See Inside This Year’s Fast Company Innovation Festival

Ryan Reynolds spoke on how he’s used creativity as the antidote to financial constraints, tired advertising tropes, and consumer ennui.Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast CompanyNEW YORK—The 10th annual Fast Company Innovation Festival, which took place Sept. 16-19, brought together leaders in business, media, entertainment, and beyond, including Ryan Reynolds, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Issa Rae, and Busy Philipps.

The event spanned two venues in downtown Manhattan and featured a record number of brand partners including 3M, Expedia, Hyundai, and more, with more than 20 different experiences and activations.

Ticket sale revenue was higher than last year, with a projected 25%-plus growth, and it was a record year for festival partner total revenue as well, with more than 12% year-over-year growth from 2023.

“The success we’re seeing with partnerships this year has really resulted from leaning even harder into the strategy we’ve used the past few years,” explained Melissa Rocco, senior vice president of sales at Fast Company.

“What we do and how we do it for partners has been successful in elevating organizations’ thought leaders, highlighting innovative products and services, and launching post-event content that provides clients with a platform and framework for continued audience engagement,” she added.

“This year’s record numbers are the result of both returning clients as well as new clients that have been aware of what we do—all looking to actively participate in our biggest moment of the year. It all works because our audience craves the solutions, strategies, products, and services that our partners can deliver for them to propel growth, innovation, strategy and more.”

Festival partners were on site participating in thought leadership panels and custom workshops, along with hosting on-site activations.

For example, 3M hosted a screening of its new documentary, Green Works, followed by a panel discussion, while IBM presented an interactive workshop on data and AI and hosted a shot-tracking table tennis experience where attendees could take a swing and get AI-generated commentary; it was located in the courtyard outside the Main Stage at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

Innovate Alabama hosted a virtual reality experience highlighting the state’s outdoors, presented two discussions, and sponsored the opening night party. Throughout the festival week, the SEEK AL van, a component of Innovate Alabama’s outdoor recreation campaign, was stationed outside BMCC Tribeca PAC, where attendees could learn more about what the state has to offer.

Programming included conversations with artist Shaboozey and CEO of SoundExchange Michael Huppe on artists’ rights in the age of AI, and Busy Philipps and CEO of Qurate Retail David Rawlinson II on infusing shopping experiences into late-night TV, in addition to top execs from Beats by Dre, Nike, Ikea, Reddit, Instacart, TikTok, and more sharing insights on everything from prioritizing employee engagement to the longevity economy to the spending power of Gen Alpha.

Attendees with all-access passes also gained entry to 60-plus Fast Tracks—Fast Company’s unique take on field trips that offer an inside look at some of New York City’s most innovative companies. Each visit was hosted by company leaders at their offices, studios, and workspaces, including Wieden+Kennedy, Atelier Jolie, VEJA, MZ Wallace, Milk Makeup, and Giant Spoon.

This year, the media brand dipped its toe back into Brooklyn with a few of the Fast Track sessions at Public Records, Alloy, Mother, VEJA, TALEA, and Oberon Group-managed June Wine Bar.

“Many of our Innovation Festival attendees come from out of state and even out of the country, and we wanted to give attendees the full scope of what New York has to offer,” said KC Ifeanyi, executive director of editorial programming for the festival.

As for selecting Fast Track hosts, Ifeanyi said that the sessions are intended to be as interactive as possible through demonstrations, tours, hands-on activities, and more. “We work closely with the Fast Track hosts to ensure their programming is aligned with our editorial focus. It’s really an opportunity for these companies to exhibit why they’re leaders in their respective industries.”

For the fest’s 10th anniversary, BMCC Tribeca PAC served as the main stage while Convene at 1 Liberty Street housed the second and third stages. In fact, the festival has been hosted five out of its eight in-person events at a Convene venue. Megan Harding, director of events for Fast Company and Inc., said that three years ago, the brand entered an official partnership with Convene, where, as part of the festival, “we highlight the innovative work they do as a convening space that centers hospitality and community, driving the future of work.”

For the third year in a row, the festival also hosted a dinner series—Taste of Innovation—at restaurants including Jazba, Resident, Scarpetta, Daily Provisions, and Din Tai Fung. Guests were invited to hear conversations from execs and restaurateurs, dine with editorial staff, and connect with fellow festival participants.

Keep scrolling to see key vendors and more from the Fast Company Innovation Festival…

VENDORS

AV: Sight Effects
Brand Ambassadors: The PPL Events
Hair & Makeup: Tress N Glow
Photography: Alyssa Ringler
Production: 14B Marketing, MV Live (Fast Company’s event arm)