It can, at least in London, and most likely if you get your coffee from one of the Change Please stalls. They employ formerly homeless people who have been trained as baristas to help them get off the streets. Behind it is The Big Issue homeless magazine, comparable to Germany’s Hinz & Kunzt, but above all Change Please is driven by Cemal Ezel.

I saw him last year at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam, where he rightly won first prize in the Chivas Venture final. I was struck by the metaphors in his talk alone. “Change Please” as a request from a homeless person for spare change, but also as Cemal’s plea to please finally change something, and the to-go coffee cup, which is not uncommonly used for begging. The rest is equally well thought out, as you can see here:

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Change Please coffee is continuously sold at more and more mobile and fixed stations, getting more and more homeless people off the streets and into jobs, and in cooperation with the British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, they sell their own coffee blends. Of course, I had to pick some up on my last visit to the island, instead of Grind.

It was mentioned during his talk that Change Please would expand to other countries. I would love to see that happen. It feels so straightforward and good in so many ways.
Until then, we’ll continue to drink our coffee at home and happily spare a euro when asked, or buy the Hinz & Kunzt magazine (at least in Hamburg).

You can find out more about the project on the Change Please website: changeplease.org

This post is part of my coffee page and my All Things British page.

Since this will never happen, the Dutch have been doing it in Amsterdam since 1996. GEMA’s counterpart there, BUMA, organises the conference, and you can’t miss this event in Amsterdam at this time in autumn.

I was there for the first time in 2016 and came away really inspired and also amazed after sitting in close proximity to Todd Terry and DJ Pierre (the one from the States), among others, and having Native Instruments, Ableton and Pioneer explain their technology to me. Along the way I saw acts like Laurent Garnier, ESKEI83, Digitalism, High Contrast and Camo & Krooked.

What I experienced in the five days there was only a fraction of what you can indulge in at the Amsterdam Dance Event. The choice of things to do in the context of music is almost overwhelming. Apart from the tech labs, where you can spend hours trying out the most common equipment, and the presentations of new and sometimes curious devices, the panels are probably one of the most interesting parts. These panels can also include cooking with some DJs.

One of the parties I was most interested in was Hospitality at Paradiso. A truly unique club, unlike any other in Germany. Compared to the often-mentioned Berghain, which is perhaps only considered so great because the door policy is so tough, Paradiso is absolutely commercial, aimed at getting as many people in as possible. But then – unusually for me as a German – they get the drinks flowing quickly and offer a splendid atmosphere across three floors. I was there twice at that time and both times the place was on fire, so much so that I would spontaneously drive to Amsterdam just to spend an evening there. Especially as the programme there is consistently excellent!

To come back to the “amazed” I mentioned earlier. Amazed at the possibility of celebrating music so intensely. Above all, to see that the industry celebrates itself at a level that isn’t just self-important and whiny (German, basically). The closeness that is created there and the almost over-the-top “we’re really having five properly good days” took me back a little to what used to excite me so much about music: simply enjoying it, without really thinking about whether it makes sense. Cheers, ADE!

This year’s Amsterdam Dance Event will take place in October, as every year. The first Early Bird phase of ticket sales has already closed and the current price for the 5-day all-in ticket, which includes all conferences and parties (!), is a whopping 375 euros. But it’s worth it! If only because you can usually bypass the queues and get into the club, and you get numerous other benefits too.

amsterdam-dance-event.nl/en/

Recommendations

• Central accommodation, Le Coin
• Decent burger, Burger Bar
• Paradiso
• With an ADE ticket, you can get discounted admission to Beurs van Berlage
• Even better burger, Café Wheels (now closed).
• Great sweets, Eichholtz
• Best Hangover Breakfast: Cafè de Jaren

Impressions 2016

ESKEI83 for Pioneer

Whyt Noyz @ ADE Native Sessions

ADE Sound Lab

Totally positive!

Hangover Breakfast @ Café de Jaren

Banksy @ Beurs van Berlage

Banksy @ Beurs van Berlage

Canal #nofilter

UK & USA sweets

That silence in the morning!

Ums ums ums