[highlight]This article has been edited for clarity and will continue to be updated as we receive more information[/highlight]
Seattle could be on the verge of getting a brand new mega club, owned by Appointed Recordings along with a few other lucky investors. Right now they are offering an 8% ownership stake at $125,000 with about 6 shares available. The plans for the club are absolutely mind blowing: “Ibiza AG” would have 3 dance floors, and an exclusive VIP area that would make Willy Wonka jealous. VIP guests would be whisked around the multilevel club in a closed loop train system similar to something you would find at an amusement park, providing a full tour of the entire space. To top it off, there would be a trampoline room (that is not a typo) and a volleyball court with real sand and palm trees.
When we saw a post for the short pitch on Web Recordings Facebook page we had to inquire further to see if this was all real. We reached out to Patrick Rachel (aka DJ Ultra Blue), who is closely tied to the project and owns Appointed Recordings, and he gave us some of the finer details of the planned venue. Currently the management group is seeking a property in the Belltown area of Seattle. A location has not been officially decided on yet, as they haven’t found an ideal place for the size of Ibiza AG (the goal is for the club to hold anywhere from 5,000 to 9,000 patrons at a single time). To give you some perspective, the Showbox Sodo has a capacity upwards of 1500, while the Paramount Theater holds roughly 2800.
We did ask for artist renditions of what they plan to have the place look like, but as they haven’t found the perfect location yet they’re unable to produce any designs on paper (we’ll just have to use our imaginations in the meantime).
The club plans on branding itself primarily for trance music, but would feature other mainstream acts to diversify their clientele. Ibiza AG also says it would feature a host of rotating local DJs and acts to support the local seen.
We would feature music from all different genres of dance music with a special interest in trance and label artists. However, we do intend on featuring big name headliners, and showcasing all of the great local talent we have here in Seattle, as well as a great showcase for bass music. We’d have a little bit of music for everyone’s tastes!
In order to also brand itself as a true Northwest club, the main dance floor would pay homage to the Olympic National Forest with a rainforest theme.
It does have a lot of competition however from popular night clubs like Q, Aston Manor, and Foundation, especially since Q was rated in the top ten sound systems in the country, while Foundation has made it to the top 100 clubs in the world two years in a row.
Ibiza AG plans to set them selves apart from other venues and clubs in the area with “…exciting decor and fun activities (to) keep people entertained and coming back. We are modelling our ideas from great Ibiza nightclubs in the hopes of bringing a little bit of the island’s atmosphere right here in our own backyard.” They like to think of it as “DJ Ultra Blues Fantasy Factory.”
When we heard about this proposal at our weekly Dance Music Northwest team night and the crew had a blast thinking of awesome things to add to the venue. In the end we settled on ball pits, slides, a permanent Life In Color theme, and of course LED screens protected by plexiglass on the dance floor so you can see the images in front and below you. If you were to create your very own night club, how would you design it? Do you think that this would be a sustainable venture for Seattle?
Update
We want to clarify that there has been no indication this club is coming anytime soon, or at all. They have not even located a space to break ground. If it does get the capital it needs, we likely wont see the end result for at least a few years. There are myriad financial, legal, and liability hurdles to clear. We should also note that, as of this writing, there is no indication anyone has invested in the venture. For now it appears to be just a dream–we’ve reached out to Appointed Recordings for more information.
Due to reader feedback, we wanted to ensure the sources of our information were clear, so we re-approached Appointed for an official statement of purpose, here is what we received directly from them
[accordion-group title="Appointed Group Official Statement"]Currently, management is still in search of an adequate location with Belltown being the preferred locale. In order to accommodate all of the amenities we will have to offer we’d need to provide a fairly large space, with multiple levels. Our ideal capacity would need to reflect the sheer size of the location; between 5,000 and 9,000 patrons. At this time, we do not have any renderings or floor plans because we are still in the planning phase of the project.
We will have full business insurance to cover anything unexpected and to make sure each patron is safe. In terms of the activities we’d provide, those would be in a separate room in the VIP area and we’d require each patron to sign a waiver form. Sort of like you would at a gym. Upon signing the waiver form, the patrons would receive a special entrance code allowing them access to the activities room on the second level VIP setting, as the trampoline is envisioned to look downward on to the main dance floor with the headliners. Closed off and secured, yet still visible to the crowd, almost comparable to the concept of a dance cage with additional safety measurements in place. But patrons won’t miss out on all of the action in the volleyball VIP room, including real palm trees and sand, special monitors will be installed for viewing the various acts and music will be fed into the room. In addition the VIP lounge will have monitors & a exclusive backstage access to each event.
The envisioned train inside the nightclub would be of one similar you would find at amusement parks. The train would escort the VIP guest from the main entrance/coat check area, to the second level with a tour of the entire club on it’s way up passing through the different venues & crowds giving our VIP guest truly a unique experience in the spotlight of each audience. Don’t mistake it as a rollercoaster however, the maximum speed will be 5 mph & the plan is to have the tracks built off the ground leading to the second floor VIP lounge, offering return trips back to the main entrance. Each VIP guest will be handed a basket of flower petals to show their love for each venue on their way up!
Our intentions for the club would be to run it as a mixed venture. We would be both a nightclub and a venue for headlining acts, local bookings, and label artists alike.
The intentional return on investment; on the low side would be at an estimated 15% and on the high at a estimated 120%.
In terms of music, this is where we will really stand out from other places being jointly owned by Appointed Music Group with Appointed’s vast number of growing labels & artist.
We would feature music from all different genres of dance music with a special interest in trance and label artists. However, we do intend on featuring big name headliners, and showcasing all of the great local talent we have here in Seattle, as well as a great showcase for bass music. We’d have a little bit of music for everyone’s tastes!
The unique theme on the main dancefloor, it’s purpose is to show respect for the Olympic National Rain Forest & the natural wonders that we are fortunate enough to have here in the NW, giving visitors a memorable impression.
What will help us stand out from other clubs in the city would be our wide range of different dance genres, but more than that, our exciting decor and fun activities will keep people entertained and coming back. We are modelling our ideas from great Ibiza nightclubs in the hopes of bringing a little bit of the island’s atmosphere right here in our own backyard. We like to think of it as UltraBlue’s personal fantasy factory.
Highlighting the goal of empowering the dance music scene in the Pacific Northwest.
As far as experience goes, the partners would need experience in either the music industry or the business industry. Both would be preferred. Knowledge of the local scene and businesses would be a great plus!
Investments will be placed in business escrow until all share owners are fully vested & we have secured a location to build. Investments will be subjected to a 7% placement surcharge, for an official business plan or more details, information can be requested directly from AppointedGroup.com
Aside from that, we’ll bring our love of dance music right to the people. And we hope that once they attend our club they’ll feel right at home.[/accordion-group]
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