On February 3, 2014, eight entrepreneurs managing the most prominent leisure venues in Ibiza signed the statutes of the Ibiza Leisure Association after months of talks, negotiations and not a few difficulties. And peace came to the sector.
At a time characterized by the all-out dispute between local businessmen for the power of the Ibizan night and also the day, Vicente Marí Ventura (Empresas Matutes), José María Echániz (Privilege), Christian Braun (Nassau), Jesús Saiz (Bora Bora), Deogracias Lara Sito (DC10), David de Felipe (Amnesia), Jelle Servatius María (Blue Marlin) and Heinz J. Wilhtelm (Km.5) signed the peace and proclaimed their union in defense of the common problems of the industry before the Administration and among competitors. It was the first before and after of this story.
The Association was born with Braun as president and José Luis Benítez, as manager after extensive experience at the helm of Space, as manager, and also Amnesia, a position he currently holds while combining it as director of Institutional Relations of the Palladium Group and for which he has, since mid-2016, with the collaboration of journalist Ángeles Martín. The former Minister of the Interior in the first Govern del Pacte de Progrés, lawyer José María Costa, also joined the structure.
“We were fighting.”
The first president of the collective Christian Braun recalls, in statements to La Voz de Ibiza, that at that time “we had distanced ourselves from each other” .
Behind the confrontation, the reordering of the sector after the irruption in the market of the beach clubs offer and especially of the hotels with leisure, such as Ibiza Rocks, Usuhaïa and later Destino.
“There was friction over schedules and we were at each other’s throats,” he recalls. The recipe was to “come together”, to think that “we were all from Ibiza and that we had to go hand in hand to settle our differences and do good for the island“. Ten years later and after a “difficult” start, “it has proven to be a complete success”.
From a personal point of view, the owner of Grupo Nassau, a conglomerate that includes the establishment that gives it its name in Playa den Bossa, its neighbor Tanit Beach Club, the Cas Costas and 1742 restaurants in Dalt Vila, the Casa Munich hotel in Ses Salines and the Dunes establishment, also in Playa den Bossa, admits to being “very proud to have been the first president” after having had the “unanimous vote” of the founding partners whom he thanks for “the confidence to be in charge of the project”. He recalls the role and “constant work” of José Luis Benítez in the endeavor.
The current president, Jesús Saiz, also participates as treasurer on behalf of Bora Bora of which he was the director, nowadays
Soleil Beach
the first steps. “I still remember the first meeting after someone smart realized that our companies were at odds and divided and that we were going nowhere” after which came the “gentlemen’s non-aggression pact” to “fight together for our common interests.”
The idea was clear, the seed was sown, and the objective was set:“To bring quality to the sector and improve its image inside and outside the island“.
Echániz
However, the creation of the association does not solve the problems by itself. Nor the asperities and mistrust among businessmen. So much so that the owner of Privilege, José María Echániz, leaves the club. Years later, Amnesia would also take the same path, a local that, nevertheless, became part of the group again.
Fitur
A year after its founding, the Association manages to be present at the International Tourism Fair in Madrid(FITUR) with the help of the Consell de Ibiza. Ocio de Ibiza is also integrated in Spain Nightlife and International Nightlife Association (INA), three of its first major achievements throughout these 10 years of history.
In January 2019, Ocio de Ibiza attends Fitur again, this time with its own stand that harvests a great success of public. At the same time, he also held a party in a central nightclub in Madrid.
The study
The entity presents at its stand the historical study Ibiza as a global brand: leadership in the leisure economy (1990-2018) conducted by the former Socialist Minister of Economy of the Govern Carles Manera, professor of Economic History at the UIB, and economist Vanessa Rosselló.
The study highlights that directly, indirectly and induced, leisure contributes around 770 million euros to the economy of Ibiza and its economic impact represents around 35% of the total employment in the Pitiusas and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the island.
This study had a great diffusion and national projection at the time and although some voices wanted to discredit it, it marked a turning point with respect to the value that the policy gives to the leisure sector on the island. Second before and after of this story.
That same year, under the presidency of the then head of Heart, José Corraliza, Ocio de Ibiza signed the Code of Good Professional Practices, a decalogue for a responsible, safe and healthier service sector on the island of Ibiza, with the government delegate in Ibiza.
Standardization
The group is beginning to reap rewards and is entering the circle of institutional relations with other employers’ associations and associations. Thus, access to the Tourist Board of Sant Josep, a municipality that hosts numerous music venues, three among the 10 best in the world.
At the end of 2019, Crescenciano Huerta, current president of the Pacha Foundation, is appointed new president of Ocio de Ibiza.
During this period of time, the association’s relations with third sector entities intensified.
The Association goes hand in hand with the Consell to FITUR in early 2020 and both collaborate in the organization of a party in a central nightclub in Madrid. Ocio de Ibiza strengthens its weight in the local society and before the maximum insular institution and the Govern.
The third before and after
The pandemic is a turning point for Ibiza’s leisure industry. And not only because confinement paralyzes the sector for two years.
The employers’ association demonstrates its coming of age when the associated premises are the first to come out and announce that they do not want to open that season (2020) in view of the increase of infections reported in Spain and in the world in general. The Association claims to have assumed a great responsibility by putting the safety of workers and customers first and protecting the Ibiza brand.
De-escalation
It was an atypical season like no other, where illegal parties proliferated and where the joint work of Ocio de Ibiza with the Administration to prevent them stood out.
In 2021, Ocio de Ibiza is working together with the Govern and the Consell to carry out a pilot test before the de-escalation of the restrictions and the reopening of the sector on the island. Around 1,500 essential pandemic professionals are invited to the pilot test held at the Hard Rock Hotel to the sounds of Celtas Cortos.
The most eagerly awaited celebration is celebrated smoothly. All attendees had to be vaccinated with two doses or show proof of a negative PCR test before entering the event.
In addition, they were followed up afterwards. The test was a futile success, as a spike in infections in Mallorca paralyzed the scheduled reopening.
At the end of 2021 Álvaro Bayo, then at Ibiza Rocks, is elected new president of Ocio de Ibiza.
Jesus Saiz
At the beginning of 2022, Jesús Saiz was appointed as the new president of the entity, a position for which he has been renewed for two more years.
It was the year of recovery, a trend that continued in 2023 and looks set to continue in 2024.
Weight
Over the years, new members have joined the group (DC10, Dunes, Blue Marlin, Destination Pacha, Hard Rock Café, Hard Rock Hotel, Hï Ibiza, Ibiza Rocks Hotel, Ibiza Rocks Bar, Lío Ibiza, Tanit Beach Ibiza, Nassau Beach Club, Pacha Ibiza, Pikes Ibiza, Usuhaïa Ibiza, Yemanja, Circo Loco, Amnesia, 528 Ibiza, Playa Solei) other outstanding companies in Ibiza: the restaurant Casa Jondal; The Imi Group (which groups the premises O Beach Ibiza, Bam bu ku, Chi kee Wun, Itaca Ibiza, Linekers and STK Ibiza and the Wi ki Woo hotel);
Ibiza Blau Music
; Mambo Group (Café Mambo and Villa Mercedes);
Murphy’s
;
OD Hotels
;
Concept Hotel Group
;
Beachouse
;
Chirincana
;
Beso Beach
y
CBbC Cala Bassa
. Next year he will return to the Privilege group.
There are 38 music entertainment venues, including discotheques, beach clubs, restaurants, bars and hotels.
World leaders
Recently, the island’s clubs have received a new international accolade and have once again been voted asthe best in the world at the Golden Moon Awards gala held recently in Barcelona as part of the IX International Congress of Nightlife and IV National Congress (CNON).
Hï Ibiza was elected the best club in the world 2023 and topped for the fourth consecutive year The World’s 100 Best Clubs, the prestigious list of the International Nightlife Association(INA), a global ranking in which Ibiza managed to place four venues in the top ten (Hï Ibiza, Ushuaïa Ibiza, DC10 and Pacha Ibiza) and nine among the hundred best clubs in the world (Amnesia, O Beach Ibiza, Lío, Nassau Beach Club and Playa Soleil).
“The best leisure in the world”
“There is no place in the world where so many quality clubs are concentrated as in Ibiza. The leisure sector on the island is a reference and an attraction that complements the rest of the great tourist offer that treasures the island as the gastronomic offer, sports, cultural, beaches, etc., therefore, the new achievement harvested by the local leisure highlights the valuable value of this tourism segment within the economy of the island”, highlights
José Luis Benítez.
He also values that “Ibiza has a clearly differentiated brand in the leisure sector.. These awards attest to this. We must take advantage of this. Our professionalism is high, but it is clear that we must still continue to fight against intrusiveness, bad practices and piracy, because the Ibiza brand is at stake. We can’t rest on our laurels,” adds the manager of Ocio de Ibiza.
Benítez, highlights to La Voz de Ibiza, the involvement of the industry in helping the third sector (Caritas, Red Cross) and other positive initiatives for the island as the world of individual and collective sports and international competitions that contribute to lengthen the season through sponsorships.
“Many more years.”
Jesús Saiz recalls that “it has been a long and difficult road, with many obstacles, but also successes, such as the improvement of our relations”, one of “the battles we have won”. “We started with a decalogue of intentions, then with the creation of the association to defend our companies, our customers and our workers,” he recalls.
The challenge is to continue defending the Ibiza brand for “many more years”.
