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Lowlands festival site to be used as refugee shelter

The festival site where Dutch festivals Lowlands and Defqon. 1 are held each year will become a shelter for more than 1,000 registered refugees.

The first refugees are expected at Walibi Holland in Biddinghuizen, central Netherlands, in three weeks’ time and will be accommodated in temporary housing units until next spring.

The shelter will be used to relieve the burden on the asylum seekers’ centre in Ter Apel, Groningen, until April 2023 when the site will be available for festivals again.

The mayor of governing providence Dronten, Jean Paul Gebber, tells de Volkskrant that Walibi Holland is a good choice for a temporary shelter because of the festivals that are organised there. “If we can build a village here for 60,000 people three times a year, we can also set up a village for 1,500 asylum seekers if there is a need for it.”

The mayor of Dronten says that Walibi Holland is a good choice because of the festivals that are organised there

Walibi Holland hosts the 55,000-capacity Lowlands (aka A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise) in August each year, with the 2023 edition set for 18–20 of that month.

The festival’s promoter, Live Nation-backed Mojo Concerts, recently opened the world’s largest solar carport in Walibi Holland’s on-site car park.

The site is shared by Defqon. 1 which is promoted by Q-dance, part of the Superstruct-backed ID&T group.

The electronic dance music festival is due to return to the site between 22–25 June, 2023.

 


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ID&T hires company veteran Rosanne Janmaat as COO

Dutch dance promoter ID&T has hired Rosanne Janmaat as its new COO, capitalising on her 14 years of experience in the organisation.

Janmaat started as an intern at ID&T before becoming an account manager in the sponsorship department, and later project manager. She also helped set up the local ID&T office in New York in 2013.

After her time in New York, she joined the management team and helped ID&T implement its new corporate structure after ID&T transferred to a new owner. After this, she led several acquisitions and oversaw the development of new concepts.

Under her new title, which she assumed on 1 January, Janmaat will oversee day-to-day operations, cultivate company culture and help implement strategies for ID&T Events, Awakenings, and Q-dance.

“The past year was challenging, but thanks to Rosanne’s enormous efforts, we are in good shape and organised”

“From my first day at ID&T I have been inspired by our talented team that is able to realise the best possible products with unprecedented passion, and I am grateful for our wonderful and loyal visitors,” she says.

“It is remarkable that this feeling remains unchanged almost 15 years later. Despite the fact that we are in a difficult situation, I fully trust that our brands are strong and I look forward to taking the experience for our visitors to the next level, with a focus on our unique creativity and innovation.”

Ritty van Straalen, CEO ID&T Group, added: “I am very happy with Rosanne in my team as COO. In addition to the fact that Rosanne has been with us for a long time, she made real progress with ID&T, knows the company, the people, and the culture exceptionally well, and has developed herself broadly and internationally. Her knowledge and skills are perfectly in line with ID&T’s ambitious plans. The past year was challenging, but thanks to Rosanne’s enormous efforts, we are in good shape and organised.”

Last year the company – which is known for festivals such as Mysteryland, Defqon.1 Weekend Festival, Amsterdam Open Air and Welcome to the Future – announced a management reshuffle which saw van Straalen take over from Q-Dance founder Wouter Tavecchio as CEO of ID&T.

 


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ID&T Group announces management reshuffle

Electronic music giant ID&T Group has adopted a one-tier board structure for 2020, as the company’s former COO Ritty van Straalen succeeds Wouter Tavecchio as CEO.

Tavecchio, who founded hardcore promoter Q-Dance in 2000, became CEO of ID&T Group following a merger of the two companies in 2006. He now serves as the chairman of ID&T Group’s board of directors.

Ushered in on 1 January, the changes also see ID&T co-founder Duncan Stutterheim return to the company as a non-executive board member. Stutterheim founded ID&T in 1992, selling the business to the late Robert Sillerman’s SFX Entertainment in 2013.

Stutterheim comments that it is “the right moment to return to the group in a completely different capacity and support the new generation.”

In addition to his role as Q-Dance creative director, Jonas Schmidt joins ID&T Group’s management team as chief creative officer, completing the team along with Bastiaan Heuft, Martijn van Daalen, Michael Guntenaar and Rosanne Janmaat.

“With the new management team, we start 2020 with the strongest setup possible”

“It was a great honour to operate as the head of this dynamic company for almost 15 years and in good faith I am passing on the baton,” says Tavecchio. “With the new management team, we start 2020 with the strongest setup possible and are poised for a bright future for all the brands and people that are part of the ID&T group.”

CEO van Straalen adds that the changes allow the team to “guarantee the creativity of ID&T for the long-term future”.

The management shake-up follows December’s appointment of former Tomorrowland Brazil booker Edo van Duijn to director of music.

The ID&T Group includes the companies b2s, ID&T Events, Q-dance, Monumental (Awakenings), Air Events, Art of Dance and VD Events. ID&T organises approximately 80 events a year, including festivals such as Mysteryland, Amsterdam Open Air, Vunzige Deuntjes, Thunderdome, Defqon.1 Weekend Festival, Awakenings, Decibel Outdoor and Masters of Hardcore.

 


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ID&T appoints Edo van Duijn as music director

Electronic music promoter ID&T has named Edo van Duijn as its new music director, as the company prepares for a new series of global touring events in 2020.

Van Duijn, who has over 20 years of experience in the industry, will lead the music team for curating and booking events across the ID&T portfolio, including flagship brands Mysteryland, Sensation, Welcome to the Future and Amsterdam Open Air.

The new ID&T music director has a long history with the promoter, which was formerly part of SFX Entertainment (now LiveStyle), having founded sister company Plus Network in Brazil and programmed festivals such as Tomorrowland Brazil and Electric Zoo São Paulo.

He also leads ID&T’s Headliner Entertainment team, which focuses on artist management and special projects centred around artist brand activations.

Over the last decade van Duijn has toured South America with the likes of Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Afrojack, Steve Angello, Axwell and Nicky Romero, and worked on brand collaborations with Samsung, Nike and Red Bull.

“Not only are our established brands performing exceptionally, but we’re now focused on creating new event experiences for our fans”

Van Duijn has also helped to launch the careers artists including DJ Marky, Bruno Martini and Alok and co-produced festivals such as Skolbeats and Nokia Trends.

“This is an exciting time to be part of the incredible music team at ID&T,” says van Duijn. “Not only are our established brands such as Mysteryland performing exceptionally, but we’re now focused on creating new event experiences for our fans and building stronger ties with the artist and agency community.”

ID&T’s COO, Ritty van Straalen, adds: “Edo is well known in this industry for his eye for talent and music, and has great relationships with the artists, agents and managers. For me it was a no-brainer to ask him back and guide ID&T to the next chapter in electronic music.”

Founded in 1992, ID&T organises around 80 events a year, attracting more than one million visitors annually. The ID&T Group includes the companies b2s, ID&T Events, Q-dance, Monumental (Awakenings), AIR and events such as Milkshake, Thunderdome, Defqon.1 Weekend Festival, Qlimax, Awakenings, Decibel Outdoors and Masters of Hardcore.

The ID&T Group also encompasses hard dance booking agencies Platinum Agency and Most Wanted DJ, as well as management agency Headliner Entertainment.

 


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Q-dance acquires 50% of festival promoter Art of Dance

Dutch promoter Q-dance, part of the ID&T group, has taken a 50% stake in event organiser Art of Dance and electronic artist agency Most Wanted DJ.

Art of Dance is one of the largest organisers of dance events in the Netherlands, attracting more than 200,000 visitors annually to festivals including Masters of Hardcore, Supremacy, Syndicate and Free Festival.

The promoter has worked in collaboration with Q-dance for years, organising hardcore festival Dominator. Other events in the Q-dance portfolio include Defqon.1, Qlimax, Impaqt and Qapital.

The Most Wanted DJ agency, an affiliate of Art of Dance, has a roster of DJs including Miss K8, Radical Redemption and Angerfist. The agency also offers artist and brand merchandising and talent scouting.

ID&T chief executive and Q-dance founder Wouter Tavecchio says the acquisition is “a very important step for Q-dance”, which will help to “strengthen and expand our market position in the Netherlands.”

“As part of a larger group, we strengthen our position in this highly competitive market”

“Art of Dance is, just like Q-dance, an organisation that has been at the cradle of this industry and has developed over the years into a professional and very successful party,” says Tavecchio, adding that “ we can reinforce each other in many ways.”

Art of Dance chief executive Matthijs Hazeleger says he looks forward to building on the pre-existing collaboration with Q-dance.

“We will use the international network of Q-dance and ID&T to ensure that this benefits our events, affiliated artists and the experience of our visitors,” states Hazeleger. “As part of a larger group, we strengthen our position in this highly competitive market.”

Both Art of Dance and Most Wanted DJ will continue to operate as independent companies under the ID&T banner.

ID&T, part of EDM giant Livestyle, organises events including Mysterland, Amsterdam Open Air, Tomorrowland and Sensation, as well as running promoters Air Events and b2s.

 


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Dutch EDM giants partner with TicketSwap

Amsterdam-based secondary ticket marketplace TicketSwap, which caps the price of resold tickets at 20% above face value, has won the backing of some of the Netherlands’ biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festivals and promoters.

ID&T/LiveStyle’s Mysteryland, Sensation, Thunderdome, Welcome to the Future and Amsterdam Open Air festivals, along with Monumental Productions’ Awakenings festival and EDM promoters Q-Dance, Air Events and b2s, are using the company’s Secure Swap platform, which automatically invalidates unwanted tickets and issues new ones personalised with the name of the secondary buyer.

“It’s amazing that’s the biggest Dutch festivals are all getting behind TicketSwap”

TicketSwap, founded in Amsterdam in 2012, is now active in 20 countries and has 1.5 million users worldwide.

“It’s amazing that the biggest Dutch festivals are all getting behind TicketSwap,” comments company co-founder Hans Ober. “This underlines that we are on the right track. It’s really a crowning achievement of our work and shows that we can eliminate ticket fraud and touting.”

 


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