Forward Festival Vienna 2023—Recap

“The quality of the talks and content was exceptional!” summarizes Stefan Sagmeister, who hosted the Forward Festival at Gartenbaukino in Vienna for the second time. Once again, the Forward Festival brought together creative minds and professionals from all over the world to foster networking and the exchange within the creative community. More than twenty top speakers inspired the more than 1,500 participants through diverse presentations and workshops, while the exhibition area delighted visitors with installations, pop-up concerts and performances.

Over 20 speakers showcased their work, offering exceptionally profound insights into their creative processes. The focus on interdisciplinary networking and industry exchange ensured that the diverse Festival program remained captivating and inspiring over the two days. The design icon Stefan Sagmeister engaged in on-stage discussions with many of the speakers about personal motivation, creative processes, industry challenges, and collaborations among diverse groups of creatives. The Festival curated an exceptional line-up of international speakers. Among them were renowned graphic designers such as Anthony Burrill and Felix Pfäffli from Studio Feixen, interdisciplinary creatives like Ju Schnee and Gavin Strange, visual artists like Anna Ginsburg and Sander Plug, celebrated illustrators such as Yuko Shimizu, marketing professionals like Andy Pearson from Liquid Death, visionary creative agency founder Thierry Brunfaut, and typographers like Michael Hochleitner from Typejockeys.

The founder of the Forward Festival, Othmar Handl, reflects on the remarkable journey of the Festival over the years: “Forward has always been and will continue to be a unique platform where the creative community can share their inspirations, ideas, and feedback to unleash creativity in every imaginable form. What we have achieved since the launch is so much greater than I ever imagined, and that fills me with pride. The stories told about the Festival, its community, and its atmosphere provide the team with strength, joy and motivation to bring our Festival to the next level every year. See you all again in 2024, and stay creative!”

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