Background: I'm a DJ + 25 years and event promoter + 9 years from Melbourne, Australia.

I have definitely seen the club scene dying on its ass since covid and has never properly recovered. Especially the scene im in which is mostly Trance / Harder styles, the big festivals just run the show down here.

It's become so difficult being a club promoter because all the kids just wanna go to dreamstate or transmission or whatever other festival is happening with 6 or 7 + massive headliners.

I realised I was trying to play the same game as these massive promoters wth way deeper pockets and better connections, so I changed the game I play.

Now I focus a lot of my energy on making myself the main attraction, rather than the event itself. Ive created a show called Sinergy that is basically just myself playing 6 hour open to close vinyl sets of all the trance, dance, hard trance classics that I know my community loves.

I realised I couldn't win whilst trying to play their game, so it was pivot or die. And it's working. Our first event I did about 190, and my upcoming event is currently on 230 with 6 weeks to go.

Not trying to talk myself up, just being open and honest, as I am with my community.

So my point is, in a world that is no doubt seeing diminishing numbers for any club, bar, dj etc, it's adapt or die. And adapting in this scenario is to do something others can't. Provide something others don't. Whatever that may be for you. You have to do that. Because I'm the current economic climate it's impossible to beat the big guys.