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Professionalism is a much-used and little understood word Any where "the industry" gathers you're bound to hear it being abused. Apparently professionalism is the key to success. Unfortunately, there's no good definition of what it is.

In the early years, working in electronic music was licence to drink, fuck and take drugs by the kilo. This was fun for the people doing it; less so for the partners they pissed off, the artists they ripped off and the fans they disregarded. Gradually people realised this behaviour was not professional.

The legendary misfits who made a career of getting high on their own - and everyone else's - supply were eventually recognised for the pathetic, overgrown children they were. They shuffled off to take up permanent refuge in dark corners, partially mummified morality tales.

The mostly-bad examples of the pioneers left the industry no wiser as to the true meaning of professionalism. When a radical social movement, like rave, goes mainstream what is the correct response?

Does a professional plot the revolution, or do they embrace a life of spreadsheets and ad-speak? There is no definitive answer but the Amsterdam Dance Event provided some excellent examples of what not to do.

Whatever you do DON'T...

- Judge people by their profession:
	There are many polite ways to begin a conversation: "Are you a label?" is not one of them. Even in the businesslike setting of the ADE "No. I'm a person." The man who asked the question instantly lost interest. As he trotted off in search of labels I wondered how many opportunities he misses, on a daily basis, because he's so focused on work he doesn't bother to address people as fellow-humans. If I were "a label" the sheer rudeness of his approach would guarantee him short shrift. Being professional doesn't mean acting like a robot, or treating people like inventory.
- Believe 'image is everything':
	"She'll be the only woman wearing 6-inch heels," DJ Lady Faith's manager assured me when we arranged to meet. He was right. While the rest of us trek through rain-soaked lanes and up the endless stairs at conference HQ in sensible flats she gamely manouevered in black stilettos. As her manager waxed lyrical about the importance of looking good and being sexy (her, not him) Faith sat and smiled patiently. When he was done talking, she gave me her CD. Turns out, she does what she does with astonishing aplomb for someone who has only been DJing professionally for six months. She doesn't need six-inch-heels to get noticed because she's good.
- Stick to what you know:
	What do you do if you work for one of the few labels that is growing, rather than shrinking? Grab hold of your job and hang on for dear life? Most people would, but not Eveline van der Steen, Armada Music's New Media Manager. After stints in graphic design and building club décor she went work for Armada. Then she followed a hunch to New Zealand where she discovered a thriving music scene. "It's amazing, everyone plays several instruments, there's so much talent there," she marvels. So she's packing her bags, going part-time with Armada, and moving across the globe to take up the challenge of introducing New Zealand's rich underground scene to the world.
- Crack under pressure:
	"People always think I have a big company," says ADE publicist Nikki Wright-McNeill with a smile and shrug. Her ‘big company' is, in fact, Nikki and one part-time assistant. The confusion arises because she does the job of five people: dealing with four days of missing journalists, miscommunication, recalcitrant artists, rescheduled meetings and a thousand other pitfalls, without losing her cool or forgetting anyone's name.
- Follow the crowd:
	A lively all-female panel discussion on the role of women in the dance industry provided a valuable lesson. UK house stalwart Lottie says she was so anxious to be taken seriously that she avoided make-up and dressed as scruffily as possible, early in her career. Next to her glamorous Parisian DJ Paulette raised an eyebrow and interposed - she likes fixing up and looking sharp, and damned if she would dress down or blunt the cool edge of her elegance for anyone. The point is to do with not what or what not wear, but that each of them did what was right for them. What worked once won't necessarily work again, so don't waste your energy on copy-catting.
- Talk instead of act:
	Perched cross-legged on a bed in the Hotel Room, shaggy-haired Systematic favourite Tommie Sunshine raises an important point: "I always hear producers and label guys complaining they can't make any money because no-one buys music anymore. But they don't buy music!" As us music journalists shift guilty on our beanbag chairs Sunshine continues: "Man, if I get a demo I like, I go to Beatport and buy it. How else are we going to keep this industry running?" He's right, of course.

 If you want to succeed, want to make a difference, see what needs to be done and do it.
Anything less is unprofessional.

www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl