7:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Floral Design at the LA Flower Market

This Happily Fest Field Trip is all about exploring the basics of floral design and care with Christine Franco of Maravilla Floral Design. The adventure starts at the Los Angeles Flower Market, where you'll learn to navigate the aisles and select the perfect blooms. After gathering your flowers, you'll head back to the Moxy for a hands-on workshop where Christine will guide you through crafting your own beautiful hand-tied bouquet.

8:00 AM

Breakfast & 1:1s

Let us know you've arrived by heading to the 7th Floor at Moxy DTLA where there'll be breakfast foods and coffee waiting for you. For our Party Pass Holders, we'll arrange personalized 1:1 introductions based on your intake form, helping you connect with the other interesting folks at Happily Fest.

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Happily Recording Booth Opens

Get interviewed as a guest on our upcoming Happily vodcast. The booth will be opened all day with different themes and questions, and all are welcome to come in and share their story.

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Evolution 1:1 Coaching Opens

Join David Shechtman and Erik Kellener from Evolution for personalized coaching that can transform your professional trajectory. At their open desk, engage directly with expert advisors focused on essential growth areas like understanding your 'Essence' and its impact on personal and organizational development. Discover your unique psychological value, leverage it to scale your efforts, and outline your path to reinvention.

Ideal for attendees seeking actionable insights, this coaching experience is a chance to discuss your challenges and opportunities with seasoned consultants committed to enhancing leadership and strategic direction. Visit anytime throughout the day to refine your approach to growth in an ever-evolving professional landscape.

10:00 AM

Welcome to Happily Fest

The Fest is officially opened with a warm welcome from the Happily Founder & CEO.

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

Bad Ideas Live Listening Experience

This is the premier listening experience of Shantell's latest record, 'Bad Ideas.' Shantell will perform pieces from her new album, a unique blend of post-punk, no-wave, and performance art. Her improvisational style, featuring freeform thought and poetry, draws inspiration from artists like Mark E. Smith and Yoko Ono.

Happily Fest attendees will have the opportunity to win an exclusive limited edition vinyl of 'Bad Ideas', complete with a signed and numbered screenprint. The performance will begin with an introduction by Sarah Shewey, followed by a Q&A session between Shantell and Sarah.

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Discussion on the Reinvention of Teams

Step into our Discussion Pod, where we are showcasing media that reimagines the way we work, communicate, and collaborate.

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

The Team Beyond Your Team: Lessons from TEDx, Burning Man, and Beyond

Talent is the backbone of your organization. But if you focus only on cultivating the team you manage directly, you’re missing a big opportunity. Join your fellow peers and the curator and host of the first-ever TEDx event, Krisztina “Z” Holly, for an interactive discussion about how we can leverage our communities for maximum scale and impact. How do we empower our participants and partners as co-owners, co-creators, and champions of our mission?

With new tools like no code/low code and generative AI, giving more creators a voice and disrupting the way we innovate, it’s time we reinvented “the team” and built beyond ourselves. Looking at lessons from past and present—TEDx, Tupperware, Burning Man, skateboard culture, AirBnb, and more—we explore the key elements of building an ecosystem that is more vibrant, influential, and innovative than we could ever build on our own.

10:30 AM - 10:50 AM

Unlock LinkedIn's Potential: Creator Match Live Demo

Join AJ, the Founder of Creator Match, for an exclusive live demo of the ultimate LinkedIn marketing tool. Discover how Creator Match connects brands with top LinkedIn creators, offering detailed content analytics, competitor monitoring, and advanced content strategy tools.

Perfect for brand executives, tech innovators, and creators, this session will show you how leading brands like HubSpot, Notion,and BetterHelp drive impactful campaigns on LinkedIn. Learn how to identify sponsored content, analyze post performance, and refine your strategy with ease.

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Architecture Tour at The Music Center

On this Happily Fest Field Trip, attendees will embark on a private guided tour of The Music Center in Los Angeles, a cornerstone of artistic architecture. Explore its four iconic theaters—Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Walt Disney Concert Hall—each designed by top architects to enhance arts experiences and audience engagement. Discover the history and acoustic wonders of these venues and gain inspiration into staging world-class events in their range of state-of-the-art venues.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Expectations and Realities: Marketing Yourself & Managing Clients

With over 20-years experience and having founded or invested in seven ventures, Austin Johnston has navigated economic muddy waters, self-funding nightmares, strikes and pandemics at the helm of his experiential agency, AKJOHNSTON.

More recently, with the foundation of Immersed Studio, Austin has created a vertical for theme park design + build which shares one of the largest scenic shops in the United States to design, fabricate, print and build all in-house. Now, the firm maintains offices and shops in LA, OC, Texas and New York and employs over 70 full-time, serving its diverse clients at over 300 activations and events annually.

11:00 AM - 12:01 PM

Labor Shortages and Skill Gaps

The event industry is facing a critical labor shortage, with a lack of qualified personnel across all levels. This has led to increased wages and competition for talent as well as extended labor calls. Event organizers must adapt by partnering with staffing agencies, leveraging technology for automation, and investing in workforce development programs.

Chris's unwavering commitment to innovation and teamwork has been instrumental in elevating each live event he is part of, leaving an indelible mark on countless events and experiences. His visionary leadership on behalf of his many varied clients has fostered a culture of creativity and technological advancement, enabling the each to deliver exceptional solutions that captivate audiences and drive results. As a consultant and project manager, Chris's expertise extends beyond event production, encompassing the creation of comfortable and functional workspaces. His ability to balance creativity with budget constraints ensures that every project is executed with the utmost professionalism and efficiency.

Beyond his role at OSA International, Chris's passion for the industry extends to his involvement as the Director of Live Production Summit. Through this platform, he fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry professionals, shaping the future of live events. His ability to curate thought-provoking content and facilitate engaging discussions has solidified the summit as a must-attend event for those seeking to push the boundaries of the industry.

Chris's dedication to providing exceptional service is evident in his international reach and vendor partnerships. His ability to coordinate resources worldwide ensures that clients receive tailored solutions that meet their specific needs, regardless of location. His diplomatic demeanor and attention to detail create a seamless and stress-free experience for all involved.

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

3 Keys to Connection

In this highly engaging mini-session, you will learn the 3 Keys to Connection and experience them in action during an interactive exercise that will help you get to know fellow attendees in new and insightful ways. Plus learn how you can apply these connection strategies to accelerate trust, rapport and psychological safety in groups and teams.

11:00 AM - 11:20 AM

Understanding Emerging Fandoms

Fandoms are increasingly cynical of tech buzz phrases and gimmicks. In this talk, Spencer will discuss engaging with emerging fandoms through authentic collaborations. Spencer will be using their recent collaboration between the VTuber organization hololive production and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a case study.

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Live Performance with Dolly Spectra

Dolly (pronouns they/she) is a music artist and mad scientist who performs, codes, and produces hypermodern electronic pop. Dolly has created a motion capture-based performance rig for live shows, featuring a wearable exoskeleton which controls audiovisuals via gestures in a pop concert setting.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Smorgasburg Food Tour

Meet Zach Brooks, General Manager of Smorgasburg LA and celebrated culinary curator. Share a slice from Pizza Bianco as Brooks takes you on a tour of The ROW DTLA, the venue for the weekly food festival phenomenon that gives thousands of people the chance to try the best of the best in the region. He'll go through the history and evolution of Smorgasburg, and how they have transformed and elevated everywhere from forgotten parking lots, underserved parks and even the World Trade Center into food and shopping destinations across the country. He'll also walk through the role that community, brand, and strategic partnerships play to help keep Smorgasburg thriving through times of change (and how you can be a part of it!)

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

La Lo La Lunch

Enjoy lunch with a view as you continue to connect and chat over some yummy food and drinks.

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

VR Demo Experience

Explore the cutting-edge of VR technology and dive into immersive experiences with our interactive demo. Get hands-on with the latest innovations and see how virtual reality is transforming entertainment, education, and more.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Identity’s Role in the Creative Process

Explore the framework of developing a creative vision and the important role identity plays in this process. Assess the application of these critical thinking tools within various contexts.

2:00 PM - 2:20 PM

AI and the Future of Marketing

Learn how artificial intelligence is transforming the marketing landscape and enhancing business efficiency. From 0 to $150 Million, Erik will share the journey and key strategies behind scaling a business from inception to a $150 million valuation in just a decade.

Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media. Since its inception in 2014, Hawke Media has rapidly ascended to become the fastest-growing marketing agency in the United States, now valued at over $150 million. Under Erik’s visionary leadership, the agency has revolutionized marketing with its AI enabled and tech-integrated approach, serving over 4,700 brands globally, including industry giants like Red Bull, Verizon, Crocs, Barstool Sports and Casamigos.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Cosm Field Trip

Cosm is transforming the fan experience in sports, entertainment, and art with its groundbreaking technology. Newly opened in June 2024, Cosm brings audiences front row at an NBA game or surrounded by art with their immersive venues. This Happily Fest Field Trip is your chance to be one of the first to explore this innovative space.

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Open Sourcing Immersive Vinyl

With their third National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant, the groundbreaking non-profit radio station dublab and dublab board member KamranV (CyKiK) open source immersive audio with QUARK Open.

QUARK Open is based on the free audio plugin QUARK (Quadraphonic Universally Accessible Resource Kit). QUARK encodes and decodes immersive sound in real time, allowing anyone to easily distribute and listen to spatial music through all existing media including vinyl, cassette, radio, streaming video such as YouTube and music services such as iTunes and Spotify. In this presentation KamranV will give a brief history of immersive audio, demonstrate quadraphonic vinyl, and explore the opportunities that open sourcing immersive audio provides.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Belonging Centered Design: The Audience Engagement Equation

Belonging is central to the mission, meaning and magic of the cultures we create. As experience designers we can build belonging with intention, consistency - and measurable impact on audience engagement. Join this session to learn how you can use the Wheel of Belonging framework as a design tool, to explore how stories connect us, and how these stories can generate strategies for building Belonging with your organization’s colleagues, teams, audiences and experiences. Plus - get a sneak peek of the Belonging Playbook being released in partnership with Google’s Experience Institute!

2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Clearing the Way to Reinvention

In this session, Jeff will lead you through a process that allows you to identify the goals and aspirations of your business, and the best ways to describe your value. Whether you are a freelancer, an agency, or any other business, the tools presented here will support you during and well after this conference in building the business of your dreams.

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Appily & Happily Landing Demo

Join Sarah and Hilder from Team Happily as they guide you through Happily Landing and Appily.

As key members of the web team behind these platforms, they’ll demonstrate how Happily Landing, our free microsite builder, allows you to build your own branded, custom event pages. Plus, you’ll get a firsthand look at Appily, our innovative marketplace for hiring freelancers directly from our global Happily network.

As a special offer for Happily Fest attendees, use the code FEST2024 to enjoy a free yearly subscription to Appily when you post your first job!

3:00 PM - 3:20 PM

AI & Humanity

Ari Kuschnir is the founder and Managing Partner of m ss ng p eces and EVP at Tribeca Studios. For nearly two decades, his guidance and hands-on involvement in projects have illuminated the people and ideas close to his heart and integral to the community he is deeply embedded in. In 2021, m ss ng p eces joined forces with Tribeca Enterprises, and a year later, AdAge named it Production Company of the Year.

m ss ng p eces is the new wave production and entertainment partner for content and immersive experiences that inspire culture. As the industry shifts and evolves through new mediums and new demands, they bring the missing pieces to the table to make commercials, content, and digital and physical experiences with their diverse roster of creative talent. With offices in NY and LA, they produce globally recognized work for agencies, studios, and brands. Together in partnership with Tribeca Studios, they offer clients an unparalleled range of creative and production services. These include creating and producing original feature and short films, powerful documentaries, story-rich branded content, and artist development programs that elevate underrepresented voices from the next generation of filmmakers.

3:10 PM - 4:10 PM

Designing for Collaboration and Play

In today’s world, isolation is common as media and mobile devices are optimized for individual use. However, museums, hospitality venues, and workplaces offer opportunities for connection, collaboration, and play. Josh Goldblum, Founder of Bluecadet and Futurespaces will share insights gained from overseeing signature projects for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nike, The MIT Museum, the Smithsonian and NASA, and discuss how to create environments that foster connections among friends, colleagues, family, and strangers.

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Reinvent with the Power of Creators

Unlock the true power of influencer marketing partnering with your perfect-fit creators. Discover the power of AI and find the best creators to work with for your business. Beacons is building the first semantic search engine to search over 5m+ creators and pinpoint the perfect creators for your campaigns and events, turning views and clicks into real business impact.

3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

On All Sides: Brand, Agency, Freelancer

For over 20 years, Karl has been giving brands chiropractic adjustments while client-side at Microsoft, Adobe, Ebay, and Apple and agency-side at Razorfish, Landor, and Hi It’s Us. Now, as a Fractional Chief Brand and Marketing Officer and Advisor he’s helping companies, ranging from startups to iconic ones, and leaders define, grow and accelerate brands by better connecting to culture, embracing digital, and uniting through a common vision on a global scale.

3:40 PM - 4:20 PM

Sex for Creatives

Last year, Joanna Garner left a six-year stint with immersive art company Meow Wolf, walking away from what seemed like a dream job as Senior Story Creative Director where she designed explorable story worlds like Omega Mart.

Even the most creative companies can lose sight of what artists and creative employees actually need in order to innovate, envision, and craft groundbreaking experiences. The reality is that creative expression is super charged by welcoming the full body into the creative process.

Joanna shares her journey from unembodied, brain-focused creativity to full-body, erotically fueled creative practice, as well as tools for turning on your own creativity.

4:15 PM - 5:30 PM

Lulu XR Studio Trip

This Happily Fest Field Trip is all about the future of digital storytelling and media production right here in LA with Lulu Studio — one of LA's most innovative VFX studios. Known for its pioneering integration of Generative AI and cutting-edge Virtual Production processes, Lulu Studio is revolutionizing content creation across all media platforms.

During this special trip, you'll witness real-time virtual production in action, experiencing firsthand how Lulu Studio enhances speed, reduces costs, and boosts output. This is your exclusive opportunity to see the studio's setup for producing and distributing original IPs and acclaimed projects like Savage X Fenty on Amazon Video, FOX's 'The Masked Singer,' and the iHeart Radio Awards. Dive deep into a state-of-the-art environment where the boundaries of visual and immersive media are being reinvented every day.

4:50 PM - 5:10 PM

LAVA Artist Talk with Patrick Aguilar

Experienced architect with over 9 years of experience, previously at Gensler and currently at RoTo Architects. Alongside his architectural expertise, he is a selftaught creative technologist with a fervent passion for exploring the dynamic relationship between space, interaction, and technology.

His journey has been driven by a fascination with the interaction between people and space, leading him to explore how technology can enhance these experiences. He has delved into interactive art installations, immersive environments, and responsive architecture. His work often integrates sensory feedback, real-time data, and user engagement to create immersive experiences that blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. Through his work, he seeks to redefine how people perceive and interact with their environments, making each space a unique and dynamic experience.

4:50 PM - 5:20 PM

Sonic Collage & Re • Leasing Art in 2024

Def Sound (pronouns they/them) is an Afro-Caribbean conceptual word artist born and based in South Central LA. Def is a postbinary contemporary hip-hop artist, producer, poet, educator and award-winning academic. Def is Grammy nominated for their work as a producer on aja monet’s debut album ‘when the poems do what they do’.

6:00 PM

Dinner and Lucha Libre

Join us for dinner and luchadores with delicious food, drinks, and a lucha libre acrobatic performance. At Sinners y Santos the wrestling ring descends from above the oversized central bar, transforming into a stage for high-flying, choreographed acrobatic battles.