Did you know that in Dante's original manuscript, conferences were actually the Tenth Circle of Hell? In fact, I have friends with proper jobs (their words), who would gladly swap their weekend-long business conferences for a sojourn in Guantanamo. As I keep reminding them, they're clearly in the wrong business.

What they really want is something more like the Winter Music Conference. Sure it's technically a networking event. But it pulls in some of the world's biggest music bods, for starters. Then there are the legendary parties (like the massive Mixmag one this Friday, featuring HRH P Diddy versus Felix Da Housecat). Oh, and did I mention that it's in Miami?

While the rest of the world might be plummeting headlong into a mire of fiscal stagnation, South Beach seems to be burning strong. There are the newly-launched, über-slick hotels, the Viceroy and (humbly monikered) Epic, and the more fam-friendly revamped Betsy. And with Ace Hotels cracking open their newest budget-boutique in Palm Springs to call home, post-WMC, we're out of reasons not to cash in on a last minute ticket.

And it's a Hell of a step up from Earl's Court.