Winter Music Conference 2020 Passes Are Now on Sale

You might be busy prepping for Art Basel mayhem, but that doesn't mean Miami Music Week isn't right around the corner. To wit: Winter Music Conference 2020 badges have just gone on sale.

The yearly music industry event, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary next year, is set to return to the Faena Forum from March 16 through 19. Three pass levels — Access, Plus, and Pro — are available, and though some programs will be open only to the upper levels, there's still plenty going on this year.

According to a press release, in addition to presenting the usual panels, WMC will offer some new programming for 2020. WMC's Exhibition Hall will feature a stage with education sessions, product demos, and performances. Nearby, Generator Miami will host the MMW Oasis, described as a "social hub" with cocktails, pool parties, and more than enough networking. Plus and Pro badges grant free access to "WMC Sanctioned Events," while Pro badge-holders can participate in "Mentor Sessions" with industry professionals and "established artists."

There's also yoga, because what's a high-powered music industry event without yoga?

Prices, unfortunately, have increased. A WMC Access pass runs $280 in the early-bird phase, up from $150 at WMC 2019 and expected to rise as Miami Music Week grows closer. Meanwhile, Plus badges start at $405, and only 300 Pro badges will be available starting at $650 each. Passes can be purchased through wintermusicconference.com. Hotel deals will be available to pass-holders according to the press release. A full schedule and list of programs are still to be announced.

The latest phase of WMC's existence began when Ultra bought the conference in 2017. The event had begun a period of decline at the beginning of the 2010s just as Ultra Music Festival became a major force in electronic music thanks to the EDM boom. The merger was seen as a symbiotic link between the two.

Recent years have been rocky for Ultra. Though the festival has expanded to new markets worldwide, its foothold in Miami has become tenuous thanks to EDM's decline in popularity and the ongoing dispute over the fest's site in Bayfront Park, which culminated in last year's disastrous exile to Virginia Key. Ultra has re-secured Bayfront for now, but clashes with wealthy downtown residents over its presence continue.

Winter Music Conference 2020. March 16 through 19, 2020, at Faena Forum, 3300 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; wintermusicconference.com. Passes start at $280 via wintermusicconference.com.