Mark your calendars for Asheville Hatchfest (also known as HATCH Asheville), one of the coolest networking event Asheville has going.
Combining elements of an industry conference with an arts festival, Hatchfest includes everything from mentoring and networking opportunities for artists to panel discussions, new performances and art exhibits for the general public. Based on the original event in Bozeman, Mont., Hatchfest Asheville is now in its second year.
The list of speakers and educators included in each of the covered disciplines — architecture, design/technology, fashion, film, journalism, music and photography — were recently announced.
…
The Innovator’s Lounge, home to keynote talks, panels and workshops, will be at 49 Broadway St. These events are free. There will also be film screenings at the Fine Arts Theatre at 36 Biltmore Ave.
In addition to entertainment and idea exchange, Hatchfest Asheville is designed to contribute to the cultivation of a creative economy, Kasben said.
“We need to take inspiration form these people and take a hard look at ourselves and how we can be professional,” she said.
This year’s mentors include film director Jon Amiel, architect Joachim Bruder, film producer Barnet Bain, tech entrepreneur Jim Banister, entrepreneur Brendan Boyle, engineer Jeff Buscher, designer Tim Callahan, magazine editor Jeff Chu, architect Karl Daubmann, musician Laura Escudé, clothing designer Jeff Garner, design entrepreneurs Douglas Hecker and Martha Skinner, documentary producer Fritz Kramer and tech innovator Rajeev Kulkarni.
Also mentoring will be fashion entrepreneur Mo Lappin, sewing contractor Kathleen Lewis, fashion designer Linda Loudermilk, magazine editor Rachael Maddux, singer-songwriter Matt Morris, LEAF executive director Jennifer Pickering, sustainability contractor Marcus Renner, green building expert Clarke Snell, blogger and author Starre Vartan, filmmaker Jonathan Walls, philanthropist Charles Annenberg and inventor and industrial designer Joe Wilcox Weingarten.
