The Untold Story of Experts Only: The Visionaries Behind John Summit’s Groundbreaking Festival
As the founder of Relentless Beats and East Meets West (EMW), Thomas Turner has become a key figure in shaping the live event landscape, producing major festivals like Phoenix Lights and Goldrush Music Festival. With the launch of Experts Only, a festival branded by dance music star John Summit, Turner is taking his expertise to New York City.
From Concept to Reality: The Spark Behind Experts Only NYC
The idea for Experts Only’s New York edition began as a simple one-off show, but quickly evolved into a full-scale festival. Turner describes how the vision came to life through a series of overlapping conversations.
“My partners, Kevin Mitchell and Max Roseff at East Meets West, and I were already talking with Wasserman about doing something with Experts Only at Brooklyn Army Terminal,” Turner explains. “At the same time, I was speaking with my best friend, Adam Richman—who co-founded Medium Rare—about their upcoming events at Randall’s Island.”
When Turner realized the timing aligned for a second weekend at Randall’s Island, he reached out to Richman, who confirmed that the date was available. That conversation became the foundation for what would soon become Experts Only at Randall’s Island.
“By the end of that call, we had decided to pitch the idea of doing Experts Only at Randall’s Island to Ben Shprits at Wasserman. Ben and his team brought the idea to Summit, and they were excited about it.”
A Seamless Collaboration with Wasserman and Medium Rare
The collaboration with Wasserman and Medium Rare felt natural for Turner, thanks to his long-standing relationships with key players like Richman and Wasserman’s Ben Shprits.
“We’ve done a lot of business together over the years, so this partnership felt very comfortable. Adam, Joe, and Ben are like family to me.”
These established relationships made it easier to bring all the right players together to launch Experts Only in New York.
Why Randall’s Island Was the Perfect Venue
When the opportunity to secure Randall’s Island came up, Turner knew it was the perfect spot. With Medium Rare already holding the venue for two weekends, it was a natural choice.
“Randall’s Island is iconic. It has a rich history of hosting major music events and offers a rare mix of space, skyline views, and accessibility in the heart of New York City,” Turner says. “It was the ideal location for this festival, and we were lucky the timing worked out.”
The Power of Independent Brands
Having independent brands like Relentless Beats and East Meets West lead a festival of this scale is a huge achievement for Turner and his teams.
“It feels incredible. Relentless Beats and East Meets West are built to produce major festivals, and bringing that expertise to an iconic location like Randall’s Island is exciting. Partnering with Medium Rare makes it even better,” Turner shares. “Between our teams, we’ve produced major events like Decadence Arizona, Shaq’s Fun House, Goldrush Music Festival, and more. This is what we do best.”
Looking to the Future
With Experts Only set to debut in September 2025, Turner is proud of what his teams have built, but he’s clear that this is just the beginning.
“We’re excited to see where this goes. This collaboration sets the stage for the future of artist-branded festivals and shows what’s possible when the right people come together.”
