MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – It was 10 p.m. on a recent night and Dennis Wheeler, the director of marketing for the Shelbourne Hotel, looked exhausted.
"I've only had two hours sleep," he said, holding a wad of hot pink wristbands as a DJ's loud bass beats echoed off nearby art deco hotels. Wheeler was manning the guest list for the seemingly never-ending pool party held at the hotel during Winter Music Conference week.
And what a week it was — the recession seems very far off in this hedonistic, electronic-music-infused beach town.
"These people are international DJs who travel all over the world no matter what's going on," shrugged Wheeler. "And the fans tend to follow."
Every March since 1985, Miami Beach and Miami have been the hotspots for electronic and dance music enthusiasts. At first, the event was where DJs, producers, artists and their hangers-on came to break new records, network and party.
Over the years, the conference grew larger, and satellite concerts, events and industry mixers cropped up.
Fashion shows were scheduled and celebrities flew in. This year, Paris Hilton made an appearance at a club (her boyfriend reportedly got into an altercation with a DJ's bodyguard Thursday night), Sean "Diddy" Combs hosted a party, and a cast member of "Real Housewives of New York City" was spotted at a poolside soiree.
Last year, around 62,000 people attended. This year, industry insiders say turnout is just as high — if not higher.
"I can't believe my eyes," said Tommy Pooch, co-publisher of 944 Magazine and a legendary Miami event promoter.
Wheeler, of the Shelbourne, said there has been no hiccups with the conference attendance.
"It's one of the only conventions this year that hasn't been reduced," Wheeler said. "We expected 15 to 20 percent reduction, we have more people than ever before."
Kirk Paskal, the director of operations for the conference, says organizers started the week very worried.
"So far, though, we've seen phenomenal turnout," he said. He won't have final attendance figures until sometime next week.
Several hotels, including the Gansevoort South, the Doubletree Surfcomber and the Shelbourne were all sold out, with rates ranging from $299 to $900 a night. Other recent events, such as the International Boat Show, did not seem to bring the crowds like the music festival.
"It's a lot better than expected," said Mario Casal of the Doubletree Hotel on Miami Beach. He said the hotel did lower its prices by about $100 to roughly $299 a night compared with a year ago.
Ilan Segal, the managing director of the Gansevoort South, said there were a lot of Europeans attending this year.
Tourism officials say overall revenue is down but the number of visitors is nearly the same as last year — evident in the packed streets each night.
"Miami is more affordable than it was in the past," said Rolando Aedo, the senior vice president of marketing for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
He has noticed an uptick in Spring Break visitors at Winter Music Conference this year, and it doesn't appear that the economic downturn has had any effect on young partygoers.
At least one South Beach club paid overtime to city paramedics to be on hand in case of overdoses. And on Thursday at the Shelbourne Hotel, revelers gyrated to DJs Luciano and Loco Dice while sipping $13 cocktails in the pool. Many people were wearing sunglasses or bikinis — or both — and the night was still young at 10 p.m.
"People want to party and they need a purpose," Pooch said. "And Winter Music Conference gives them an excuse to party."
