Chapter 7 of 7 · Role guide
Managers, PR & filmmakers
Make the week work for the artist.
Three roles that work ADE on behalf of someone else's name. The manager runs the artist's week properly: two or three sets, not five, and the meetings that move the next twelve months. The publicist works small and in person, with a Pro Pass, because press passes are for journalists only. The filmmaker pitches months ahead and shoots with written permission.
At RE:UNION For managers and publicists of Spanish-speaking artists, this is the one afternoon the agencies, labels, promoters and media from home are in one room with their international counterparts. The MavelPoint Room gets the artist's profile and press kit ready on site.
Who it is for
Managers: the meetings that move the next twelve months and an artist still standing on Sunday. PR: ten in-person moments that get covered, not a thousand releases. Filmmakers: a film in the week's programme, or the footage that pays for the trip.
| Profile | What ADE is for, in this case |
|---|---|
| Artist manager | Here for the agent, label, publisher, sync, DSP and brand conversations, with the artist present only where presence closes something. |
| PR and publicist | Here with a Pro Pass (no press pass for PRs), a small in-person plan and clients who are prepared for Meet the Media. |
| Filmmaker, videographer, creator | Here to shoot with permission or to premiere a film. No open call: pitch Arts & Culture and venue programmers months ahead. |
| Stage | Realistic goal for the week | First move |
|---|---|---|
| First ADE | Understand the formats and the rhythm; leave with ten relationships. | Meet the Managers; three 30-second pitch versions; a meeting spreadsheet with travel time. |
| First artists or clients | One agent, one label and one editor conversation that continues in November. | Database meetings booked in September; the artist brought only where it closes something. |
| Building momentum | A roster week run as a programme: sets, meetings, press, energy. | Mornings without the artist; afternoons in the Meet the… rooms; dinner before every set. |
| Established | Decisions on partners, territories and next year's showcase; a PR HQ that media come to. | Interview blocks at a hotel hub; a press dinner for ten; the follow-up owned by the team. |
Numbers that shape your week
- Meet the Managers
- Fri 12:15
- Press passes for PRs
- None
- Meet the Media
- Apply by 16 Oct
- Film permits
- 5–10 working days
Before ADE
Spring · managers
Spring · filmmakers
August · PR
September · database opens
September · PR
September · filmmakers
By 16 October
One week out
Bring
- Artist brief and goals
- Approved assets, one link
- Three 30-second pitches
- Meeting spreadsheet with travel time
- Written camera permissions
- Confirmed availability
Your week
Wed 21
- 13:15–14:45 Meet The Agents Pro Pass
- 14:15–15:00 Behind the Booking: what artists, managers and promoters really want Pro Pass
- 15:30–17:00 Meet The Labels & A&Rs Pro Pass
Thu 22
- 12:15–13:00 Spotify | Essential Insider Knowledge Pro Pass
- 13:15–14:45 Meet The DSP’s & Distributors Pro Pass
- 14:30 → early evening RE:UNION · ADE 2026 Free · QR pass
- 15:30–16:15 The Shrinking Gatekeep: a conversation between artists Pro Pass
- 15:45–17:15 Meet the Media Pro Pass
- 16:45–17:45 30 Years of ADE Pro Pass
Fri 23
- 12:15–13:45 Meet The Managers Pro Pass
- 13:45–14:45 Artists on AI, A No-BS Roundtable Pro Pass
- 14:30–16:00 Meet the Publishers Pro Pass
- 16:15–17:00 Building an independent career with Mau P Pro Pass
- 19:45–22:00 Ongepolijst: 20 years of grime in the Netherlands (film premiere & drinks) Check event page · tickets
Sat 24
- 13:30–14:00 Culture and Ownership with Cruel Santino Pro Pass
Sun 25
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening and night
-
Wed 21
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening and night
-
Thu 22
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening and night
-
Fri 23
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening and night
-
Sat 24
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening and night
-
Sun 25
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening and night
Sessions for you
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
Behind the Booking: what artists, managers and promoters really want
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
Spotify | Essential Insider Knowledge
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
The Shrinking Gatekeep: a conversation between artists
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
Artists on AI, A No-BS Roundtable
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
Building an independent career with Mau P
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
Ongepolijst: 20 years of grime in the Netherlands (film premiere & drinks)
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
-
Culture and Ownership with Cruel Santino
- Day
- Time
- Venue
- Why go
- Access
In the room
| Moment | Do this | Say or ask |
|---|---|---|
| Meet the Managers, Rosewood | Listen for the one development problem you can actually help with; decline the rest kindly. | What can this relationship change for the artist over the next six months? |
| A label or DSP meeting, for the artist | One track, the release plan, the story; ask for the specific next step and permission to follow up. | What would make this pitchable for you, and when should I send it? |
| Meet the Media, as the PR | Send the client with one clear message and one link; stay out of the queue. | What can we tell you that has not already been covered, and who else should we speak to? |
| A venue programmer, for a shoot | Ask months ahead; describe the film, the crew size and the no-phone rule you will respect. | A two-person handheld crew, first hour only, no faces on the floor, selects to you by Monday? |
| Sunday, the debrief | Share the agreed action, owner and deadline with the artist and the team. | Three things got agreed this week. Here is who does what, by when. |
Mistakes we keep seeing
| Mistake we keep seeing | Instead |
|---|---|
| Five sets and no meetings. | Two or three sets that serve the artist; the meetings that move twelve months. |
| Bringing the artist to every meeting. | Only where presence closes something; protect the work ethic, do not spend it. |
| Mass releases in the week of 1 September. | Small and in person: interview blocks, a dinner for ten, a listening session. |
| Livestreaming every conversation; posting "big things happening" every twenty minutes. | Behind-the-scenes material for the follow-up, posted after the week. |
| Assuming a press pass covers PRs or filming. | Pro Pass for the publicist; written venue OK and permits for the crew. |
| Filming faces on a dancefloor. | Shelter, The Loft and RADION enforce it; losing the venue costs a year. |
| Leaving the follow-up to the artist. | 48 hours, one to four weeks, January: the manager's job. |
What veterans say
-
“An important place for us to get aligned on the year ahead.”
Jon Sax source -
“If you feel like you're hungry, thirsty, or sleepy, you probably should listen to your body.”
Jan-Willem van de Ven source -
“Remember: everyone is someone's cousin's mate who "knows people."”
Decoded Magazine source -
“Networking in person helps artists stand out in ways that emails and DMs simply can't.”
MN2S source -
“Press trips are still very effective as they enable journalists to experience the event first hand.”
Nikki McNeill source -
“ADE has helped professionalise the dance industry in a way that would never have been possible otherwise.”
Rens Wilderom source
Budget
Indicative five-night totals using published 2025–26 ranges and the Pro Pass price on the official tickets page on 14 October.
| Line | Manager or publicist (Pro Pass) · €2,150–3,300 | Filmmaker on the Lab path · €650–1,450 |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | €795 + 3.77% fee (late rate, almost sold out) | €0 Lab Discovery (free); €149 On Track if accepted |
| Flights / train | €150–350 | €100–250 |
| Bed, 5 nights | €800–1,500 canal ring or De Pijp | €300–600 hostel, shared flat or Noord |
| Food and coffee meetings | €250–400 | €150–250 |
| Transport | GVB included with the pass | €30–60 (GVB, ferries) |
| Event tickets | 2–3 nights, €120–220 | 1–2 nights, €50–150 |
| PR moments, gear, permits | PR: a dinner for ten or a listening session, budgeted separately | Gear insurance, transport between zones and permits for anything beyond handheld; not published |
After ADE
- Same night
- Within 48 h
- 1–4 weeks
- January
Hi [name], Good to meet you at Meet the Managers on Friday — thank you for the steer on [what they said]. As promised, one track and the next six months for [artist]: [private link]. Press kit and dates: [EPK or MavelTree link]. If [the opportunity you discussed] is still open for [quarter], could we take twenty minutes in November? [Two time windows]. [Your name], manager for [artist]
New in 2026 for you
- Meet the Managers (Fri 23, 12:15–13:45, Rosewood) lists sixteen managers; delegates bring development problems, managers decide what they can say yes to. Open to Pro Pass holders. source
- Meet the Media (Thu 22, 15:45) is by application this year: delegates with a Pro Pass apply by 16 October, 23:59 and are pre-matched with 25 outlets, from DJ Mag, Mixmag and Crack to 3FM, SLAM! and Capital Dance. source
- New for 2026: Behind the Booking (Wed 21, 14:15, Promoter Hub) puts MDLBEAST, Encode Talent and NOON Agency in one room on what artists, managers and promoters actually want from each other. source
- Press accreditation closed on 7 September and is strictly for media, journalists and press; applications from PR agents, bookers or promoters are not considered. Publicists work on a Pro Pass. source
- Building an independent career with Mau P (Fri 23, 16:15, Rosewood Ballroom) brings the artist, his manager, his label and The Pacha Group to one table. source
- For filmmakers: the 2026 Arts & Culture waves (20 August) carried no films, and the grime documentary Ongepolijst was added later for Friday 23 at 19:45 at Het Ketelhuis. Late additions happen; there is no open call. source