examples included Erykah Badu poolside at the Delano, Macy Gray’s live performance alongside David Morales and Frankie Knuckles at the Def Mix/Pacha Ibiza-hosted Shine at the Shelborne, and the infamous Misshapes at the Shore Club.

Saturday’s standout performances included world-famous Tiesto at Mansion, Marc Ronson at the Florida Room, and Eric Murillo at Mokai. Hed Kandi hosted the official closing event showcase at Nikki Beach, which kicked off bright and early at 11 a.m. Then the label hosted a post-closing pool party at Shore Club Sunday afternoon that ran late into the night because, well, why not?

Despite Pundole’s insistence that the conference has finally cleaned up its act, he warns that partygoers should be sure to carefully choose which events fit their tastes, rather than dive headfirst into a week of nonstop club beats. “WMC can be the best week of your life or the worst, depending on how you do it.”