XLIVE: A Network of Opportunities
With the entertainment capital of the world as its backdrop, XLIVE was everything we could have expected in more. The three day conference was packed with informed workshops, innovative exhibit floors, stellar key-note speakers and more. The annual conference was held in Las Vegas, NV this Dec 5-7, 2016 and brought all things entertainment to the individuals who crave it most. In between festivals, music, culinary, technology, film, and more, the conference boasts one of the most high-end curated programs and speakers in the world.
Featured speakers at this year’s conference included: Billboard and Hollywood Reporter President John Amato, Eventbrite Co-Founder & CEO Julia Hartz, Soundslinger/Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival Founder/Chief Creative Officer Paul Peck, Creative Artists Agency Head - CAA Culinary Andrew Chason,AEG Senior Vice President Global Partnerships Mark Faber, Airbnb Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy Chip Conley and The Confluence Founder Russell Ward and many more.
Personally, there were many valuable workshops and speakers, but what stands XLIVE apart from everything else is its unique opportunity to connect and network with likeminded individuals. In between cocktail parties, and nights out, there were opportunities everywhere to shake the hand of someone you admired, or get together with someone of common goals. We woke up in the morning, eager to get breakfast with strangers from the night before, each having something valuable to share, and not afraid of doing so. Our internet friends, who we have worked with for years on projects, became real life friends, as we shared laughs, enjoyed amazing workshops such as a panel led by The Confluences very own, Russel Ward.
Our favorite keynotes included Julia Hartz, a leading female in the events industry, as well as the Co-Founder and CEO of Eventbrite. While EPIC is a music industry base companies, one of our favorite aspects of XLIVE was the immersive options of other industries we were able to learn from, and eventually find a way to work together.