UC San Diego Partners with AV Concepts to Launch Southern California Thought Leadership Forum: Creative Catalysts

New Program Connects Local Artists, Inventors, Technologists and Engineers, Strengthening San Diego’s Live Event and Entertainment Community

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—March 4, 2015—UC San Diego has partnered with AV Concepts—a leader in experiential marketing, creative and technical event solutions—on a new thought leadership program, Creative Catalysts: SoCal Innovators Meet Up, a forum for artists, inventors, technologists and engineers to explore the latest, cutting-edge technology in the live event and entertainment industries.

“Our goal is to create a space exploring exciting questions of our time – how and why new ideas get developed, the social implications of new technologies, the scientific and technical foundations of how things work, and the ethical and artistic challenges they present,” said Tara Knight, Digital Media faculty and Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego.

The theme for the inaugural Creative Catalysts event, which was hosted last week at AV Concepts’ Center for Innovation in San Diego—a 30,000 square foot studio used to prototype event builds for clients and test new experimental marketing capabilities—was the future of holographic technology. An intimate gathering of students, professors and industry professionals heard from an experienced line-up of holographic experts from UC San Diego, Triple Take Holographics and AV Concepts. The panel presented on the technology behind holographic illusions, real-life applications of the technology, the current pop-culture phenomenon with holograms and the psychology behind them. A networking reception and demo of AV Concepts’ holographic theatre followed.

“As a local entrepreneur in event technology, I saw a need for a place where thought leaders across disciplines could come together and talk about new technology and share best practices,” said Nick Smith, Co-Founder and President of AV Concepts. “San Diego has a vibrant community of live event and entertainment professionals, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with UC San Diego to create a forum for them to connect, learn and grow.”

If you’re interested in joining us for our next Creative Catalysts: SoCal Meet-up, email creativecatalystsSD@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list.

About AV Concepts:

AV Concepts partners with brands, their experiential marketing agencies, and production partners to deliver creative and technical event solutions. We offer a collaborative, in-house approach for general sessions, keynote productions and experiential marketing activations including creative, engineering, technology and staging. From intimate events to large user conferences, we grow and evolve with our clients as their needs adapt and change. And we’re always pushing the envelope, leveraging new technologies, or inventing our own, to ensure we’re creating immersive experiences that dazzle audiences and drive business results. Visit www.avconcepts.com to learn how we can partner with you on your next event, follow us on Twitter @avconceptsinc or connect with us on LinkedIn.