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Top 10 Creative Events & Conferences in 2021 – Selected

Top Creative Events in January

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ESNS 2021

January 13-16, Virtual Event

#festival #music #media #digital #community

Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) is a non-profit, European artist only, 100% showcase festival and music conference.

By day an international music conference takes place in the conference centre, with 150 panels, keynotes, interviews, workshops, dinners, pitches, parties, presentations and meetings on the latest developments in the European and international music, media, production and interactive industry.

By night, during the two showcase festivals, musical talents have the chance to present itself to an international audience of music lovers and professionals.

CTM Festival 2021 Transformation

January 22-31, Berlin, Germany (Hybrid)

#festival #film #music #art #design #culture #change

The annual CTM Festival is a music and visual arts event held in Berlin, Germany.

The 22 year-old festival stands out for its conscious pairing of daring artistic content and adventurous club experiences with an in-depth discourse programme, framing today’s sounds and music cultures within a shifting, hybrid global society.

Most Contagious America 2021

January 27, Virtual Event

#conference #marketing #branding #advertising #creative

Most Contagious is the flagship event series of Contagious, delivering vital advertising insights and trends to help you hit the ground running in the year ahead.

For the first time, there will be a Most Contagious APAC edition for the Asia Pacific audience on 24 February 2021.

Top Creative Events in February

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IFFR 2021

February 1-7, Rotterdam, Netherlands (Hybrid)

#festival #movie #film #cinema #production #international

The 50th-anniversary edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will take place in an hybrid and extended format in 2021.  The festival will be held in two parts – 1 to 7 February and 2 to 6 June – connected by a series of events in between.

Six festival days will be dedicated to IFFR’s main competitions – the Tiger Competition, Big Screen Competition and Ammodo Tiger Short Competition – as well as the Limelight lineup of avant premieres, and a fully online edition of IFFR Pro Days for industry professionals.

Pause Fest 2021

February 3-5, Virtual Event

#festival #creative #innovation #business #digital #diversity

Pause Fest 2021 is a festival for business and creativity and brings diverse intelligence together to fuel the next generation forward. Hear from the world’s leading minds in a high definition transmission of the future.

The event creates a culture for creators and innovators to come together and share their projects, knowledge, passions, and insights openly, freely, and generously for the benefit of the entire community.

Avant Première Music + Media Market 2021

February 14-18, Vienna, Austria (Hybrid)

#tradefair #conference #culture #tv #film #media #production #music

Avant Première Music + Media Market is a trade fair, market place, conference and networking event for music + dance films. As the meeting place for a specialised industry, it unites 600 international experts + decision makers from major public + private broadcasting stations, streaming + VOD platforms, distribution + film production companies and performing arts institutions.

This year’s edition will be held in a hybrid format. The on-site event will take place at Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in Vienna, Austria. At the same time, all participants will have online access to the entire screening + conference programme.

MuseumNext Digital Summit 2021

February 22- 26, Virtual Event

#conference #museum #digital #transformation

The Digital Summit is a one-of-a-kind event sharing insightful talks, actionable ideas and unexpected connections to help you to do your best work.

In a year when digital has played a vital role in museums speakers will offer pragmatic, real world insight into how they overcame the challenges of pivoting to digital.

MPTS Virtual Preview Festival 2021

February 23-25, Virtual Event

#festival #media #broadcast #technology #production

The Media Production & Technology Show is the must-attend event for the media and broadcast industries.

MPTS Virtual Preview Festival provides the industry with an opportunity to engage, connect and learn before the actual live exhibition in May.

Covering all aspects of content creation, including pre-production, production, post and distribution, MPTS is your opportunity to discover current and future trends impacting all areas of the broadcasting industry.

Top Creative Events in March

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ILMC 2021

March 3-5, Virtual Event

#conference #entertainment #music #festival #creativity

ILMC is an annual gathering of professionals involved in the global touring, festival and live entertainment industries.

This year’s edition will take place online, with three full days of networking, meetings, keynotes, events and showcases. For this virtual edition, and for the first time, ILMC will be open to both members and non-members to register.

Forward Festival 2021

March 12, Munich, Germany (Hybrid)

#festival #creativity #design #art #photography #communication

Forward is all about connecting, exchanging and being part of an exciting experience. Within six years, the festival has become a platform for the entire creative industry.

This year it’s about to be more interactive than ever before, for the first time ever Forward Festival Munich is going to be hybrid.

SXSW 2021

March 16-20, Virtual Event

#festival #creative #film #music #art #culture #technology

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festivals celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.

Featuring a variety of tracks that allow attendees to explore what’s next in the worlds of film, culture, music, and technology.

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Walking through the sprawling halls of IFA Berlin 2025, it’s immediately clear that this isn’t just another trade show. This year’s edition solidified IFA Next as Europe’s premier showcase of consumer technology startups, an event where innovation meets practical applications in a comprehensive hardware-focused startup environment. The heart of European consumer tech innovation IFA Next has evolved into Europe’s hub for the latest on consumer tech. It’s where the continent’s most promising hardware startups converge with global visionaries and industry pioneers. This isn’t just marketing speak — Hall H25, dedicated entirely to consumer-focused hardware, was in many ways the largest and most influential gathering of consumer technology startups in Europe. The centerpiece was the Dream Stage, where bold ideas are shared through keynotes, panels, and highly anticipated pitch battles. Unlike other tech conferences, IFA Next maintains laser focus on technologies that will directly impact how people live, work, and interact with their environments. The Dream Stage is also where Europe’s next consumer tech unicorns are spotted far before they take flight. The finale of this year’s IFA Next Pitch Battle 2025: Breakthrough Battle saw founders presenting concepts to investors, media, and industry experts, competing for visibility, investment, and growth opportunities. Complementing the Dream Stage was the IFA Lab, an interactive testing ground where exhibitors, investors and industry  professionals collaborate to bring innovations from prototype to store shelves. The Lab is where Europe’s startups refined their ideas, engaged with industry experts, and pushed new technologies from concept to market reality. Hall H25: Europe’s consumer tech capital Hall H25 was home to what has become Europe’s largest dedicated consumer technology startup space. Beyond the sheer numbers, the hall is an indicator of how mature Europe’s hardware ecosystem has become. IFA Next specifically champions hardware solutions that people can touch, use and integrate into their daily lives. The diversity and ambition on display were remarkable. Both European and international startups presented solutions spanning healthcare, sustainable products, and cutting-edge tech for everyday use.  What stood out Addressing a critical gap in healthcare technology that affects families across the world, Coro, which won an IFA Innovation Award, accurately measures milk supply in real-time during breastfeeding. This is exactly the kind of practical, user-oriented innovation that defines IFA Next’s positioning. LeydenJar Technologies‘ groundbreaking battery technology deserves special mention for fundamentally rethinking energy storage for everyday devices. This startup is tackling what will arguably be one of the biggest challenges for consumer electronics as AI-powered devices become ubiquitous in European homes: more energy storage while keeping the dimensions small. Dtablet’s medication management solutions address  healthcare challenges that affect millions of European families. Their focus on reducing dosing uncertainty represents the practical, user-centered approach that characterizes Europe’s tech startups. Paptic’s bio-based, recyclable packaging materials are made from renewable wood fibers, a distinctly European approach to sustainable products. The startup won multiple awards, demonstrating how European startups are leading global sustainability trends. Unframe showcased immersive applications combining virtual reality and artificial intelligence, a bellwether of  next-generation digital experiences. The startup’s user-centric approach to VR and AI reflects its emphasis on practical applications over pure technological spectacle. Broadcasting innovation: IFA’s Twitch strategy One of the most forward-thinking aspects of IFA 2025 was the creation of dedicated Twitch live rooms for presenting products and news in real-time. Modern users expect interactive, accessible content about the products that will impact their lives, so this integration of live streaming represents a crucial evolution in how innovations reach their intended audiences. Sessions like “Retro Tech Rewind” with IFA CEO Leif Lindner were specifically designed for Twitch, demonstrating IFA Next’s commitment to making innovation accessible beyond the convention floor. This approach to content delivery could set new standards for how European startups engage with their markets. Europe’s consumer tech ecosystem at scale What makes IFA Next compelling is its comprehensive approach to nurturing consumer-focused innovation. It’s not just about displaying finished products; the focus here is on creating an environment where startups can connect with VCs, retail partners, buyers, and over 4,500 journalists. This ecosystem brings together everything from AI-powered home devices, smartphones, laptops and sustainable products to smart health solutions and wearable technology. With dedicated spaces for both demonstrations and retail networking, IFA Next bridged the gap between cutting-edge research and retail opportunities, a critical pathway for European hardware startups. While cities like London, Berlin, and Amsterdam host numerous tech conferences, none of those events match IFA Next’s specific focus on hardware innovation or its ability to connect startups directly with the global consumer electronics retail ecosystem. Samsung’s strong AI focus Samsung has put in a lot of time and effort into comprehensively integrating AI across its consumer product ecosystem. Take for example Its AI-enabled refrigerator: besides keeping your groceries fresh, it can propose recipes, and even identify missing ingredients — it’s a masterclass in how established brands are setting the bar for startups to reach and surpass. Samsung also showcased its expansion beyond traditional consumer electronics into B2B applications. Its IoT systems and 3D building visualization software demonstrated how consumer tech innovations can scale into commercial applications — a pathway many European startups at IFA Next are actively pursuing. The future of European consumer tech IFA 2025 has demonstrated that Europe’s technology startup ecosystem isn’t just thriving — it’s defining global trends. From sustainable packaging solutions to revolutionary healthcare devices, European startups at IFA Next are solving real problems with practical, scalable solutions. The combination of established electronics giants setting innovation benchmarks, ambitious startups developing market-ready solutions, and innovative presentation formats showed that IFA Next has become more than Europe’s largest consumer tech startup showcase: It’s evolved into an essential preview of European technology leadership. For anyone interested in understanding where European consumer technology innovation is heading, IFA Next represents the definitive annual checkpoint. The innovations showcased here by European and international startups will likely be the everyday products of tomorrow, and Europe’s leadership in making that transformation happen is becoming undeniably clear. As Europe’s premier consumer tech startup showcase, IFA Next

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