Any promoter will tell you that running an event is no easy task. Navigating the promotion, the bookings, on-the-night logistics, and everything else that comes with putting on a party is no mean feat – so doing all that in Ibiza, the scene’s most competitive market, is a big task. For Portsmouth party crew, Love Amplified, Friday 26th July will see them take over Ibiza’s iconic Benimussa Park with a heavyweight line-up in tow for their debut event on the island – we caught up with them to find out just what’s in store for clubbers…
Hi guys, thanks for joining us! We’re here to talk about your Love Amplified Ibiza debut – what’s in store for clubbers on July 26th?
Thanks for having us DMC– yeah we’re really excited to get out there and ready for the party, it’s going to be a really special one for the Amplified team. We’ve got Heidi, Dusky, Josh Butler, Melé and of course the Love Amplified residents, Soul Divide, all playing for us on the Treehouse Stage, and then taking over the Seal Pit is the MadHouse crew with DJ Steaw, D’Julz, Black Loops and Dennis Quin. We’ve tried really hard to make sure the line-up offers something different to other Ibiza events – we’ve focused on getting the music right, and that’s what you can expect on the 26th.
It’s a big line-up for sure, did you have a clear vision of who you wanted to play before you started booking DJs?
We definitely knew we wanted a line-up that wasn’t filled with really obvious names, and also with the venue being outdoors and open-air, there’s a certain vibe which you need to try and capture through the music so that’s definitely a big factor too. There’s certainly a lot more work that goes into booking a line-up in Ibiza when you’ve got so many other events taking place on your doorstep – but that’s part of the fun!
And the venue, Benimussa Park, is one-of-a-kind – how did the opportunity to host an event there come about?
It was always important to us that if we were going to take the big step of doing an event in Ibiza, that it needed to be something total different to the club nights we run back home. Benimussa is so unique – it’s open-air, it’s daytime, and of course you can put DJs in a seal pit and tree house! There was nowhere else we really wanted to consider so when the opportunity to work with the team at Benimussa came about, we couldn’t say no.
You’ve been running Love Amplified in the UK for a long time now, how have you found working on an event from another country?
It’s not easy, but then nothing worth doing ever is! There have been a lot of flights to and from the island for meetings and things like that – it’s definitely weird flying in and out for 24 hours without partying, but if you plan everything well you can get everything done in that time. We’re lucky to have a great team on the island at and the venue working with us too so it never feels like we’re that far away from it all.
From a brand perspective, how important do you think it is to get a foot in the door in Ibiza?
You can’t deny that Ibiza is an important market, especially if you want to put your brand in front of an international crowd. It’d be easy to sit back and just be content with what we’re doing in the UK, but we’ve always wanted to push ourselves and if you can crack Ibiza then it definitely gives you options to grow.
What do you think makes a successful event brand in dance music?
I don’t think there’s a simple answer to that, if there was we’d be millionaires! It’s more a combination of things – and a little bit of luck too. It’s important to be consistent in everything you do, from events, to music, to social media – consistency goes a long way in making you stand out for sure. You’ve also got to offer something unique – whether that’s in your production, the DJs you work with, a venue, the team or the clubbers themselves – something which makes your brand stand out in some way.
When you started Love Amplified, did you ever expect to be where you are now?
Not at all. Like most promoters, we started just because we loved the music and wanted to book the DJs we wanted to see in our home town. Over time, the parties grew and we were able to do bigger things, and even start our own label. I think most parties start out this way, and if you don’t have to force anything, growing organically is always a good way to remain successful.
And finally, after Ibiza – what else have you got in store for Love Amplified?
In an ideal world we’d be able to take the rest of the year off and recover, but in reality we’re only just getting started! In September we’ve got a day party at a secret location in London which is definitely going to be one to keep an eye out for, and then in October we’re back in London again, but this time at the incredible Steel Yard venue. We’re back in Portsmouth for two shows at the end of the year: Spinnaker Tower in November, and then The Pyramids in December. So, yeah – a few things to keep us busy. We’re working on loads more on top of that for 2020, and we’ll continue to build our label, Amplified Records, which is going from strength to strength. See you on the other side!
Tickets & Facebook Event Page:
www.facebook.com/events/448715455897318
Love Amplified Ibiza
Friday 26th July @ Benimussa Park, Ibiza
Tree House
Heidi Dusky Melé Josh Butler
Seal Pit
MadHouse Records Presents…
DJ Steaw D’Julz Black Loops Dennis Quin
https://www.facebook.com/thisisamplified/
