Space Ibiza—the newly opened nightclub hugging the Hudson Parkway in Hell's Kitchen—had a busy New York Fashion Week, as any high-profile establishment in Gotham should. The venue's opening event, PAPER magazine's 30th birthday party, brought a performance from stripper-aesthete Brooke Candy and guest appearances from various fashion figures and Skrillex, the most recognizable face (sans helmet) in the electronic dance music scene. Jeremy Scott hosted an afterparty celebrating his Psychedelic Jungle collection the next night, with scheduled music performances from electronic acts the MisShapes, Jodie Harsh and Mademoiselle Yulia. Still, hype-agents advised bigger names were likely to appear, based on Scott's collaborative relationships with Kanye West and Miley Cyrus.
Skrillex reappeared. He brought along Diplo, who in turn brought along Madonna, for whom he'll be producing with for her next album. Although Madge didn't offer to perform, the combination of Skrillex and Diplo meant an impromptu appearance as Jack Ü, the two-man supergroup announced earlier during 2014 by the EDM superstars. Fool's Gold label head and general turntable whiz A-Trak showed up as well, for good measure.
An expectedly enjoyable Fashion Week afterparty briefly became September's biggest EDM event (until Beyond Wonderland nearly two weeks later). That's the kind of potential that comes with running a world-class nightclub. Ask Rob Toma, the director of talent procurement for Space Ibiza New York, and he'll tell you that his job is a bit of what you know, a bit of who you know, and a heck of a lot of what you're selling.
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Space technically serves as a chain now that it operates venues on the the titular island of Ibiza, another Spanish location at Menorca, Space Moscow and now Space Ibiza New York. Less a chain in the Hard Rock Cafe sense and more along the lines of Osteria Francescana opting to open new locations across continents.
British EDM publication DJMag.com publishes a controversial Top 100 DJs list annually but its Top 100 Clubs ranking draws far fewer complaints. The original Space Ibiza has topped that list three times since 2011, including 2014, while it only fell to no. 2 during the 2013 campaign. Space's renowned status stands as the result of 25 years of competition, shoulder-to-shoulder with the best clubs in the world's capital for club music. The open-air dance floor, acclaimed live compilations and—in the words of founder Pepe Rosello, "the most beautiful people per square meter in the world" draws attendees from every corner.
Toma acknowledges the instant recognizability that comes with the Space Ibiza title, but living up to its namesake in terms of esteem still presents a constant challenge.
"This is not simply slap the name on the building and open the doors," he says. "Everything from the type of music I've been booking to the type of promotions...when people actually walk in and see what they were being sold, it's not exaggerated."
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Much of Toma's work going into booking headliners for Space Ibiza New York occurred years before he knew the club would exist. He began his career working primarily with hip-hop acts such as 50 Cent and Eminem before branching into electronic music eight years ago, planning one-off shows in Miami and New York, cultivating relationships with underground performers who would soon become much less underground with the approaching EDM boom.
He and his business partner Antonio Piacquadio caught their big break during 2010 when they helped open a franchise of Sankeys, an acclaimed Manchester establishment, on Ibiza. Two years following that club's opening (no. 28 in the world as of 2014), Piacquadio proposed opening a Space chapter in New York and doors opened another two years later.
The New York venue has more than just the name of course. A custom-built Funktion One sound system ensures that performers will be heard—even if the usual Space array of costumed dancers, cryogenic fog machines and a highly-touted disco ball may distract from those performers being seen.
Toma knows he's working with the whole package, a concept that will bring the talent more readily than cash ever could.
"What I've been realizing is that some of the artists that are too big and get paid too much to play a nightclub in New York, are playing because it's Space. Because of the sound system we got," he says. "After Fashion Week and the type of press that we've been getting, I think that it's all coming together. When agents are calling me and saying 'let's work on some dates'...they might not happen tomorrow but they're for sure happening first and second quarter 2015."
That sort of association might inspire hubris in some. Space Ibiza New York opened too late to gather a DJMag.com ranking during 2014 but will inevitably make its debut on 2015's list. Again, inevitably, barring some natural disaster in the Ballearic Sea, another Space Ibiza will still be ranked higher.
Reaching that higher bar is what gets an already successful director of talent procurement up early in the morning. Especially after a late night at the club.
