Insomniac and ADE Launch Map Point Summit in Las Vegas

Before a rave had an address, it had a map point: a meeting spot where you got the directions to the party. Insomniac just named its next big move after it.

The big reveal

Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella was ADE Pro's final surprise addition this year, and he came with news. On Thursday, Oct. 22, at the end of his keynote at Felix Meritis in Amsterdam, it landed: Map Point Summit, a new electronic music and rave culture conference from Insomniac and Amsterdam Dance Event.

The basics, from the official announcement:

• What: a three-day summit for independent promoters, artists, labels, managers, music-tech teams, students and emerging talent.
• Where: Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
• When: May 2027, in the gap between EDC Dusk (May 14-16) and EDC Dawn (May 21-23).
• Who's behind it: Insomniac, with ADE bringing its ADE Pro and ADE Lab programs in what the summit calls an exclusive North American partnership.

Billboard's Katie Bain, who moderated the keynote, reports that Rotella revealed it alongside ADE managing director Jan-Willem van de Ven.

Why "Map Point"?

It's a nod to Rotella's roots. In the early underground days, party locations stayed secret, so ravers went to a map point first to get directions. The summit wants to play the same role for the next generation: help people find their way in, then help them grow.

Rotella summed up the mission in the announcement: "Rave culture was built by ravers, for ravers."

What's actually on the program

Speakers and tickets aren't announced yet. What the official site does lay out:

• The Summit: keynotes, conversations, workshops and smaller sessions.
• The Expo: a playable music-tech floor where you can get hands-on with gear and tools.
• The Marketplace: fashion, art, records and collectibles from independent makers in the rave community.
• Planned topics include The State of Dance, Charting the Future (new tech and AI tools for artists, labels and events), The Experience Economy (touring, booking and show economics) and The Next Wave (finding new artists and scenes), plus workshops on labels and distribution, booking agents, music production, and stage design and lighting.

Want in? The site lets you register interest now. It says registration itself opens in 2027, with pass options for industry pros and students to follow.

The EDC 2027 picture

Map Point isn't a standalone event. Insomniac first listed it on Sept. 30 as part of its 12 Days of EDC: Dusk Till Dawn plan, which runs Thursday, May 13 to Monday, May 24, 2027. The summit sits at Hotel EDC, Insomniac's takeover of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, which is also set to host the new Insomniac Concept Store and the free Beyond The Rave art show. Per Billboard, 2027 is the first time EDC Las Vegas will run on consecutive weekends.

Inside the keynote

Billboard's recap had some sharp moments:

• Rotella looked back on throwing illegal underground raves in Los Angeles before building Insomniac.
• On Insomniac's 2013 partnership with Live Nation, he said the deal gives Insomniac plenty of freedom to operate independently, joking, "They don't even know our office address."
• He said Insomniac brings EDC to markets where nothing like it exists, and won't launch a festival where something similar is already running. EDC currently has editions in Las Vegas, Mexico, Colombia, Thailand and South Korea.
• His idea to help independent promoters: big-name DJs could play a set number of shows a year at lower fees, making it easier for small promoters to build strong lineups.

Busy week for Insomniac

Map Point was Insomniac's second big partnership news this week. On Monday, Oct. 19, Billboard reported that German festival Time Warp is launching Time Warp Records, a Mannheim-based label inside Insomniac Music Group. The first releases arrive Friday, Nov. 20, from two German artists who haven't been named yet, on both digital and vinyl.

Closer to home, Time Warp Los Angeles debuts Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28 at Ace*Mission Studios, with a lineup that includes Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, The Martinez Brothers, Ben Klock and Tiga.

On our charts right now

Insomniac's label family runs deeper than most fans realize. Billboard counts more than 20 imprints in Insomniac Label Group, including SIDEPIECE's Lip Service and Joseph Capriati's Metamorfosi. Both have records on today's ID Library Chart (House):

• SIDEPIECE & 95 South – Can I Ride [LIP SERVICE] sits at No. 1.
• Joseph Capriati & GENNARO – Control [Metamorfosi Records] is at No. 15.

Why it matters to fans

A lot of industry conferences feel built for executives. Map Point is pitching itself to the bedroom producer, the first-time promoter and the kid who wants to light stages, and it lands in the middle of EDC, when much of the scene is already in Las Vegas. If the program delivers on the "help independent promoters" talk, that's good news for the small parties where tomorrow's headliners get their first shot.

Heard an unreleased tune at an Insomniac show? Submit the ID, search ID Library or check today's charts.

Event details can change; check the official Map Point Summit and Insomniac pages for updates. Links go to official pages and sources.