With Miami (WMC) having sunk under a deluge of badly attended, musically numb parties over the last few years, and with MIDEM and Popkomm offering just a “suits and boots” corporate conference option, the Record Label and Business Affairs end of the Dance Music Industry has been given a much needed ( non embossed) conference pill to swallow in the shape of the inaugural International Music Summit held in ( potentially) the most unlikely business environment of all- The Worlds Party Capital – Ibiza! . But, hold on to your Bandanas n’ Havainas for one minute and contemplate… What if… What if you could get just a hundred or so key industry players to register and then turn up to daytime events running over three days (indoors!) in sumptuous 5 Star surroundings… And what if… the organisers piled high thought provoking panels and key note speakers throughout the three days to keep the naturally skittish industry brains in focus, all hosted by Pete Tong… And of course if… the organisers added in the party “carrots” of intimate poolside networking soirees every night at the event venues Hotel’s Aztura and Fenicia, a closing party at legendary Pikes Hotel, Priority entry for the opening’s of Pure Pacha, Ibiza Rocks, and Space, then surely we the battled scarred vets of dance would show up…? We did, of course. How could we resist? With delegates emerging from their luxuriously appointed hotel rooms to attend the first day at 10am, focus remained intact until gone 7pm!, with interest maintained not only by the panels imparting news, views and knowledge on branding and synchronisation op’s, but with the musical lift of Tom Middleton composing “live” an IMS anthem. Add in Keynote speeches from Francois K, David Levy, and Barcadi with Groove Armada’s management on “that deal” and the “Back To Business” ethos of IMS meant the first day hours flew by. Repeat this heady networking mix of early nights (well for some!) and early starts for a further two days, throw in Soul Avengerz remixing “live” the IMS Anthem, and then on the final day Hollywood Music Editor- Bruno Roussel (Six Feet Under) editing the IMS Anthem to Feature Film footage and, blimey!, we have a new essential date for the industry calendar. In its infancy for sure, but with careful nurturing by the founding partners Ben Turner, Danny Whittle, Mark Netto, Steve Hulme, Rob Seaman, Simion Friend, and of course Pete Tong, IMS can hopefully build on a universal wave of delegate optimism to place itself alongside Amsterdam Dance Event as an essential date in the Dance Industry diary.