Page 20 - We Rave You Magazine | September 2022

INTERVIEW > 356 ENTERTAINMENT: MALTA’S POWER PLAYERS CHANGING THE MUSIC SCENE IN MALTA

“We realised there was a huge potential for festival tourism
and from there we became more creative and ambitious

about the projects we were going for”
– GERALD DEBONO

Firstly, tell us a little bit about 356, its history and how it Was the aim to bring more tourists in general to Malta, or was
started, and why you felt that Malta needed these events. there an intentional focus on drawing younger crowds in?
GERALD: 356 is an evolution of what Trevor and I used to do GERALD: 20 years ago Malta was for the older demographic,
many years ago under Fresh Music Events. The aim back in as it was sold as a sunny island to come to with nice beaches,
the day was to get international standard events to Malta as nice churches; a very relaxed atmosphere. However, focusing
it lacked them. Some events were happening, but we came on good festival tourism, we have created extra appeal and
up with the idea of building high-production events, during brought awareness of the island to the younger generation
a time when there weren’t strict technical riders yet. So we even though there’s a very good nightlife scene happening
were free to build the shows we wanted to build, and even here as well.
book world-class talents such as Armin van Buuren, Paul
Van Dyk, David Guetta and Tiësto, so we went straight to the TREVOR: With regards to general tourism, a while back
top! We used to do other events too but we went straight when we did arena shows, we would be selling the majority
into arena shows as they were our speciality. Then as things of tickets to locals. Now, they make up about 2% of our
progressed, we acquired Malta’s biggest open-air venue audience as most of the festivals we put on are made with
and festival tourism became our focus, starting with Lost foreigners in mind as the artists we book are targeting more
& Found. We took some risks in the early days, but without of a UK market than a local market; they are very different.
those, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have,
and that’s how 356 was born. We realised there was a huge How did you come to be able to work with big event brands
potential for festival tourism and from there we became such as the likes of the BBC, Creamfields and people like
more creative and ambitious about the projects we were Annie Mac for example?
going for. I would say we were the first to take things to a
TREVOR: Well, we started doing Cream shows back in the
different level, let’s say so because there were the other
late 90s or early 2000, then we escalated it to Creamfields
promoters before us, but they were still just promoting
festival, in 2004 or 2006. Back in the days we also used to
techno. When we started doing events, we introduced
do Cocoon and Renaissance shows, which were also big
trance and house to Malta.
brands at the time, but that might be us showing our age
as that was quite a long time ago! But at that time it was
Did you face any challenges considering you were one of
more that we’d pay a brand fee and organisers for the local
the first or if not the first to be doing this in Malta?
circuits. Nowadays, we need our partners to be involved. We
TREVOR: The risks we faced occurred to us in organising wouldn’t just pay for a brand fee, and just come up with an
our first event, which was Lost & Found with Annie Mac. It event, we would want the support to be ready and want to
was the birth of festival tourism in Malta, having joined work together.
forces with UK promoters. Before it used to be a dream for
our company to attract foreign customers to come to our GERALD: It almost became a policy that if we’re partnering
events, and once Lost & Found arrived, it sold out at 8000 up with someone, it had to be one of the top international
people in a day. We thought it was a fluke. The risk at that players such as the BBC, Cream, Defected, DLT, Abode or our
time was more the culture shock, and the Maltese people UK partners for Lost & Found and even other brands from
and residents seeing 8000 clubbers at one time. Apart from other sectors that we deal with.
that though, it was the start of something very big as it drew
in a significant number of younger people, whereas Malta Are there any other collaborations we can look forward to?
had had this previous reputation as being somewhere for
GERALD: To be honest, we have a long list at this stage for
the older generation due to the history of the island. To add
next year, but we know that we can’t do all of them, so we
to that 94% of the people that travelled to Lost & Found were
will have to make a shortlist so that we don’t oversaturate
coming to Malta for the first time. It had a multiplier effect in
the summer. Lately what we realised is that we can branch
relation to the economy, with the focus put on taxis, restau-
out beyond house and techno and bass music and like we
rants, and hotels, and it started stretching the summer
did this year, we’ll branch out into different genres like rock,
season longer and put Malta in the spotlight. From a
for example, to make it more diverse.
promoter’s point of view, it’s nice to see these festivals give
a lot back financially to local businesses and communities,
and to the country itself.

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