Thur 28 May, 2015 IMS Ibiza. It may have been a washout but from the daytime talks, panel discussions and interviews to the Dalt Vila live sets and opening parties, the music-fuelled whirlwind came up trumps for 2015. It was definitely its busiest year yet. Hard Rock Hotel was packed with the who’s who in the industry – all black techno chic was de riguer, wristbands to the backstage, VIP and VVIP (ohhh, Ibiza) were the golden tickets and Ushuaïa After Dark was the pre-opening party pitstop. Oh, and between all that we launched our first issue of Urban Junkies Ibiza. Exciting times! Read on for the highlights. UJ IBIZA MAGAZINE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ME BY MELIÁ HOTELS As you probably know by now, we love Ibiza. With a website, app, and newsletters already dedicated to the White Isle, we’ve always wanted to do something in print, so we were thrilled to partner with ME by Meliá hotels to produce our first magazine this season. With two issues this summer, the magazine includes timely news, features by The Sunday Times contributor Kate Spicer, GQ’s Jonathan Heaf and Mixmag’s Ralph Moore, and covers by RBPM Studio – all with our tone of voice, design and insider tips throughout. Look out for our web version coming soon. A highlight of IMS was definitely seeing the magazine in the hands of people in the conference, backstage and across the island. Thanks to all involved – including our Orlebar Brown-clad promo people – what a success! UJ FRIENDS AND FAMILY MAGAZINE LAUNCH AT ME IBIZA @urbanjunkies | #ujIbiza | #summerofME Photo by Danielle Tasca-York An amazing group of our ‘Ibiza family’ came out to support the UJ + ME magazine celebration lunch on the rooftop of the ME Ibiza hotel. A beautiful table was laid by creative genius Fiona Leahy, and a five-course lunch, accompanied by magnums of rosé, chilli margaritas, and Veuve RICH kept things going until early evening, with Condé Nast Traveller insta-reporting live from the roof. UJ was touched to see so many friends take the time to attend. As one insider said, “I have no idea how your team managed to get that group of people, all at a table together, at once,” and we agree! A lunch to remember. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a success. What a day! Click here to see the photos IMS ROUNDUP BY DAY IMS 2015 was the busiest and arguably the most action-packed yet. We loved hearing from the new breed of talent, which included #UJfave Becky Tong, on controlling your content and being authentic. Greg Consiglio from SFX carried on the discussion about content creation, and apparently, it’s all about Beatport. And always a hot topic at IMS is the evolving EDM market focus. Black Coffee pointed us to Africa – “the market is not saturated and there is lots of opportunity… it’s been out of the market for so long that it’s developed its own unique sound” – and we loved JC Ahn’s straight-talking discussion about Asia, reminding everyone that “Asia is not just one big money maker. It’s a complex network of hundreds of different cultures, not just one.” Noted. IMS ROUNDUP BY NIGHT As usual, the Legends dinner kicked things off, and this year, Sven Väth was the man of the moment. Over at Dalt Vila, Pete Tong opened the night, followed by Damian Lazarus (points for his Egyptian messiah costume) and Solomun. The next night, cue mass Thriller sing-alongs thanks to Zhu mash-ups, followed by Rudimental, and as expected, a mosh pit ensued. But the buzz was on Ushuaïa After Dark, the antithesis to their pool parties: small, intimate, and actually, a green room. Kaz James and Black Coffee were on decks Wednesday eve, and Becky Tong gave us a taste of her Juicebox party on Thursday. As for openings: Rumours by Guy Gerber at Beachouse was packed as expected, with Grey Goose tables keeping things classy. UJ then decamped to Pacha for sushi and Solomun. It’s amazing to see a crowd, largely of people aged 40+, up at 6AM celebrating music. URBAN JUNKIES IBIZA IMS PHOTO WINNERS We asked you to send in pics of yourself with the mag during IMS, and they came flowing in! We rewarded great pics the UJ way: with magnums. UJ LOVES TECH CHIC Photo by @circolocoatdc10official We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again, UJ loves #techchic. With Berlin roots and global music industry swagger, sunshine-suitable thin black layers was definitely the IMS look (Rick Owens pop up next year?). Top tip – look out for Frederick Bockhahn, general manager of Crosstown Rebels, or Jess Capaz McCarthy, Pacha’s music director, for a quick lesson in how to do #techchic like a pro. HARD ROCK HOTEL IBIZA HIGHLIGHTS SPONSORED LISTING When you’re asked if you want an upgrade here, do it. Depending on availability, a very reasonable fee will get you top floor rooms with outdoor Jacuzzis overlooking the stage. Or, if you’d rather stay grounded, ask for a swim up room. When in Rome. Other HRH highlights include The Beach Club (open air dining with a sea breeze and sun beds), The Rock Spa, and the proximity to Passion café. PHOTOS OF IMS DAY AND NIGHT Click here to see the photos PRODUCT PICK We’ve taken our love of DC10 up a notch and commissioned a headband. We suggest you get one too. Contact info@piersatkinson.com for details. INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTS   LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2015 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free daily mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.