“ADE is very important to Armada. Amsterdam is our home and this is the one time each year that EVERYBODY is in our great city.”
Interview by Dan Prince
How important is ADE on the dance music calendar for Armada? Do you look at ADE as the biggest platform of the year to release new products?
ADE is very important to Armada. Amsterdam is our home and this is the one time each year that EVERYBODY is in our great city. We meet with all the key people in the industry, including artists, managers, labels, publishers, press, brands etc. ADE is a great showcase platform for new talented and established artists. During ADE we organize events and release customized ADE products.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trT00o5ObLc&feature=youtu.be
What do you cite as the biggest changes/improvements/developments ADE has seen since it’s launch in 1996?
No doubt the size of the conference. I attended the first ADE, which was a small gathering and obviously it has established to one of dance music’s most important gatherings in the world.
Everybody plays nice to each other during ADE week…but how fierce is it behind the scenes on the build up with booking venues, DJs and getting the best promotion in the city?
Of course there are a lot of events during ADE, so it can be a challenge to secure a venue and date early in the year. However so far we have always managed to bring high quality events to our fans. We are very proud of the two events we organized on different dates (Armada Captivating on 14th of October and Armada Deep on the 15th of October). Both events were very successful.
What was your highlight of ADE 2015?
We presented Armin van Buuren with the first copy of his new album “Embrace” at ADE by Fly Board. This was a very spectacular show on the canal in front of the conference location. Many people were talking about it and it was on national TV. Here’s the video of the Fly Board show: https://youtu.be/yekfLQwi5Hc?list=PLRbcUrcJVEmUvqS0seUX-21J9vhg2oW3v
And some of your memories/highlights from years gone by?
There have been so many in the past 19 years it is impossible to pick one or two.
As the ADE gets bigger every year do you worry about getting your product heard in such an increasing market?
Absolutely not, Armada has great channels for promotion and marketing of our releases. If anything, the developments in the past years have created more possibilities and outlets for our product.
There is always a debate when DJ’s use gimmicks in their show to make them stand out, is it the same in business marketing at ADE…do you try to do something to wow the press or do you simply let the music prove the point?
We had different campaigns to promote the Armada brand during ADE. For example, we used Armada branded Jaguars to transport artists, managers, label partners, employees etc. and an Armada boat for meetings, drinks, and interviews with our artists. The Fly board stunt for Armin’s album was Armada branded. The guy wore an Armada suit. People could take a picture (and share it on social media) in our Armada branded photo booth, which was located in the city Centre or at our events, and we combined this with a competition. We started a hash tack #WeArmada, which we’re still using because it was quite successful.
When does the planning for next year’s event begin?
As soon as possible!
What sets ADE apart from other conferences/events such as Miami, IMS and BPM?
Because ADE takes place in small and accessible locations, it is easy to meet and spontaneously run into a lot of people in a short period of time. Besides the conference, the ADE festival has an enormous variety of accessible events and showcases that take place during the nights. Which means that possibilities are unlimited to enjoy electronic music, for both industry people and fans alike.
