ComplexCon will return to Long Beach, California Nov. 4-5 for our second annual festival and exhibition that fuses music, art, fashion, food, sports, and innovation into a cultural experience unlike any other.
Today, Complex announces the host committee lineup of Pharrell, Takashi Murakami, Sarah Andelman, and Virgil Abloh, who will spearhead the vision of collaboration, our central theme this year. More committee members will be announced soon.
Marc Ecko, Founder, and Chief Creative & Brand Officer for Complex Networks, shares how this theme of collaboration will be realized.
“It may sound idyllic, but we know through hard work and alchemy that 1+1 can equal 3. The only way we were able to so successfully execute ComplexCon last year was because of collaboration, which why 2017’s theme is collaboration.” Ecko explains. “We are asking all participants, from our audience and exhibitors to the performers and host committee to bring their diverse energy and innovations together to help us emphasize how collaboration contours our lives. This will create a deeply rich and meaningful experience that allows the entrepreneurial energy of all participants to flourish, as well as creating an amazing learning environment for the next generation that will no doubt reshape our worlds.”
He adds: “As we continue to evolve the experience, from expanding ComplexCon(versations) and our live studio audience programming, to pushing boundaries on how brands can re-think direct to consumer retail engagements, we welcome the enthusiasm and creative visions of our host committee to help us build ComplexCon 2017 into another groundbreaking experience."
Pharrell—along with his creative collective i am OTHER—will return as Cultural Director and Host Committee Chair of ComplexCon where he’ll once again play an integral role in shaping the event. “There’s nothing like ComplexCon; it’s unique for anyone who loves fashion, music, and art,” Pharrell says. “The power of ComplexCon is that it erases the lines between all these passions and shows us that everything influences each other.”
Iconic contemporary artist Takashi Murakami will also resume his inaugural ComplexCon position as host committee member and oversee the design and overall aesthetic experience of the festival. Along those same lines, Murakami’s KaiKai Kiki art production company will help curate a space within the Art Zone, and ComplexCon will host a pop-up gift shop featuring exclusive limited-edition Murakami merchandise.
Sarah Andelman, co-founder of the influential Paris concept fashion store Colette, joins the host committee this year to share her global view on what the festival can be. “The spirit of Colette, the continual mix, and match of modernity, creativity, and originality that brings people together aligns with ComplexCon,” she says.
Off-White founder, designer, DJ, and creative director Virgil Abloh will also serve on the host committee. Abloh, under his DJ name Flat White, performed at ComplexCon last year, and we’re excited to see what he delivers in his expanded role.
IT’S HAPPENING! Your 2017 @ComplexCon host committee! (More names to be announced…)
➡️ https://t.co/P6TZ9OHgWp ⬅️ pic.twitter.com/RlSWy8OlgX
At last year’s event, artists like Kid Cudi and Travis Scott graced the performance stage; activists, innovators, and entertainers like DeRay Mckesson, Ronnie Fieg, Ice Cube, and Jesse Williams participated in our in-depth panel discussion series ComplexCon(versations), and the biggest and best brands in the world showed out with incredible retail displays and exclusive drops.
All told, the two-day event attracted over 35,000 fans, 200 exhibitors, 34 performances, and 75 speakers. This year, we look to expand on the experience for attendees through collaboration.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be pulling back the curtain to unveil additional host committee members as well as performance lineups, programming, and activations you’ll be able to experience at ComplexCon this year.
The second annual ComplexCon will take place Nov. 4-5 in Long Beach, California. For more information, visit ComplexCon.com.
