10 DOs & DONTs of Miami Winter Music Conference

Photo courtesy of Michal Ignition

Approaching its 29th season, Miami's annual Winter Music Conference—or Miami Music Week or what have you—is right around the corner. Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially… this is a week that will make or break you. You can do it properly like a champ or miss the mark like a sucker.

We'll be skipping the common sense basics like eating right, stocking up on vitamins and getting sleep. With this list, it cuts right to the expert-level criteria.

Make the most of it.

1. Buy yourself a pair of custom high-fidelity Etymotic Musicians Earplugs. They're made individually for each user, filter out all the bad frequencies and it offers three levels of sound reduction. They certainly aren't cheap, but the question is: can you really put a price on your hearing? Go get them. Always practice safe listening.

2. Don't over plan. It's a mistake for first-time WMC rookies to pros year after year. But you can't be everywhere at once; so hit the right parties. The DJs you love will still be passing through your neck of the woods during the other 51 weeks of the year, but with shows like the Deep Dish reunion and Loco Dice b2b Marco Carola marathons? They won't be. Don't overwhelm yourself trying to catch every artist you like. Make it count. Quality over quantity, right?

3. Yes, you want to come home with a tan. It's been a long winter. But WMC isn't an excursion geared towards fun in the sun. Could have gone to Cancun for that. So don't stay South Beach. Cabs are impossible, not to mention expensive—and many of the best parties aren't there anyway.

4. Don't rely on DJ connections. You may think you shared a life-changing conversation with one behind the booth or at an after-party back home. He or she may have told you they have you covered if, a big if, you crossed paths again in Miami. Guess what? They've made the same empty promise to dozens more at every other gig they've played in the last three months. They won't be escorting you anywhere. And they damn sure don't have that couch for you to crash on.

5. Always inquire about dress code. Seriously. Miami considers itself a lot classier than the rest of the world does, even during WMC. The festivities may constantly end with attendants in a state of undress, but they definitely don't start that way.

6. Cash. You can't have enough of it. It may seem like the most trivial of things to point out here, but it's the biggest 'DO' on this list. The drinks alone will bankrupt you—$20 for a Vodka Soda? Spare every other overpriced Miami expense. An out-of-service ATM or a bartender who won't take your credit card is the last problem you want to encounter. Dealers also don't accept Visa. Just saying.

7. You aren't in Manhattan. In Miami, greasing isn't frowned upon. Not in the slightest. And having tickets to an event doesn't guarantee there won't be a line around the block standing between you and the dance floor. Put two and two together here. Take care of the guys at the door and they will take care of you. It's honestly outrageous how many people aren't actively doing this. Separate yourself from the amateurs.

8. Club Space is a Miami rite of passage. Parties go on until the next afternoon and there is no last call. I repeat: NO LAST CALL. It's a safe bet that you wind up here at some point. Pace yourself. Considering you'll have to arrive before your 12 AM/2 AM-entry ticket permits, or else run the risk of paying more than $80 even if you're a second late. Remember, it's a marathon and not a race. Take a seat for a few hours. Relax. Tour the venue's impressive expanse. Make new friends. Then, when the sun starts to come up, so should you.

9. WMC is a convergence of every type of partygoer in the book. Candy cane PLUR ravers, trance fairies, electro house hipsters, deep house douchebags and low-pro techno snobs—the entire catalogue. Stick to your own kind. They'll be there for you when the party finally stops and nobody else is.

10. You won't be the first to suffer from night terrors once the week of indulgence starts to clear from your system, nor the last. Plan a post-WMC vacation. Even if it's just a solid 24 hours in bed with the blinds drawn. You're going to need it.

You can follow Christopher on Twitter: @CMprogram

Related Stories:

Amtrac's New Single is Retro and Future at the Same Damn Time

Visit Jimmy Edgar's Ultramajic Party Temple in Miami

Deep Dish Are Getting Back Together To Do Some Stuff