They’re photographers and videographers. They’re musicians and artists. They’re bloggers and podcasters. They’re digital multimedia creators. This Saturday, they’ll all be in one place to collaborate, share projects and listen to speakers in an environment with like-minded individuals.
Founded last year by Keaton Averman, the Creator’s Conference on March 23 will feature a variety of “digital media enthusiasts.” The event, sponsored by On the Bluff Studios, will be held in St. Mary’s from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and welcomes all UP students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the community who are “interested in the creative digital media fields.”
“The goal of the event to bring people together who wouldn’t have otherwise met,” Averman said.
With a campus of only about 3,800 undergraduates, finding people with the same interests can be difficult. Averman said having this conference provides a space where people from all disciplines can come talk, meet, hang out and get inspired from one another.
“There’s this stigma around creativity that you have to be in the arts to be creative and that’s not the goal,” Averman said.
The conference’s theme this year — “Send It” — refers to “doing something wholeheartedly with confidence and passion,” according to Averman. The event will feature two keynote speakers: Nate DeVaughn, UP alumnus, and Brae Hunziker, a junior marketing major and filmmaker.
DeVaughn is the founder of DeVoCustoms, which specializes in hand-painted and custom made jackets. DeVaughn has worked at Adidas the last two years as an assistant product manager for NCAA licensed apparel.
Along with DeVaughn, UP junior Hunziker will speak at the conference about taking a year off of school to pursue a filmmaking career and run a production company. Hunziker has a popular Youtube channel where he posts his videos and blogs. One of his videos, “Six Feet Under - The Day I Broke My Back (Cliff Jumping Accident),” went viral and reached around 1.5 million views.
In addition to the keynotes, booths and product demos will give attendees a chance to see other creator’s work in an “open gallery” setup. DeVoCustoms and the UP Art Club will also have a denim painting workshop where attendees will learn how to paint on denim.
And this year, Averman said the conference will have four giveaways: a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 Gimbal, Blue Yeti Microphone, Akai MPK Mini MkII and Wacom Intuos Drawing Tablet. Attendees will be entered in the giveaways when they RSVP.
Because the sessions and keynotes run through lunch, the conference will also have a free taco bar provided by Bon Appetit available to all attendees.
Though RSVP is encouraged, Averman said they will not turn people away the day of the conference.
“I would encourage people to come,” Averman said. “It’s a unique opportunity for people to meet other creative individuals.”
Claire Desmarais is the news and managing editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at desmarai20@up.edu.
