Creativity, Culture & Innovation in Central Oregon
Visit Bend has designated October as Tenth Month – a creative ideas month – highlighting innovative and entrepreneurial programming in Bend. Tenth Month Bend is a month-long celebration of brave ideas and innovation in art, film, marketing, technology and design.
The Oregon Cultural Trust is launching October with Days of Culture (October 1-8) that showcases the diverse ways Oregonians experience culture.
Creativity is abundant in our High Desert communities. More than $16 million are spent annually on the arts in Central Oregon (the results of a member survey of more than thirty creative organizations in the local Arts & Culture Alliance). More than a million arts and culture experiences were generated by these organizations, ranging from participating in an art class or workshop, attending a performance, lecture, or exhibition or actively engaged in the region’s creative economy.
We all need some level of creativity and innovation. We all need the stimulating impact art and culture have in every aspects of our lives. Here in Central Oregon we have a diverse arts community enhancing cultural tourism, creating jobs, bringing enjoyment and expansion to our lives.
Steve Jobs said that creativity is just connecting things. “When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
Jobs would be impressed with the creativity and ingenuity developed here in Central Oregon. The proof can be seen at these favorite events that fill October each year from BendFilm and Bend Venture Conference to Bend Design and SWIVEL. And the newest addition,Venture Out Festival.
The BendFilm Festival (October 6-9), now in its 13th year, is a celebration of independent cinema. BendFilm is an inspiring, passionate and economically beneficial event embraced by the community in a pretty big way. An independent film festival that was once a dot on the radar is now one of the top fifty film festivals in the world named by MovieMaker Magazine. The festival is dedicated to supporting brave and talented filmmakers while educating communities about the value of independent art. With venues sprinkled throughout downtown Bend, you’ll often find the filmmakers hanging with the audience while hosted by local families in their homes.
The SWIVEL Digital + Creative Marketing conference (October 10-11) is a two-day boutique marketing education experience held at the iconic Tower Theatre, Oxford Hotel and the DoubleTree by Hilton. It’s said to be “so off-the-hook awesome that it’s like the Big Bang of business-building information, presented by some of the most knowledgeable experts in the universe…and that’s putting it modestly.” Thought leaders from around the globe gather together to exchange ideas and how-tos about the latest trends in digital marketing, search, social media and creativity. It’s a must for anyone who conducts business via the web and wants to not only keep up with the pace, but stay a step ahead of the pack.
Venture Out Festival (October 12) of Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW), Central Oregon’s outdoor industry accelerator, will stage an evening of innovation in the outdoor marketplace. Produced by BOW and the Oregon Outdoor Alliance (OOA), the Venture Out Festival is the first venture event solely focused on the outdoor industry. The event will feature two awards – the $10,000 Breakout Award presented by Bend Radio Group and HydroFlask and the $100,000 Ready to Roll investment award presented by Trigen Investments.
The largest Angel Conference in the Pacific Northwest, Bend Venture Conference (October 13-14) spotlights entrepreneurship and innovation. Attendees play an active role in determining the Early Stage winner, with investments, awards and prizes close to $1 million given away at last year’s event.
Embrace creativity in anything and everything. This is the ethos of Bend Design Conference (October 20-21). A celebration of design culture in the modern world, the two-day event will be filled with conversations, tours, interactive workshops and hands on exhibits all designed to disrupt the norm.
Be brave. Be inspired. There’s no excuse not to get your imagination expanded during October…share the experiences, innovation and reflections at these thought provoking events.