From Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 November, Salford’s MediaCity will host the BEYOND Conference 2024. BEYOND is a unique, annual gathering of current and future innovators focused on Research and Development across the Creative Industries. It’s a conference where thinkers, makers, investors and researchers across the creative industries come together to explore the relationship between creative research and business innovation.
Now in its 7th year, the event has proven successful in showcasing individuals, teams and organisations powering ground-breaking projects and creative clusters both in the UK and globally.
Previous events have been held in London and Cardiff, hosting a wealth of leading industry speakers, including actor and activist Michael Sheen and ABBA Voyage producer, Svana Gisla. The conference features the Immersive Futures Lab, giving innovators a platform to put exciting XR prototypes, many featuring the latest VR and AR technologies, into the hands of new audiences and tell the stories behind their work.
For its 7th year, BEYOND will take place at MediaCity in Salford, with live-streaming available online too. Another carefully curated programme of R&D creative innovation will deliver expert speakers, ground-breaking projects, R&D showcases, and programming from BEYOND partners, around our 2024 theme of Creative Cities.
The theme for BEYOND 2024 is ‘City Stories. Influential Leaders. Bold Strategies. Game Plans. Creative Policies’
Choosing Greater Manchester as a host destination for this theme seems fitting, as over the last decade Greater Manchester’s creative economy has transformed into a cornerstone of the north west’s economic and cultural identity.
Salford has experienced significant growth in a relatively short space of time. Sustained GVA, productivity and innovation – the hallmarks of a high value, mature and diverse economy – continues to perform well and over the past five years, Salford has recorded the highest GVA growth increase and employment growth across Greater Manchester.
MediaCity, in Salford Quays is home to over 250 creative and tech businesses including some of the world’s largest media and tech brands, including BBC, ITV, Ericsson and dock10. It’s home to MediaCity’s Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, the Greater Manchester innovation cluster for immersive tech, virtual production, esports, and gametech, funded by Innovate UK, and to the University of Salford’s dedicated MediaCity campus. MediaCity is set to double in size in the next decade with a £1bn expansion.
This year, MediaCity’s story, set against the backdrop of a new era in UK government, will serve as a launch pad to explore the innovative potential of Creative Cities.
BEYOND will dive into the essence of what makes a world-leading creative city with compelling stories from the UK and around the world. Discover the different catalysts used to build and nurture these creative ecosystems. Sessions will explore the essential building blocks and the game plans that have brought creative cities to life, how innovation can flourish in creative sectors, and how technology will shape future city regions. Speakers will also delve into the vital roles of our creative networks, hubs, cultural and research institutions, talent pipelines, networks, policy and culture.
The conference will look at the rise of cities in new places, and at those with big creative futures, examining how creativity will help face down the challenges of chang and how creative cities can respond to the fast pace of population, environmental, and technological change.
This year, BEYOND’s largest ever showcases will feature cutting-edge prototype projects and innovative R&D in the Immersive Futures Lab, alongside a new addition, the Creative R&D Expo, with the latter highlighting innovation from the full breadth of the creative industries.
The Immersive Futures Lab will allow visitors to experience innovative projects that use Virtual Reality, Spatial Audio, Augmented Reality, AI and Machine Learning, FashionTech, MusicTech, MedTech, Sustainability & EcoTech, CreaTech, Mixed Reality, Games Engines, XR and more, in their creation.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:
“It is a great honour to be hosting this year’s BEYOND conference in Greater Manchester. Innovation and investment have been key to MediaCity’s transformation in recent years, and it now stands as one of the UK’s most important centres for the creative industries. We’re excited to be bringing some of the most innovative minds in the sector to Salford for what promises to be a fantastic event.”
Join thinkers, makers, investors, policymakers and researchers from across the creative industries at MediaCity, Salford, for this very special conference.
Be a part of the conversation at BEYOND 2024.
WHY ATTEND?
A unique, annual gathering of current and future innovators, BEYOND is a rare space for businesses in and supporting the creative sector, as well as academics and researchers across the Creative Industries. Delegates enjoy a unique opportunity to: CONNECT with future collaborators, innovators, researchers and funders; EXPLORE pioneering R&D projects across the UK’s Creative Industries; ENGAGE with the global conversation on innovation, creativity & opportunity. Join BEYOND 2024 for:
3 DAYS OF BEYOND
- Enjoy activities such as local tours, company demos, performances, networking, VIP drinks and dinner, and programme launches on Day 0, followed by a packed programme of lively in-person and online sessions including keynotes, roundtables, showcases, demos and more on Days 1 and 2.
INNOVATIVE SPEAKERS
- From established names to exciting new voices, a diverse range of perspectives from the UK and beyond.
CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH
- Explore the very latest R&D in the showcase and poster exhibitions with the world’s top creative researchers
NETWORK WITH EXPERTS
- 500+ delegates with ample networking opportunities across the programme, plus speaker’s and delegates dinner (optional extra)
PARTNER PROGRAMMING
- Exciting, innovative and thought-provoking programming from BEYOND’s partners including conference sessions, workshops and expo.
TICKETS
Early Bird tickets to BEYOND 2024 are on sale now. These are priced at £399 + VAT for a limited time and include full access to BEYOND Conference and its showcases. Full price tickets will be available following the Early Bird sale.
