Merljin Poolman

Merlijn Poolman started his career with organising metal shows and tours, but after founding a nightclub (Subsonic, Groningen) in 2011 he gradually got more involved into the world of dance music. In 2018 he became the Night Mayor of the Dutch city of Groningen and in that role structurally worked on the link between the government, the club venue owners and (most important) the party people themselves.

As leader of the Groningen Night Council, member of the Dutch Popcoalitie (advisory board to the government) and former European Music Council fellow-member Merlijn loves to balance between the formal policy making and the raw underground music culture that formed his career.

Merlijn is also involved as founder in G2C- Gateway to China, connecting artists towards the Chinese music sector and went to China for 14 times. He founded the first China Pavilion conference at ADE in 2017, which will return in a new edition in 2024. Currently he is deeply involved as international business manager in a groundbreaking hologram-project that will have its premiere on ADE 2024.

At last through COSIMO Foundation he connects cultural projects and corporate funding with the use of tax incentives. A favourite quote by Merlijn is: "A good idea is formed with a beer at night and worked out with a coffee during the day"