In June , the Aspen Institute will host the 20th anniversary of the Aspen Ideas Festival with a blend of thought-provoking , moderated discussions from over 300 speakers ranging from heads of state and athletes to artists , musicians and writers . By Dante Amodeo / Photos By Daniel Bayer
62 I SALAMANDER 2024
T
he Aspen Ideas Festival , and even the birth of Aspen as a popular resort destination , traces back to the vision of Walter Paepcke , a philanthropist and Chicago businessman inspired by the beauty of the idyllic mountain town in the mid-1940s . When Paepcke saw Aspen , “ he envisioned an ideal gathering place for thinkers , leaders , artists , and musicians from all over the world to step away from their daily routines and reflect on the underlying values of society and culture ,” according to the Aspen Institute .
That vision has indeed come to fruition in the Aspen Ideas Festival , a 10-day celebration taking place in June that functions as a nexus for curious intellectuals to explore some of the most pressing and innovative ideas of our time , while simultaneously honing into the spirit Aspen was built upon : the intersection of mind , body , and spirit .
Nestled beneath the Rocky Mountains , nearly 4,000 festival attendees will enjoy the opportunity to peruse the Aspen Institute ’ s picturesque 40-acre campus , which is also home to the newly renovated Aspen Meadows Resort . On the agenda is a blend of thoughtprovoking , moderated discussions from over 300 speakers ranging from heads of state to athletes to artists , musicians and writers , as well as a variety of outdoor and wellness activities like yoga , hiking , morning runs and bird watching .
The 2024 festival marks its 20th anniversary and is shaping up to address the opportunities and challenges facing the planet , with the theme poetically dubbed “ Bright Minds for Dark Times .”
The festival will be guest curated by award-winning journalist Tina Brown , former editor of The New Yorker , editor-in-chief of Tatler and Vanity Fair , founding editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and founder of Women in the World and the Sir Harry Evans Global Summit , among other prestigious accolades . Brown will gather the kindling for what Graham Veysey , Executive Director and Executive Producer of the Aspen Ideas Festival calls , “ an extraordinary gathering of thinkers and doers .”
A critical component to the event isn ’ t just procuring the right speakers , but the right combination of speakers . “ Our bread and butter is really more about the moderated conversation than presentation ,” says Veysey . “ We have very
C2 PHOTOGRAPHY