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Restart: IDEAFEST returns in 2020 with all-virtual format
With the pandemic still not letting up, annual creative industry festival IDEAFEST shifts to an all-online format for its ninth edition.
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Going online: A crowd gathers during Ideafest 2015 in Jakarta. The premier festival for the country’s creative industry shifts to an all-online format for its ninth edition this year. (Courtesy of Facebook/ideafest)
F
irst held in 2011 by Samara Media & Entertainment, IDEAFEST is Indonesia’s premier festival for the country’s creative industry, featuring discussions and workshops by industry players both national and international.
As health and safety protocols have made it near impossible to hold large-scale events, IDEAFEST will be held entirely online from Nov. 5 to 15 at ideafest.id and through video-streaming platform Vidio, done in collaboration with the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.
For 2020, IDEAFEST will take on the theme of “Restart”, a response to the pandemic that forced many industry players to quickly adapt and shift their business models to survive and revive themselves.
Samara Media & Entertainment CEO Ben Soebiakto said during a virtual press conference that the pandemic had impacted the Indonesian creative industry hard, from film to fashion.
However, it also revealed the vulnerability of the existing business model, which he said could be discussed during the event.
“The urban public may have been running so fast all this time that they did not have the time to analyze themselves. The pandemic made us realize that maybe our business model is outdated, not bulletproof, or even too Jakarta-centric,” he said.
Because of this, the theme of “Restart” was chosen to represent the industry spirit in reanalyzing their business and jumping back on their feet quickly.
“With the pandemic, we have a lot of time to think about the right business model for the situation, thinking about a new way of doing business. Now everything is forced to go online – maybe our business models were too outdated all this time.”
Music-producing trio Laleilmanino certainly agrees – having released more than 10 songs this year in spite of the pandemic.
Anindyo Baskoro, one-third of Laleilmanino and vocalist of RAN, said that the group – composed of himself as well as Maliq & D’Essentials guitarist Arya Aditya Ramadhya and keyboardist Ilman Ibrahim Isa – had become even more productive, with even more songs in the pipeline.
In that spirit, IDEAFEST’s organizer promises an experience that rivals their offline editions. To this end, the festival will retain program elements like live music performances, brand exhibitions and a food and beverage section from Nov. 13 to 15, retooled for the online format.
However, the main attractions of IDEAFEST are the discussions and conferences featuring Indonesian and international industry professionals, and this year’s edition will be no different.
Like previous iterations, the 10-day event will feature a slew of professionals across industries, including singer Raisa Andriana, film director Edwin, as well as Gojek vice president and creative director Bahari CK and PT Sarinah president director Fetty Kwartati.
Some 150 speakers will be sharing their ideas and knowledge in discussions across four channels in the IdeaTalks session from Nov. 13 to 14, while an exclusive conference session will feature some of the bigger names in the industry on Nov. 15.
Just like in previous years, IDEAFEST 2020 will also be a mainly paid event, meaning viewers must purchase a ticket to tune in.
A regular ticket guaranteeing access to the live events will cost Rp 200,000 (US$13.55), while an upgrade to a rewind feature lets ticket holders rewatch the sessions until Dec. 31, at the cost of Rp 450,000.
Still, not everything is paywalled, as several IdeaTalks sessions are available to watch for free, as are the live music performances, food and beverage section and the Experiential Expo brand exhibition.
As a run-up to the main event, the IdeaSpark Forum will also be free of charge, but require prior registration to watch.
From Nov. 5 to 8, four distinct topics will be discussed each day: society and politics, health and wellbeing, climate change and the environment, and education. Speakers will come from youth-driven initiatives and projects from across Indonesia, with topics ranging from mental health to electronic waste.
For Ben, also a cofounder of IDEAFEST, the move online has also been a boon, as the event could reach a wider audience from across the country.
“It’s because of the move online that [IDEAFEST] can reach creative industry players from across areas, whereas IDEAFEST has normally been held in Jakarta as it was the center of the industry,” he said. (ste)
