Building your Business: How to Start a Sustainable Career in Dance Music
Conference
Building your Business: How to Start a Sustainable Career in Dance Music
Speakers: VNTM (Artist), Sebas van der Zwan (Senior Business Manager, Grey Men), Lichelle Rikken (Tax Advisor, Grey Men), Justin de Feijter (Business Manager, Grey Men), Daan de Bakker (Agent, David Lewis Productions)
Level: Foundation
A sustainable career in dance music industry is not only built on creativity and talent, but also on a solid professional foundation. Entertainment Business Management firm Grey Men (supporting a.o. dance artists, producers, managers, bookers, labels andpromotors for over 20 years in navigating through the business side of their enterprises) will guide you through the headlines of starting up your dance music business.
With a panel of various specialists from different angles of business expertise, the speakers will explore and explain the crucial early career making steps. Addressing common pitfalls and discussing how a dance music career can be future proof from day one. How to ensure a professional base strong enough to support long term creative growth? Discussion will be based on practical (international) experience and real-life cases in the dance music industry, and the various specialists will share insights into how dance music artists can not only excel on (and off) stage but also build lasting success behind the scenes.
Kickstart your electronic music career at ADE Lab!
Kickstart your electronic music career at ADE Lab!
Are you an (aspiring) producer, DJ, musician, visual artist, creator or all-round electronic music enthusiast, and are you keen to learn more about your field and industry? Good news: ADE Lab returns with a program full of activities and experiences focused on the entire spectrum of creative disciplines in electronic music to help you push your music career forward.
Kickstart your electronic music career at ADE Lab!
Kickstart your electronic music career at ADE Lab!
Are you an (aspiring) producer, DJ, musician, visual artist, creator or all-round electronic music enthusiast, and are you keen to learn more about your field and industry? Good news: ADE Lab returns with a program full of activities and experiences focused on the entire spectrum of creative disciplines in electronic music to help you push your music career forward.
Conference FAQ
We do not sell ADE Conference only or Day Passes. The only way to get access to the ADE Pro Conference is the ADE Pro Pass.
Tickets for the specialist sessions, such as ADE Lab and ADE Green can be found on the ticket page closer to the date of ADE 2026.
✓ Valid all five days
ADE Pro conference takes place from Wednesday through Saturday, but the ADE Pro Pass benefits go well beyond those four days. The ticket grants access to ADE’s full offering, including all conference programs as well as all ADE Festival and Arts & Culture events* — read on below to get an impression of everything included with your ADE Pro Pass.
✓ Full access to all conference keynotes, panels and locations
ADE Pro is the ultimate business and inspiration gathering for the electronic music industry. The four-day conference returns to live action at our iconic home base Felix Meritis and features dedicated programming at the forefront of our industry. In addition, ADE will also continue to host conference programs dedicated to young creators and aspiring professionals.
✓ Year round access to ADE Pro's networking platform & database
Get a head start on connecting with fellow music professionals and companies with the ADE Pro networking database, available throughout the year. The online networking tool enables you to find and connect with all ADE Pro delegates, showcase your business with a dedicated profile page, plan meetings during ADE and much more. Over 50.000 messages are being sent on the platform yearly, with new professional connections being made on the regular.
✓ Join dedicated networking events and sessions
With over 9.000 music professionals from around the globe gathering in Amsterdam, you’re almost guaranteed to find who you need. An abundance of networking events and opportunities with fellow ADE delegates and industry leaders provides an advantageous base for dealmaking and career advancement.
✓ Access to all official Business Hubs
Whether you’re planning a meeting with fellow delegates, looking for a comfortable spot to work or simply want to hang out between conference events, your ADE Pro Pass grants access to all of ADE’s official Business Hubs.
✓ Access to the complete ADE Festival and Arts & Culture program*
With the entirety of ADE Festival and ADE Arts & Culture accessible with the ADE Pro Pass, your ticket enables you to explore the full spectrum of electronic subgenres in over 200 of Amsterdam’s finest music and nightlife spaces — with 2.500+ artists performing at 1.000+ events during five days and nights.
* Limited capacity at high-demand venues – read more at our FAQ.
✓ Receive the official ADE 2025 Bag
Your ADE Pro Pass comes with the limited edition ADE 2025 Bag, an ADE Pro Pass exclusive included with your ticket.
Our conferences are accessible for all ages in general. Do note that when alcoholic beverages are served, access can be denied.
If you want to apply for ADE 2026, you can fill in the form here. If you're interested in contributing to ADE Pro or Lab, whether through a keynote, panel, workshop, or proposal for a relevant speaker or topic, we’re open to ideas with clear focus and industry value.
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