How do you create such a buzz that attendees want to return year after year? That’s what happened at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, which Skift Conference named one of the best business events of 2024.
At an online event last week, MV Live senior vice president Kristin Mooney revealed the Choose Your Own Adventure event taking place in New York City from September 16th to 19th.
A highlight of the festival’s 10th anniversary celebrations this year is a main stage discussion with 10 of the most innovative minds of the past 10 years, including Ryan Reynolds, Issa Rae, Lin-Manuel Miranda and José Andrés. There were also more than 130 speakers on stage and in workshops during the four-day event.
The hub is held at 1 Liberty Street with additional meetings at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. However, much of the event was held around the city, with attendees signing up to 75 “fast tracks” – visiting various offices and venues.
“This was an urban field trip,” Mooney said. “It brings behind-the-scenes players to some of the most innovative companies in the city.”
Attendees design their own experiences on the website. “No two attendees will have the same experience,” she said. “I think that’s what makes it so unique and special. Attendees may just be doing a quick track, or they may just be participating in the show and stage moments.”
Selected Dinner and Foodie Activities
Many attendees – whom Mooney calls “super fans” – come year after year. “Now, we have a subset of super fans who participate in our ‘Innovative Taste’ dinner series and come to every dinner we make.”
The dinner was launched two years ago as a carefully curated experience for 30 people featuring high-profile speakers. They take place at a variety of venues around the city, from award-winning plant-based restaurant Madison Park to authentic Mexican taqueria tacombi.
“Because it’s an intimate setting, you walk away with very meaningful connections,” Mooney said. “I think that’s why these dinners have gained such a following.”
Another popular feature are the many food-inspired activations, all of which have backup tasks.
There’s Tony’s Chocolate, a chocolate bar whose goal is to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. A bazaar of goods for snacks, many of which come from underrepresented communities; 787 Coffee produces, produces, and roasts all of its coffee in the U.S. “They pride themselves on paying everyone a fair wage, from the farmer picking the beans to the coffee maker behind the bar division,” Mooney said.
In conjunction with the Innovation Festival, is the gathering of the Fast Company Impact Council, an invitation-only collective of business leaders that also gathers for roundtables and virtual events throughout the year. “We bring them together to discuss their most pressing challenges and how they can move their business forward in innovative and impactful ways.”
Looking to the future
Two areas Mooney and her team plan to focus on in 2025 are accessibility and sustainability. “Of course we have a laundry list of sustainability initiatives. However, we want to develop this and help our venue partners and suppliers join us in our mission to reduce our carbon footprint,” she said.
“But I think the biggest and main task is one in the name of the event – innovation.
“We are showcasing a lot of innovative companies and we want to keep up. So incorporating innovation into the event itself is always a focus for us.”
