Forget the idea that one well-crafted dancefloor smash can turn young DJs into world-touring stars, says Brighton-born trance hero John 00 Fleming.

So few people go from stacking shelves to spinning records in superclubs that we should remember that X Factor-style journeys to the top are atypical.

“Back then I got fantastic help,” the DJ and film score writer explains, as we talk about his early career and the inaugural Brighton Music Conference (BMC) he has created.

“I had a lot of good people around and built strong foundations which I made a career from. I look today and that isn’t happening.”

He feels sorry for people trying to give it a go.

“I feel the kind of X Factor mentality comes into this. They see this guy who used to pack shelves and in three months is a pop star.

“They say, ‘I’m gonna be a DJ and a producer.’ They want something and they think it’s going to happen quickly. In the real world that doesn’t happen.”

Thus Fleming, who has written advice columns for magazines and given tutorials throughout his career, has made the central strand of BMC a two-day expo, featuring 60 talks, seminars, showcases and master- classes for artists both young and old.

“We have 160 high-profile people from the music industry, including A-list DJs and producers, to give real world experience.

“It’ll be a great place to give out CDs or business cards.”

DJs Judge Jules and Dave Clarke will be on hand for Q&As on Friday. Resident Advisor editor Ryan Keeling will interview Eats Everything. Robert Luis, A&R and Tru Thoughts co-owner, will discuss how to set up a label.

Saturday sees BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix producer Huw Owen join head of community at Mixcloud, Andreea Magdalina, for a talk on the role of radio for digital music. Another talk will see Lisa Lashes discuss how female DJs get to the top.

Roland, the brand behind the drum machines and analogue synthesizer which created the blueprint for the acid house sound, will be relaunching its seminal machines – the 303, 808 and 909 – at BMC. They have not been updated for 25 years.

BMC is far more than the expo. Fleming sees its as a get-together for the great and good of the music industry, to network and discuss future trends with bigwigs from organisations including Spotify, to rival Miami Music Conference.

“I don’t bother with Miami any more and that’s true for many others. By the time you’ve sent staff and covered flights and hotels, they aren’t learning what they used to it is not worth it.

“Also, they’ve moved it to spring break, so it’s just a big party and that is where I identified a gap in market. The music industry has grown. It’s got very professional and people want to get things right for business.”

Entertainment for delegates includes club nights and a pop-up club – the Big Love special with guest DJs including Seamus Haji – in the underground space beneath Cloak, in Jubilee Street, on Friday.

Non-delegates can listen to John 00 Fleming at Concorde 2 on Friday on a bill with Dave Clarke, Dave Seaman, Psycatron and Rik Parkinson (11pm, tickets £10) and a showcase for the respected Berlin techno label Mobilee Records at Cloak on Saturday (9pm, £5 advance).

  • For more information, visit brightonmusicconference.co.uk