We asked six promoters how to start a successful party in Ibiza

If I sat down and I booked the artists I wanted to book to suit my musical taste, I don’t think anyone would turn up! They’d be amazing names to me; a mix of old and new talent, but the people that come to Ibiza just wouldn’t know who they were. As a promoter, right from the outset, you have to make the decision, either to run with your heart or to run with your head.

When it comes to hosting your party, you should be able to find somewhere in the West End or maybe a bar like Itaca. But I would recommend hitting the best venue you can at that point. Why not walk into Café Mambo and ask if you can do something there or in the backroom at Savannah? Think outside of the box. A lot of newbies resign themselves to the West End, but I think there are other places as well. There’s Santos and the beach hotels in Playa d’en Bossa. Don’t just assume these venues are out of your reach. If you’re doing a club night back home and you think you can bring your 500-strong crowd to Ibiza on any given weekend during the summer, why not work out a way to bring them over?

It’s also very important for promoters to live in Ibiza all year round. Ibiza is not somewhere you can dip in and out of, although people think they can. You need to lay down your roots, immerse yourself in the scene. Otherwise you’ll end up getting ripped off when it comes to getting t-shirts, flyers and banners manufactured. These kinds of connections are made in the winter. I’m already discussing new events and projects now, in June. These will be finalised at ADE in October. By Christmas, our plans for 2018 will be wrapped up. People that come out to the island in May with the idea of being a promoter really need to think about it a little bit harder.

One of the more traditional ways to start out in the industry is as a street PR for one of the small businesses in San Antonio. Loads of top DJs and promoters have started out that way. But don’t forget you can also apply for a job at one of the bigger clubs. Check out the Facebook workers groups to find out when the recruitment days are scheduled. If you get the job, you’ll instantly start moving in circles you haven’t had access to before. Eventually, you’ll get to meet the promoter who owns the brand you’re selling tickets for. Now you have a chance to make an impression on someone who already has a slot at one of Ibiza’s biggest superclubs.

But if you really want to start your own party, rather than just helping out at an established event, you need go into all the bars that interest you and maybe even some of the ones that don’t. Speak to the manager. Show them what you have to offer. Eventually someone will give you a slot. Now it’s your chance to start spreading the word – and a big way to spread party news in Ibiza is to catch the attention of the workers. The worker crews are so influential. Wherever the workers go, their tourist customers usually follow. They move like a wave, going to whatever happens to be hot. It doesn’t even have to be a massive event, but they’ll soon turn it into one.

If you don’t have a massive budget, book the local DJ the rest of the workers are talking about. At that level, you need DJs who are going to bring their friends with them. Now you have your audience through the door, it’s up to you to turn them into long-term fans. You want them to leave thinking, “wow, what was that!” Then, in-between events, keep engaging your market, maintaining their interest via social media.

Johnny Lee is Mixmag's Ibiza correspondent