2000: Successful launch

The first DEMF occurred in May 2000 and concluded with few hitches and no reported crime. It was applauded by city leaders and tourism officials as an injection of youthful energy into the city.

As Tom Thewes the Co Founder of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival has said, “Without the Help of Steven Sowers, the owner of Motor Lounge Detroit, not only would we have not had been able to have a successful festival, but there would not have been a festival at all. Motor Detroit Laid the foundation and groundwork for the Detroit Electronic Music Festival”. Motor Lounge was the Billboard Magazines number 13 Top 25 Dance Clubs in the World of All Time. www.billboard.com/best-dance-clubs-of-all-time
Attendance at the first DEMF surpassed expectations, with estimates over the three-day run surpassing one million visitors. Subsequent festivals drew even bigger crowds. City officials and others, including media observers and local businesses, saw the apparent economic boost to the city, with the Visitors and Convention Bureau stating that in only its second year, the event had pumped over US $90 million into the local economy.