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Here we go again: Portland Digital eXperience was a great beta test for what has become TechFestNW

Rick Turoczy on June 12, 2013

You know how it is. You test a product, just to get it out there. It’s got some amazing features. A few people love it. A few people hate it. It’s not perfect. But it’s out there. And you get valuable feedback. So that you can continue to iterate and build something even better.

That kind of thinking isn’t just for products. It can be for events, as well.

So last year, Willamette Week was willing to take a risk. To extend it’s overwhelmingly popular music festival—MusicFestNW—by adding tech programming. And I was lucky enough to get the chance to work with them on it. We called it the Portland Digital eXperience (PDX).

And it was an experience—mostly a learning one—for all of us.

So we took all of that learning. And all of the things that worked. Then we burned everything else to the ground and started over from scratch. Salvaging all the best elements from last year and finding whole new things to test, this year.

Introducing TechFestNW

What emerged from the proverbial ashes is TechFestNW.

We’ve had an amazing board of advisors who have totally helped us reform the vision—and the content—for the event. And I think they’ve managed to put together an incredible show. Granted, there are a few more reveals and few more tricks up our sleeves. But even the early stuff we’ve released is pretty awesome.

TechFestNW is designed to celebrate interesting people who are passionate about technology. Who are building a better world. And who value craft over commodity. The event will take place September 6-8, 2013, with speakers the 6th and 7th and a hackathon on the 8th.

We’ve already announced speakers like:

I know right? I can’t even believe it sometimes. And I’m just as excited as you to see all of these folks tell their stories and share their insights.

Hosted in the heart of Portland at the most awesome museum in the world

Just as awesome as all of those speakers? We’ll be hosting the entire event at OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It’s an amazing venue. Plus it strikes just the balance of curiosity, exploration, and education that we’re seeking.

And if you need to take a break or spend a few minutes in reflection after the sessions, OMSI has been kind enough to give TFNW attendees access to the museum, throughout the event.

Plus, we’ve got a few other surprises on the OMSI front. So stay tuned.

MFNW+TFNW: Two great tastes that taste great together

TFNW takes place in conjunction with MusicFestNW, one of the largest independent music festivals in the US. And it always has an amazing lineup.

Last year, MFNW attracted acts from up-and-coming artists to bands like Passion Pit, Dinosaur Jr, Silversun Pickups, and Girl Talk. This year, the list of MFNW acts is equally incredible. Young the Giant, Animal Collective, DIPLO, John Vanderslice, and Superchunk are all playing. Not to mention a ton of other great acts. Fred Armisen is even doing a comedy set.

We like to think that this combination of amazing tech during the day and incredible music at night makes for a diverse and inspirational festival experience. That’s why we make it easy to do both.

It’s truly an experience.

Early bird pricing ends June 15

But if you want to get the best price, you have to act fast. With early bird pricing, the best value wristband is the MFNW+TFNW general admission badge for $300, which provides access to six nights of music and three days of tech programming. If you’re just interested in tech, we’ve created a price for TFNW this year—which a number of folks requested last year.

And if you want to skip the line? You can get VIP access to TFNW+MFNW for less than $400.

But you have to purchase your TFNW wristbands by Saturday.

More TFNW is on the way

We’ll be announcing new speakers, new projects, new gatherings, and new events in the coming weeks. We’re just getting started. And we hope you’ll find some time to join us.

For more information, visit TechFestNW, follow @tfnw on Twitter, or like TechFestNW on Facebook.

[Full disclosure: I’m a cofounder of TechFestNW, which is why I babble on incessantly about it.]

Published by Rick Turoczy

More than mildly obsessed with the Portland startup community. Founder and editor at Silicon Florist. Cofounder and general manager at PIE. Follow me on Twitter: @turoczy

  1. Dan Swanson June 17, 2013 at 9:06 am

    The list of speakers is impressive. Count me in.

  2. Rick Turoczy June 14, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    @ Beau – No, you haven’t missed it. We’re still working on getting all of the tracks and speaking slots figured. More on that soon.

  3. Beau Buck June 14, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    The price is fine but I see no agenda – just a list of speakers. I’d like to know what the tracks or topics are. Have I missed it somewhere?

  4. Jmartens June 14, 2013 at 5:38 pm

    I’m with Jason, $300 is a bargain for the conference…plus you also get MFNW access!

  5. Jason Glaspey June 13, 2013 at 10:57 am

    @Christine.

    I’m surprised you think $300 for a three day conference, and a weeklong music festival is a lot of money. I think this is a steal.

    Have you attended any conferences lately? This is actually on the very low end for most, especially with a list of speakers like this. Oh, and it also gets you in the door to see around 100 bands. Which works out to be about $3/band.

    Wait, you’re right. We’re fucking kidding you.

    :/

    (just because you’re on the internet doesn’t mean you can’t be nice.)

  6. Christine June 12, 2013 at 5:08 pm

    $300 presale? Are you fucking kidding me?! Why would I pay that and for What?

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