Elevate Festival was a hot ticket in Toronto this week and AI was the #1 hot topic. It’s like TIFF for the tech industry, so I was excited to attend!
Simu Liu was an amazing guest speaker at EA and his Q&A still feels top of mind a few years later. His career is so inspiring and I wonder if we ever crossed paths on campus at Western University! I finally saw him live on opening night at Elevate Festival. I love how his internship experience at Weston Bakeries remains so fresh to him, even after all his acting gigs.
“AI’s adoption in Hollywood will be invisible,” said Asteria CEO Bryn Mooser and Moonvalley CEO Naeem Talukdar. AI could star in future business stories as technology reduces production costs and increases box office sales with new workflows for visual effects.
Several speakers effectively contextualized AI within the history of communications. OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane compared it to the printing press because it empowers you to create. He also used the analogy of library books democratizing access to information and inspiring you to brainstorm your own ideas. Likewise, Bryn Mooser and Naeem Talukdar mentioned how laptops made it easier for artists to record music. As for talent, they pointed out how digital cameras affected Kodak as a company more so than photographers overall.
Shopify president Harley Finkelstein also spoke to Super.com CEO Hussein Fazal about AI’s role in retail. However, his most interesting remarks focused on mental health and mentorship. Harley Finkelstein said parents and educators should encourage kids to explore entrepreneurship as a potential career path.
Elevate Festival offered a key opportunity to strengthen weak ties by connecting with some industry leaders in person for the first time. That made networking more productive and meaningful because I’ve already accumulated so many LinkedIn connections with whom I’ve lost touch. In addition to recruiters and marketers, it was great to catch up with Amber Mac!
Going to Meridian Hall for a conference was unusual. Not bad, but strange. Typically, I go to Meridian Hall to see comedians like Taylor Tomlinson and I also loved S Club‘s concert there last year. At comedy shows, the audience isn’t allowed to use phones. The concert was an exception but fans filmed the performance because it was a rare reunion in Toronto.
Despite the stacked lineup of speakers at Elevate Festival, the audience’s attention was divided and some were disengaged. Using their phones to take notes on keynotes would’ve made sense, but many texted friends. This was distracting and disappointing given the high calibre of experts onstage at one of my favourite venues.
Dell’s booth had my favourite swag. Their computer mouse fidget toy reminded me of my hilarious mission to find a wireless mouse, as seen in this video. Plus, my middle school teacher threw out my project about Michael Dell for no apparent reason, so now I can hold onto this.
My experience at Elevate Festival wrapped up in the best possible way: a text from Apple that my new iPhone is on its way. A friendly reminder that you’ll get the best news when you surround yourself with Canadian talent and stop refreshing your email. With the best tech in hand, anything is possible.
Disclosure: I received a pass to Elevate Festival in exchange for review.
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