It is undeniable that we are living in conflicting times. In some ways, we are more comfortable than ever before: Thanks to our smartphones, high-speed internet and modern technologies such as AI, we can connect to friends and family, access vast amounts of knowledge and unleash our creativity in ways we couldn’t before.
But with these advancements comes added potential for disconnect: We barely have to talk to each other in person for anything, anymore, instead attacking each other online over differing opinions from behind the safety of our screens.
Having observed and debated the changes, challenges and trends in the electronic music industry for almost two decades, this year’s edition of the International Music Summit was dedicated to tackling this very topic: How can we rebuild a sense of community?
Having shifted its focus to include talks on mental health and wellness in recent years, the annual conference is not afraid to put uncomfortable questions on its agenda. And one man brave enough to step up and face this complex subject – or at least aspects of it – is Mark Grotefeld.
As the General Manager of AlphaTheta EMEA [formerly Pioneer DJ], Mark and his team have been involved in IMS Ibiza from the beginning, and witnessed many pivotal moments in time that changed not only the microverse of DJs, producers, labels, clubs and promoters, but society at large – all while navigating the stellar rise of Pioneer’s DJ division from tiny start-up to multi-million-dollar business.
Delivering the IMS 2024 opening speech, Mark was conscious of the task that lay ahead, admitting in his address, “I know we’re at risk of being perceived as ‘purpose washing’ or ‘purpose posturing’. I know you’ll be judging our authenticity, and you’re right to do so.”
Self-aware, honest, and with a warm sense of humour, Mark is a considered and eloquent speaker. Spanning start-ups and acquisitions, humble beginnings and heady moments on the dancefloor, technological advancements and dizzying profits, to follow Mark’s retelling of Pioneer DJ’s journey against the backdrop of the digital revolution and rise of social media is fascinating.
Which leaves us with the question: How do you not lose sight of your mission, your ‘North Star’, as Mark calls it, amongst it all? As a business leader, for him it ultimately comes down to one seemingly simple question: ‘Why?’
During his IMS speech, Mark explains how, as Pioneer DJ transitioned into AlphaTheta, he asked his team, “What do we do? We design and manufacture DJ products and software. Why do we do this? So DJs and artists can be highly creative with their art and play incredible music to thousands of people. Why? So thousands of people of diverse cultures, identities, worldviews, beliefs, ethnicities, and nationalities can find… Inspiration, joy, belonging, acceptance and unity – all on the same dance floor. A safe space where everyone is welcome, where everyone is equal.”
His keynote spoke to the hearts of many, including the Ibiza Style team. And as IMS is the place to connect with like-minded peers you would perhaps not encounter otherwise, we asked Mark for a follow-up chat.
“I couldn’t have spoken about this subject five or six years ago, because the audience wouldn’t have been ready. But as industry leaders have matured, many are starting to think how they can give something back,” he says. “I think Avicii’s suicide was a turning point, and all the internal debate about mental health, stressors, and substance abuse that it led to.”
Addressing his unique position as an advocate for positive company culture and leadership while managing the market-leading company in its field, he adds, “I’m trying to explain that beyond the profit, there is something deeper going on in our hearts and minds. And we’ve done a lot of work to really understand what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.”
One might ask, why is the ‘why’ so important? “If you can find your ‘why’, it creates a good framework when you’re recruiting – to find purpose-driven employees. We have some really good, bright, motivated individuals, and because of them we are able to navigate the complexity of disruption.”
At AlphaTheta, valuing your team means taking care of them in return. “We have quite a lot of internal training programmes that are not just based around your typical commercial skillsets, but things like internal values. And we are very committed to the wellbeing of our staff. We regularly host mental health workshops with a variety of themes.”
It is very clear when you speak to Mark that he is far from a profit-obsessed corporate ‘suit’ chasing the next dollar, instead engaging in a careful dance between company culture and capital gains. Indeed, by his own admission, he ended up in this industry “kind of by accident”.
He laughs, “My first degree was in Sports Science and after I graduated I just raced my mountain bike for four years! I was listening to the likes of Carl Cox, Sasha and John Digweed when I was training, and their music would motivate me. I had these guys in my ear the whole time.”
At the age of 28, he decided to “get a proper job” and studied for a Master’s degree in Marketing. As he began to climb the career ladder, when Pioneer advertised for a Head of Marketing for its then brand-new DJ division, he says it felt like “everything was coming together.”
“I loved the start-up culture; it was friendly, no shirts and ties. I didn’t expect to stay very long, but I fell in love with the power of music and the electric energy of the industry. It was a rapidly evolving space, and so interesting.”
The trajectory of Mark’s career and that of Pioneer DJ eventually led him to the White Island. When we ask him for his highlights from those early days, he says, “The last five years of Space before it shut, Carl’s party particularly. The openings and closings. I was working a lot in Ibiza at that time, getting to know the island and the owners of the clubs. It was just a special time.”
Of course, the changing clubbing landscape and the rise of VIP culture has not gone unnoticed by Mark and his team. With the same honesty and awareness that marked his IMS speech, he says, “We [as a company] have never been a fan of the VIP concept – only because we think in the context of house and techno, it doesn’t really belong if you look at its roots and its history. For me, music has the ability to be a leveller of status and to bring everyone together – whereas VIP areas create a division straightaway.
“My speech was a reminder of that gift, a rallying call for everyone involved to remember the power that music has to break down barriers – the digital tribes, the polarised camps, the status – and, at least for a moment, when we are all together in that room or club or festival, none of that matters anymore.”
