The Odd One Out – the motto for the 5th anniversary of Forward Festival is a shout-out to all creatives out there who ever has felt like the odd one out. Creatives who often can’t be forced into social norms are encouraged to celebrate and embrace their oddness this weekend when around 3 000 visitors will come to Vienna to be inspired by the most influential creative minds, the biggest movers and shakers of the design world.
This year’s schedule is full of inspiring speakers, with the likes of Oliviero Toscani, infamous Italian photographer best known for his scandalous photography for Benetton, Erik Kessels, a marketing all-star , Kate Moross, a design legend, Kelli Anderson, a paper artist & stop-motion video maker, Laura Karasinski, Vienna’s own design queen, taking the stage among many. During the three-day festival, over 30 speakers will discuss the most pressing topics in the fields of design, communication, advertising and more on the main stage of the Gartenbaumkino, sharing first-hand experiences, personal successes, as well as downfalls. While exciting agencies, brands, local heroes and emerging students will present their work, have Q&A sessions and dig into on-topic keynotes on the Forward stage, and numerous workshops and happenings take place in various locations. You can browse the full itinerary here, and pick and choose your favorite ones.
Word of advice, make sure to check the timetable beforehand, mark the ones you find the most interesting – and then find the time to explore, as the weekend should be about so much more than hearing the great minds talk (even though many of us wouldn’t want to miss them for anything) but also about new encounters and finding inspiration in the oddest of places. And bring snacks!
If you don’t have your tickets yet, there is a few left so you better be quick. Forward Festival will also take place in Munich (13–14.6), Zurich (15.6) and Hamburg (4–5.7) in the upcoming months!
To set the mood for the exciting few days ahead, check out the new Forward Festival 2019 teaser video below. And if it’s your first time attending, read about our impressions from last year.
Video directed, shot and edited by Das Rund & No Pitch.
Images © Forward Festival 2019, Design&Paper