(Photo above: Tracktown | Photo Courtesy of BendFilm)
Celebrating a Month of Creativity, Culture & Innovation in Central Oregon
When most people think of Bend, they picture flowing craft beer and world-class mountain biking trails. But in actuality Bend is a lot more than that: it’s also a hub of creativity and ingenuity.
Visit Bend has designated October as Tenth Month — a creative ideas month — highlighting innovative and entrepreneurial programming in Bend. The BendFilm Festival, Bend Venture Conference, Bend Design Conference and Swivel have hosted their annual events during the month of October for years.
Tenth Month Bend is a month-long celebration of brave ideas and innovation in art, film, marketing, technology and design. Visitors to Bend are encouraged to build their own itinerary of favorite October events, from conferences to urban adventures to outdoor escapes.
“October is Bend’s best-kept secret, with its mild weather, tons of outdoor recreation, and abundant events showcasing our area’s arts, culture, and technology,” said Visit Bend CEO Kevney Dugan. “Visit Bend is excited to support the groups who’ve been organizing these October events for years, and to help make it easier for business leaders and creative professionals to visit this artsy mountain town during one of our most beautiful shoulder-season months.”
Tenth Month’s Cornerstone Events
October 6-9 // BENDFILM FESTIVAL
The BendFilm Festival, now in its 13th year, is a celebration of independent cinema. The festival is dedicated to supporting brave and talented filmmakers while educating communities about the value of independent art. With venues sprinkled throughout downtown Bend, you’ll often find the filmmakers hanging with the audience.
October 10-11 // SWIVEL DIGITAL + CREATIVE MARKETING CONFERENCE
The Swivel conference is a two-day boutique marketing education experience held at the iconic Tower Theatre, Oxford Hotel, and the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Bend. Thought leaders from around the globe gather together to exchange ideas and how-tos about the latest trends in digital marketing, search, social media, and creativity. It’s a must for anyone who conducts business via the web and wants to not only keep up with the pace, but stay a step ahead of the pack.
October 12 // Venture Out Festival
Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW), Central Oregon’s outdoor industry accelerator will stage an evening of innovation in the outdoor marketplace. Produced by BOW and the Oregon Outdoor Alliance (OOA), the Venture Out Festival is the first venture event solely focused on the outdoor industry. The event will feature two awards — the $10,000 Breakout Award presented by Bend Radio Group and HydroFlask and the $100,000 Ready to Roll investment award presented by Trigen Investments.
October 13-14 // BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE
The largest Angel Conference in the Pacific Northwest, Bend Venture Conference spotlights entrepreneurship and innovation. Attendees play an active role in determining the Early Stage winner, with investments, awards and prizes close to $1 million given away at last year’s event.
October 20-21 // BEND DESIGN CONFERENCE
Embrace creativity in anything and everything. This is the ethos of Bend Design Conference. A celebration of design culture in the modern world, the two-day event will be filled with conversations, tours, interactive workshops, and handson exhibits all designed to disrupt the norm.
Tenth Month Bend will offer a limited quantity of Ultimate Passes, which give each recipient access to all participating cornerstone events. There will also be a prize package (valued at over $3,000), which includes two Ultimate Passes as well as gift certificates for activities, gear rentals, and restaurants to make the most of your Tenth Month experience in Bend.
“We hope all visitors explore the spirit of adventure Bend is known for,” Dugan added. “Tenth Month Bend is the perfect play and learn vacation.”
