Since 2017, Convene has been the home of the Fast Company Innovation Festival, hosting tens of thousands of attendees and hundreds of panels. And over the years, the Innovation Festival and events like it have pushed Convene’s spaces to house more than just stage conversations, but also interactive workshops, activations, and more.
Recognizing the overall shifting landscape of events, Convene is announcing the creation of Convene Hospitality Group, a parent company overseeing a portfolio of brands dedicated to hosting specific types of events, including offsites and immersive experiences.
Ryan Simonetti, president and CEO of CHG, says they divided the event industry into unique segments of experiences.
“We were like, ‘Oh my god, you can actually build brands and products around these,’” Simonetti says.
Convene and etc.venues, a group of office spaces meant for smaller meetings that Convene acquired in February 2023, currently make up 38 locations across the United States and United Kingdom. Convene and etc.venues now sit under CHG, along with a new third brand, whose name has not been announced yet, that will host immersive activations such as gala dinners, fashion shows, and brand launches.
Simonetti says this expansion will alleviate any latent uncertainty partners feel when they approach CHG looking to host an event, but are unsure of which kind of venue is right for their needs.
“At the end of the day, CHG, our mission, our vision, is to create the places and experiences that bring people together,” Simonetti says. “I love technology, we all do, and the flexibility that it provides us. But there’s something magical about being together with intention.”
And bringing together a diverse array of attendees for insightful conversations and for purposeful networking is certainly the intention of the Innovation Festival.
The central hub for the Innovation Festival is Convene Brookfield Place. And the event features high-level speakers including Jimmy Fallon, Bozoma Saint John, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol, Hailee Steinfeld, Tracee Ellis Ross, professor and author Brené Brown, lead singer of OK Go Damian Kulash, and many more. New this year are experiential sessions including an immersive sound bath and an exercise in finding joy through confetti, alongside hands-on workshops and activations.
Visit the Innovation Festival event page for the full agenda and get your pass today.