Ultra Music Festival buys Miami's Winter Music Conference

  • Share
  • The purchase was confirmed at a press conference earlier this week.
  • Ultra Music Festival buys Miami's Winter Music Conference image
  • Ultra Music Festival has acquired Miami's Winter Music Conference. UMF Marketing and New Media Manager Albert Berdellans announced the deal at a press conference on Wednesday, confirming that Winter Music Conference cofounder Bill Kelly will remain involved. "WMC will allow veterans and newcomers alike to develop themselves and their organisations to become competitive players in the industry," Berdellans said. "We are very excited to contribute to the vision of Miami as a hub of entertainment, culture and business." Crowd numbers for WMC, which hosted its 33rd edition this year, have been dwindling for some time, challenged by similar industry-focussed conferences like Amsterdam Dance Event and International Music Summit in Ibiza. "Over the years, the significance of WMC slightly diminished because of those," says Kelly. "So to bring attention back to Miami, this acquisition was necessary." An expansion into China with Ultra Beijing and Shanghai, plus the acquisition of WMC, means that Ultra's portfolio includes 47 events across 24 countries. The 2018 WMC ran from this Tuesday through Thursday, and Ultra's Miami festival starts today.
RA