Vivid Ideas boasts a prestigious program of curated cutting-edge talks and seminars, structured networking events, workshops, screenings and immersive experiences. Events must be related to the creative industries, start- up/entrepreneurs or technology sectors and must be able to take place in Sydney during the festival period, 6 – 28 August 2021. We are interested in thought-leaders and innovators who are helping to address global problems, contributing to a smarter future and/or showcasing cutting-edge innovation and creativity.

We are looking for propositions which aim to enlighten, inform and challenge audiences from specific industries or interest groups. Sales / business pitches or strategic marketing events which do not align with the above are not the best fit for Vivid Ideas program.

The Vivid Ideas Exchange is Vivid Sydney’s owned and managed festival venue, a hub in the city that is easy to access, provides a place for networking and will play host to a program of cutting- edge creative industry and general interest events. The venue can host between 100 – 200 people depending on the configuration for talks, workshops, networking events and screenings.

The majority of Vivid Ideas Exchange programming is held during business hours, with a limited number of night-time sessions available. Unique propositions which showcase an ability to attract a broad general public audience will be considered for these slots. Please note there may be an additional charge for presenting evening sessions.

Third Party events are events that are produced and presented by parties other than Vivid Sydney and take place at a non – Vivid Sydney venue. These events range from small to large scale talks, panel discussions, debates or large conferences not able to be hosted in the Vivid Ideas Exchange. We also invite applications for site specific or immersive experiences, innovative events or gallery showings where the work is technology focused or showcases creativity.

For events of up to 200 people, unless your proposition is specific to a particular site or venue, we advise applying to host your event as part of the Vivid Ideas Exchange.

There is no application cost to enter an Expression of Interest for Vivid Sydney, however there are costs that apply once your event is accepted into the festival.

Session fees for the Vivid Ideas Exchange start from $1,500 + GST for an allocated two-hour daytime slot, with packaged rates for longer sessions or full days. Fees include venue hire, basic audio-visual and staging equipment, furniture, stage management and technical operators. Front of House staffing costs are not included. Catering is to be arranged with the venue’s catering supplier at additional cost if required. Evening sessions are allocated at the exclusive discretion of Vivid Sydney and are highly competitive.

Not-for-Profit organisations presenting events for their communities in the Vivid Ideas Exchange may be eligible for further subsidised fees at the discretion of Vivid Sydney.

Approved Third Party events will be charged a $400 + GST registration fee.

Destination NSW may enter into a relationship with a third-party ticketing agent with integration into the Vivid Sydney website. Events held in the Vivid Ideas Exchange will be required to utilise this platform for ticket sales or registrations.

Depending on the type of event and session time, tickets for Vivid Ideas events can range from free-of-charge up to $100+. For a standard 1-2hr panel discussion we suggest keeping price as low as possible (under $35), and we encourage concession and student prices.

At the discretion of Vivid Sydney, some large-scale events or hybrid activations/immersive experiences may be developed via co-investment. Budget is not specifically allocated for grants or investment in externally produced events however, you may list your budget requirements in your application form for us to discuss. Please clearly outline the level of investment you are seeking from Vivid Sydney.

Not-for-Profit organisations presenting events for their communities may be eligible for further subsidised fees in the Vivid Ideas Exchange at the discretion of Vivid Sydney.

Sponsors may be engaged for your event but must be pre-approved by Destination NSW. Sponsors will only have rights and benefits to your event and will not be able to align themselves with the wider Vivid Ideas or Vivid Sydney program.

There may be restrictions on sponsors in product categories including (but not limited to) alcohol, cause-related marketing, banking and credit cards, automotive, technology (consumer and business), cleaning and hygiene, immigration, gambling and gaming, adult products or services and political groups or activities. Please discuss your sponsorship with Vivid Sydney before securing or notify us of any existing sponsorship

We suggest getting in touch with our Partnerships team to discuss your proposal.

Yes, you are welcome to submit more than one Ideas event that fits the selection criteria, you will need to apply separately for each submission. We suggest you limit your submissions to your strongest concepts.

• Your event will have a dedicated page on the Vivid Sydney website with in-built ticket purchasing facilities and scope for images and video marketing your event.
• Your event will be part of the Vivid Sydney digital marketing campaign.
• Cross promotion amongst a curated program of high quality creative and tech industry events and experiences which in 2019 reached an audience of over 33,000 attendees
• Marketing support for your event through integration with the wider Vivid Sydney program and marketing campaign. For example, our database of audiences and other event owners will be utilised for EDMs.
• We will also list your event in the Vivid Ideas and Music printed guide, distributed within NSW and nationally (if produced).

You will be required to enter a contract with Destination NSW (Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW) outlining the requirements and responsibilities of both parties during the term. Term of contract and timelines can be found on the Key Dates page.

We require top-line event collateral (copy and images) for your event in order to be proofed and approved for the festival launch. Event collateral will be collected via an online form along with additional event information. Submitted event copy will be edited or re-written by our internal copywriter for consistency across the website. We also require all speaker profiles and head shots to be uploaded to our online system once they are confirmed, to assist with marketing your event.

You agree that you will not announce your event prior to the Vivid Sydney media launch.

An information session and networking event will be held at Destination NSW offices or virtually, to meet with event owners and introduce them to the festival.

The Expression of Interest is for professionals or organisations who can manage and host their own event in the Vivid Ideas program. If you are a speaker who is interested in hosting an event in which you may speak, we advise applying to be part of the Vivid Ideas Exchange program.

Please note we are not looking for book launch or business-generating events unless they align with the above curatorial directives.

If your proposition is an immersive, technology-led or artistic experience which you are able to self-produce, we would love to hear about it. However, we are not looking for street performers or corporate entertainers for the Vivid Ideas program and do not book performers for specific events via the Expression of Interest.

We are looking for events that express Ideas through a multitude of mediums – it could be spoken word, a live reading of a podcast, slam poetry – so if your event includes performances tied to a strong concept/idea then please apply.

If you are a musician who is looking to self-produce an exclusive event, we suggest applying as part of the Vivid Music program.

We may be interested in site-specific immersive performance work if it is technology led or presents a new way of experiencing performance. However, we are generally not looking for presentations of theatre works.

All applications and supporting material will be assessed on the following criteria:

Applications will be assessed and shortlisted for inclusion in the Vivid Ideas program by the Vivid Sydney Curatorial Panel, see all Key dates.

Please keep a copy of all submitted material, as this cannot be returned by Vivid Sydney.

The decisions of the Vivid Sydney curatorial panel are final and no feedback can be given on individual applications.

Applicants must ensure that any personal costs associated with their application are included in their proposed artist fee.

Destination NSW is working closely with the NSW Government and NSW Health to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they are relative to the applicant.

For updates and important information on Vivid Sydney we recommend signing up to 'My Vivid' on https://www.vividsydney.com/user/register

We recommend monitoring www.vividsydney.com and Vivid Sydney social media channels.