| Mirik Milan | |
| Office: | Night Mayor, Amsterdam |
| Term Start: | 2012 |
| Term End: | 2018 |
| Birth Place: | Soest, Netherlands |
Mirik Milan (born 1981) is the former Amsterdam Night Mayor responsible for launching the independent night mayor role which liaises directly with the municipality of Amsterdam.[1] Elected in 2012, Milan worked directly[2] with the nightlife economy in Amsterdam. While night mayor, 24-hour venue permits were granted and crime around Amsterdam's Rembrandtplein was reduced. Milan's work was replicated in places like London with Mayor Sadiq Khan's 2016 appointment of "night czar," Amy Lamé, and New York's Ariel Palitz[3] [4] in 2018.
During his time as night mayor, Mirik Milan oversaw the transformation of Amsterdam's Rembrandtplein. The three-year project included making the plaza more accessible to pedestrians, creating a mobile website for managing complaints, and enlisting Rembrandtplein hosts to keep social situations from escalating. Most notably, alcohol-related problems dropped by 25% as a result of Milan's work.[5]
In late 2017, Mirik Milan joined Berlin Clubcommission board member, Lutz Leichsenring, in the Creative Footprint not-for-profit initiative.[6] Using data provided by Musicboard Berlin, and Harvard University, Creative Footprint creates a score based on a city's cultural programming, impact, and support from local government. Berlin, for example, achieved a 8.02 out of 10 rating.[7] The data Creative Footprint collects is used to show value of creative spaces and influence civic leaders.[8]
Under the consultancy, VibeLab, Mirik and Lutz compiled the Creative Impact NYC report in September 2018 in conjunction with University of Pennsylvania Researcher Michael Fichman.[9] Among data collected, the study pinpointed NYC's most experimental venues as being located in Ridgewood, Queens and Bushwick South, Brooklyn. The report ranked NYC behind Berlin with a 7.29 out of 10.[8]
Mirik Milan founded the N8BM A'DAM foundation with Ella Overkleeft and Michiel Friedhoff in 2014.[10] The goal of the organization is to ensure continuity of the night mayor's office while developing new initiatives both directly and indirectly related to Amsterdam nightlife.[11]
Beginning in 2005, Mirik Milan began working under the name MRKMLN as a nightclub promoter with club nights like RAUW (Amsterdam, Utrecht, Barcelona, and Berlin), where he introduced artists like Erol Alkan, Boys Noize, Justice, Busy P, Crookers, Brodinski, and Gesaffelstein to the Dutch music scene,[12] Night Voyage (Paradiso Amsterdam), and Manifesto. He also handled strategy and production for Nuit Blanche, OFFICE (festival), and Amsterdam Fashion Week,[13] and worked for Vice, the Stedelijk Museum, and Diesel.[14]