The Rise of Pollen

Originating from ‘peer-to-peer marketing’ companies, Pollen specialized in creating and selling premium travel packages and experiences for shows, festivals and other curated events in collaboration with various partners.

Despite having raised $150 million in new investment earlier in the year, the Pollen parent company fell into administration last August. The administrator’s report revealed that the business owed £4.5 million to recruiters and management consultants, £150,000 to a private jet charter firm, and more than £78.6 million in total.

Allegations Against Pollen

According to the BBC, the new documentary has uncovered a report by former Pollen staff which sheds light on the unauthorised transactions worth $3.2 million that Pollen took from customers before it entered administration. The transactions were made by charging extra amounts to customers who had set up monthly payment plans for tickets to Pollen-managed events and experiences. The report suggests that a Pollen employee wrote a piece of code that was responsible for taking double or triple payments from customers, which was tested on 20 May 2022 and then triggered on 21 May 2022 without the customers’ authorisation.

Pollen representatives have claimed that the code was implemented to fix a bug on the company’s platform and that the overcharge was made by mistake “due to an error made by a single employee who took responsibility at the time”. However, the documentary has revealed an internal message sent by a senior Pollen team member to only three colleagues in the company two days after the incident in May, which suggests that the employee changed the code in order to alter customers’ payment plans and take payment for a single event. The employee says that by mistake, they altered the payment plans for multiple events at once, taking payments worth $3.2 million.

Pollen claims that no person or company benefited from the mistake and that all affected customers, except those who chose to accept a $100 voucher, were refunded within fourteen days. However, the documentary claims that of the 18,000 customers contacted by the BBC, only ten said they had been partially or fully refunded.

Financial Challenges

Elsewhere in the documentary, it is claimed that as Pollen dealt with mounting financial challenges, it sent some suppliers ‘proof of payment’ screenshots from its online banking portal to reassure them that outstanding payments were on their way, when those payments had not actually gone through.

One former employee was quoted in the documentary as saying: “In order to get a vendor to do what was needed to be done, Pollen was communicating that a wire had been sent and a screenshot would be sent to the vendor”.

The allegations against Pollen raise concerns about the transparency and accountability of the events and ticketing industry. The documentary highlights the need for greater scrutiny and regulation of companies operating in this space to protect customers and suppliers alike.

The post Pollen Took $3.2 Million in Unauthorized Charges From Customers Before Collapse appeared first on EDMTunes.

It shouldn’t be a surprise as the event company’s past track record doesn’t look good. For the last year, they’ve planned and canceled multiple events, most of which they blamed on COVID-19. But after the most recent cancelation in Malta, they’ve come under extreme scrutiny from members all over the community.

The lawsuit alleges that Pollen’s founders mismanaged the millions of dollars they collected and dragged the entire company down with them. In addition, Sergio Giancaspro names the US subsidiary of Pollen, Network Travel Experiences, Inc. and StreetTeam Software LLC in the suit. Please see part of the lawsuit shared with Digital Music News below:

“The party ended in August 2022. Pollen’s executives severely mismanaged the hundreds of millions with which they were entrusted. Shortly after completing a massive funding round, Pollen canceled a series of widely-publicized festivals. It announced in mid-August that it was entering administration, the UK equivalent of bankruptcy.”

“This left Pollen’s US subsidiaries and their employees adrift. After a series of late payroll payments, the subsidiaries stopped paying employees altogether as of July 1, 2022. They then laid off all employees – without notice or warning – on August 10, 2022, effective immediately. Employees were left with millions of dollars in unpaid wages and expense reimbursements.”

Furthermore, Pollen reportedly knew they had severe financial difficulties in early 2022 but continued to boast events. To make matters worst, they also missed a handful of payroll periods for their US workforce and blamed it on their payroll team. Moreover, most 2022 employee payments were late and ultimately halted as of July 1, 2022.

It’s safe to say it isn’t looking promising for the glamorous festival company, but keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks as this story unfolds.

Photo via Facebook: Pollen

The post Pollen Faces Class Action Lawsuit From Unpaid Employees appeared first on EDMTunes.

Now Ever After Music Festival, which was set to take place August 11th-14th at Burl’s Creek in Canada, has officially announced its cancellation, just one week before the event is set to take place, and is now rumored to be facing bankruptcy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ever After Music Festival (@everafterfest)

The official cancellation announcement stated, “all ticket buyers will receive an e-mail with more information about their orders and their options next week,” yet thousands of ticket holders have still received no word. Many have already cut their losses amidst rumors the festival is going bankrupt.

Up until this year, Ever After has been organized by Beyond Oz Productions, who have been confronted with difficulties ever since the pandemic put the event on pause two years ago. According to CTV News, the company filed for bankruptcy last December, claiming more than $5.6 million in total liabilities. The 2022 event, however, was being organized by Unity Travel, who has been facing their own share of troubles leading to the event’s cancellation.

In July, the festival was denied a special events permit from Oro-Medonte, after failing to receive the proper approvals from various agencies. Additionally, according to CTV News, at least two of the hotels with blocked rooms listed on Ever After’s website never received payment.

Ticket holders are left in the dark on whether to contact Unity Travel or the Beyond Oz Productions regarding refunds, but according to Ever After’s official cancellation post, they should be receiving emails with more info soon.

Source: CTV News

The post Ever After Music Festival Organizers in Bankruptcy After Canceling Event appeared first on EDMTunes.

However, the struggling start up has failed to attract a buyer that will purchase it in its entirety. Pollen’s parent company’s (StreetTeam Software Limited‘s) management team has been in continuous negotiations with a potential buyer for the parent company but have been unable to agree to terms in an appropriate time frame, leaving the board and shareholders agreeing the best option is to restructure the business. Pollen has also delivered inconsistent results and has had to canceled multiple key events it promised to deliver to customers; most recently, Drumcode. The fact that they are now in dire financial straits does not come as a surprise at this point. StreetTeam reported a loss of $62m for the year ending December 31, 2021, according to company accounts filed with the UK’s Companies House and reported by MBW.

“Our parent company (StreetTeam Software Limited) is appointing administrators to restructure after we were not able to sell the company in its entirety,”

— Callum Negus-Fancey, Founder of Pollen

Streetteam Software Limited, Pollen’s UK-based parent company, has called in New York-based restructuring and insolvency specialists Kroll to administer its restructuring. Pollen’s 500 staff members face uncertainty, with many of them not being paid for over a month. The company was reported earlier this month to have delayed its payroll in July. The company also has been accused of owing customers thousands.

The post Pollen Begins Bankruptcy Restructuring appeared first on EDMTunes.

Vibes are sure to be in full flow as attendees enjoy fantastic music, food, art, drinks and more. Although the official lineup hasn’t come out, you can be sure it’ll be stacked full of the best artists in the industry.

In addition, partygoers will participate in beach ragers, pool parties, after-parties, a Mello Gang meet-up and a closing party. On top of that, individuals have access to add-ons like Jet Ski Adventures, Rum Runners Tour, Day Trip to Exuma, Ancient City Snorkel, Friends Boat Party, Pirate City Jeep Tour, etc.

Mello n Friends takes place Dec. 1-5, 2022, at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. It’s going to be a week full of fun in the sun with your favorite Marshmello; grab your packages now before it’s too late.

To learn more about Mello Gang taking over the Bahamas, check out the full details on Pollen.co.

The post Mello Gang Pack Your Bags it’s Time to Party in the Bahamas appeared first on EDMTunes.

Partnering with the International Music Summit and Pollen, the BPM Festival will be hosting its newest destination edition on May 6 – 9, 2022. Festival organizers plan to take over the Spanish island for three nights, with some of their events taking place at some of the most iconic nightclubs in the area.

Recently, the BPM festival was forced to cancel its Costa Rica edition due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, this did not slow down organizers, as they shortly after announced an MMW22 festival showcase. Now, they will be adding a new destination to their list, as the Ibiza event will be the very first of its kind for the festival group.

Interested party-goers can sign-up now for first access to hotel and party packages once they go on sale. Future attendees can secure their passes with only a £30 deposit. Payment plans will also be available for purchase.

The post The BPM Festival Announces Inaugural Ibiza Edition Event appeared first on EDMTunes.

Besides that email, Diplo has not yet said anything publicly about it himself, nor has Pollen. Cabo Weekender was initially going to be February 17-21 before the move but now will take place November 3-7. 

It’s unclear from the screenshots circulating how the refund process works. But hopefully, more public information is coming soon for those who have not seen the whole email.

Continue to check your local event companies and venues’ social media pages for cancellations and updates.

Photo via Facebook @therealhigherground

The post Pollen’s Diplo Higher Ground Cabo Weekender Moves to November appeared first on EDMTunes.

Framework states that the health and safety of their attendees is always a top concern for them. And after careful review, they felt that not having the event was the safest option for their community (complete statement below).

Unfortunately, Framework’s cancelation came just a few days before their Cabo extravaganza began. So now that leaves attendees planning to be there for at least four nights left in the dust.

Additionally, Framework is accepting refund requests and addressing other concerns via email. Framework Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was originally going to be at the ME Hotel on Dec. 9-13, 2022.

To learn more about the canceling of Framework Cabo San Lucas, email support@pollen.co.

Photos via Facebook @thisisframework

The post Framework Cabo San Lucas Canceled appeared first on EDMTunes.

Being a Miami local, I didn’t get the full hotel package, but the festivities were still more than enough on their own. However, Pollen had the good taste to select some of Miami’s newest and most buzzworthy hotels for the event. The brand new Moxy and Goodtime Hotel were both options for the event, and you’d surely see plenty of the hoard at either one. Over the entire weekend, there were three (and a half if you count Story on Sunday) venues that Deadmau5 performed at, each providing a different Miami flavor.

Island Gardens

Things kicked off on Thursday night at the picturesque Island Gardens. This location, across the street from Joia Beach, features breathtaking views of the bay as well as the Miami skyline while you watch the DJs play. The setup was completely outdoors, which was great until a downpour hit later in the evening. The stage featured a very solid production and the venue was more than big enough for the crowd. You never felt cramped or that food/drinks/restrooms were too far away. The roster featured names from across the Mau5trap label family, like Rinzen and Spencer Brown. To close it out, deadmau5 donned his testpilot techno alias for a high-energy set. Sadly, a freak storm appeared seemingly out of nowhere halfway through his set and suddenly the music stopped. Joel took to the mic to explain that, actually everybody had to leave, like right now. Not even 2 minutes after he said this, the rain started pouring and everybody bolted.

The gang returned to Island Gardens again on Saturday night, but this time the weather cooperated beautifully and deadmau5 performed one of his more traditional sets. He hit on all of his hits, his classics, a few of his personal favorites from Wehbba and Enrico Sangiulano, and even a few IDs.

Oasis

Friday night saw the entire crew take the show over to Wynwood to explore Miami’s more urban industrial vibe. The new Oasis development was the perfect place for this relatively intimate festival group. It features a large tower bar with several bar/restaurant venues around it and a big stage setup. It’s basically like a permanent festival space and the show went off without a hitch.

The Wharf

Perhaps the coolest part of the weekend was that on Saturday afternoon Joel took the Mau5trap crew to Brickell’s Wharf waterfront bar for an afternoon brunch set. This swaps out the festival concert vibes for a daytime bar environment with boats driving by. A boozy brunch pairs perfectly with some DJ sets from Deadmau5 and the gang.

Story

Technically this was not a part of the Pollen event, but nonetheless, Deadmau5 didn’t let the festivities end on Saturday. He rested up Sunday to perform at South Beach’s Story Nightclub for Halloween night.

All in all, the Pollen destination festival formula is a great time and a fun new way to experience DJ sets in a new locale. Stay on the lookout for more Pollen events in the near future!

The post Day of the Deadmau5 Was a Scary Good Time appeared first on EDMTunes.

Along with the event announcement, B&L revealed a stacked lineup. Artists set to perform at the event are Apashe, Blanke, Chet Porter, Moore Kismet, Party Favor, Whethan, and more.

B&L is partnering with Pollen to organize the event and curate parties, after-hours bonfires, performances, and more. The fun will take place at Lake Havasu’s Nautical Beachfront Resort, where attendees can enjoy private beaches, infinity pools, bars, and more.

In case the show is postponed due to the effects of COVID-19, Pollen’s “COVID-19 Money Back Guarantee” will provide fans with a safety net. Therefore, according to their website, attendees will be entitled to a 100% refund.

To secure your spot for “Weekend at Havasu,” make sure to buy your passes here. Event hotels are already sold out. However, there are other stay accommodations fans can enjoy.

Check out the full lineup below.

The post Brownies & Lemonade Announces In-Person Event “Weekend at Havasu” appeared first on EDMTunes.