This year ’ s Thrival Innovation will be held in Pittsburgh ’ s East End on Sept . 27 and 28 at the Ace Hotel , Kelly Strayhorn Theater , Bakery Square and the Carnegie Museum of Art . Thrival Innovation will feature two full days of programming and events centered on “ Intelligence : Humans X Tech ,” focusing on the relationship between humans and technology .
Thrival Music will be held at Carrie Furnaces on Sept . 29 and 30 . “ The Carrie Furnaces site is special for Thrival Music because the space literally represents the physical and philosophical transformation of our entire region ,” explains Law . “ The furnaces no longer produce hot metal , but the facility now contributes to new economic growth and creativity . Carrie remains a significant element of our culture and we ’ re proud to partner with Rivers of Steel , the nonprofit dedicated to preserving the site .”
Thrival Music has always been cross-genre and eclectic . The approach is to avoid having the festival serve one particular audience or taste . Each year , audiences hear a mixture of sounds and orchestration — from hip-hop to electronic , alt-indie , funk and more . “ Additionally , Thrival Music has always grabbed a lot of attention because , simply put , it ’ s a lot of fun and really cool ,” notes Law . “ On the site , attendees can check out vendors , interactive activities , food trucks , tours inside the Carrie Furnaces and more .”
Thrival involves hundreds of people and dozens of organizations all working together toward a common goal . Whether it ’ s local and regional government partners , universities , community groups , startups , corporate sponsors , musicians , innovators or the many volunteers who offer their time and skills , Thrival partners all bring something unique to the table that helps the festival succeed year in and year out .
Thrival Innovation + Music Festival has seen a lot of great change over the past five years , with the size and scale of Thrival Music as the most obvious difference . The festival had over 14,000 attendees last year , compared to 1,500 + attendees when it started in 2013 . There were four music acts in the first year , and nearly 20 acts will be featured in 2017 . The acts also continue to get bigger and bigger . This year , the festival ’ s headliners are Wiz Khalifa , Logic , Carnage , GRiZ and Two Door Cinema Club , with Kyle , Kiiara , TokiMonsta and more .
“ IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF NEW IDEAS AND CREATIVITY , THEN THRIVAL IS FOR YOU .”
For Thrival Innovation , the first ( and only ) programs in 2013 were thought talks and demos prior to the music . It was only a few hours long . Now , Thrival Innovation is two days , and will host dozens of national and international technology and innovation leaders , with over 15 programs and events . The “ marquee ” Thrival Innovation event will be hosted at the Carnegie Museum of Art on Thursday , Sept . 28 , where the entire museum will feature an array of interactive , artificial intelligence-inspired exhibits and demos , as well as keynote talks .
The proceeds from Thrival ( tickets , sponsorships , food / beverage sales ) go to support Ascender and its mission . Each year , the size of the festival grows — and so does the budget — but whatever remaining funds subsidize the incubator program , community events and nonprofit operations .
“ If you believe in the power of new ideas and creativity , then Thrival is for you ,” says Law . “ As a rule , we are always open to new partners and collaborators . Each year , there are new faces and new organizations helping make Thrival a reality .”
For more information , visit thrivalfestival . com . Follow Thrival on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . To learn more about Ascender and its mission , visit ascenderpgh . com . n
Chvrches performs at th 2016 Thrival Festival .
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