Live Design Launches the Envision Symposium, Shaping the Future of Where Technology Intersects with the Arts

NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Live Design, in association with Penton, announces the launch of The Envision Symposium, the first event of its kind devoted to shaping the future of where technology intersects with the arts; including, film, television, gaming, theatre, music and storytelling. Envision will take place, September 19-21 in Monterey, California.

Envision is open to the brightest innovators, visionaries, programmers, executives, designers, engineers, producers, CTOs, CMOs, disruptive thinkers and creative technologists from the world of entertainment, gaming and technology.  Attendees will be those who are not bounded by traditional thinking and expectations in these fields, but rather want to engage in similar conversations, in a collaborative environment, and help create a blueprint for the future. 

The conference agenda is a robust mix of both established and cutting-edge creative and technical professionals leading sessions intentionally designed to facilitate ideation, inspiration, debate and dialogue among attendees - discussing what's happening now and sharing views on what's next.

The sessions will delve into the art and science of storytelling from a variety of perspectives - lighting, sound, video, scenic, cinematography, direction, choreography, new media - and discuss how we merge them all into a series of experiences so captivating and compelling that we capture new audiences and compel old audiences to stay interested.

The legendary designer/technologist Bran Ferren, Envision's creative consultant, with designer Bob Bonniol, Envision's co-creative consultant have curated these visionaries from the world of entertainment, to lead the following conference line-up; highlights include:

• Keynote by Bran Ferren: Storytelling--The World's Oldest Profession - While it may feel as though we are firmly ensconced in the digital age, the computer revolution is really just beginning, and the worlds of entertainment and storytelling will never be the same.
• Keynote by Bob Bonniol: Performative Environments - Storytelling as a participatory event: How stages and spaces are now reacting to audience desire and expectation through interactivity. 
• Platforms After Next with Bob Bonniol, Ralph Osterhout and Michael Hawley - Now it's about wireless mobility. So what's the next big thing in platforms, both electronically, and in physical performance venues. 
• Keynote by Michael Hawley: The Patterns Of Creative Lives - Michael Hawley is an educator, artist, and researcher working in the field of digital media.  His work at MIT has, in his own words, "sought to creatively stretch digital infrastructures, embedding intelligence into all sorts of artifacts and advancing the web of communications." 
• How Does Television Best Tell A Story? With Roger Goodman, Xeni Jardin and Juliette Powell - More people are choosing to spend their time watching their computers, rather than cable or broadcast TV. What will this mean for traditional television, what is this medium's highest calling, and how is the audience changing? 
• The Value Of Live, And Where It's Going with Bob Bonniol, Christopher Janney and Ray Steinman - Are festivals the new theme parks? The festival concept is becoming the ultimate communal experience for an entire generation of consumers.
• Keynote by Sakchin Bessette: The Public Space - How to bring people together physically, away from the world of social media and create pertinent events and places for people to gather.

"If you are part of the process of inventing the new world of creative entertainment, or curious as to where it is going, you should attend Envision," says Ferren. "The goal is to come away inspired, excited and prepared to help invent the future."

About Live Design   
Live Design is a family of multimedia offerings for designers, programmers, and technicians involved in visual design and production for the entertainment and related industries. Live Design publications and events cover the latest news, tools, and technology that fuel innovation across live entertainment, corporate events, theatre, concerts, houses of worship, clubs, and more. The Live Design family includes Live Design magazine, Live Design Wire, livedesignonline.com, and Live Design Master Classes, LDI Tradeshow and The Envision Symposium.  

About Penton
For millions of business owners and decision-makers, Penton makes the difference every day. We engage our professional users by providing actionable ideas and insights, data and workflow tools, community and networking, both in person and virtually, all with deep relevance to their specific industries. We then activate this engagement by connecting users with tens of thousands of targeted providers of products and services to help drive business growth. Learn more about our company at www.penton.com.

Penton is a privately held company owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Heather Smith                                                            
For Envision Symposium
Phone: (303) 998-9232          
Email: [email protected]

Kate Spellman
For Penton
Phone: (212) 204-4351          
Email: [email protected]  

SOURCE Penton