Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt at the premiere of The Fall Guy during SXSW 2024

“ I hope you realize you didn’t come to a concert, but to a developer conference! ” That’s how the undisputed star of generative AI , Jensen Huang, CEO of the world’s leading semiconductor company Nvidia, addressed 11,000 spectators last month at his highly anticipated presentation of new products at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. At this first event since the pandemic, the businessman clearly enjoyed himself in front of a packed arena, usually more frequented by Justin Timberlake fans or supporters of the local hockey team. Clearly inspired, the CEO continued his line of thought, extending the metaphor, not without a touch of irony, about his male fans resembling “ swifties ,” he emphasized, a clear nod to Taylor Swift. While most major tech fairs go overboard with entertainment, promising celebrity appearances and countless concerts to draw crowds, there was no showcase from the American icon on the program that day. But there was only one star in sight: the Nvidia chip. Or rather, its 2024 model: the super Blackwell chip, 30 times more powerful.

But not everyone is lucky enough to occupy the top spot in today's most strategic market. Since the health crisis, attendance at major international trade shows has slowed considerably, following the fully digital editions of 2021 and the cascade of cancellations in 2022, such as at CES in Las Vegas, after the surge in Omicron infections. Held every year in early January, the most prestigious show on the Strip has always been this grand gathering of geeks, a vast fair of gadgets. It was on its stage that innovations like the VCR in 1971 and the DVD in 1996 were unveiled… Yet the mega-fair, which boasted over 4,000 exhibitors, 180,000 visitors, and 7500 journalists before the pandemic, where you could bump into Stevie Wonder in the aisles or attend a talk by Neil Young or 50 Cent, seems to have lost some of its hype… Less exuberance, fewer products too. But this is the United States: “ the show must go on! ” And so it was. Last January, with a star-studded lineup , a red carpet, and dazzling name-dropping , technology and Hollywood joined forces! Who better than Iron Man, aka Robert Downey Jr., to embody this union? The American actor, who won an Oscar for his supporting role in Oppenheimer, had made the trip to Vegas, as had Evan Spiegel, former NBA star Blake Griffin, and the rappers of the Wu-Tang Clan. Will.I.Am was also seen taking the stage alongside Shelly Palmer and celebrity chef Esther Choi, who gave a demonstration on a new smart grill. Happy hours, DJ sets, VIP parties, and live music awaited visitors along the Strip as night fell. For the privileged few , the place to be was Ludacris, the king of hip-hop. The multi-Grammy Award winner made a guest appearance at the Amazon party.

Hot on the heels of CES, newcomers have emerged in the market of trade shows, conferences, and other summits, most of them capitalizing on the same rise in entertainment. Like the Cannes Film Festival, doing business is no longer incompatible with having fun. Closing a big deal by day and hitting the dance floor until dawn is now commonplace. Another good example: the Lisbon Web Summit rides the wave of the irresistible lifestyle of Portugal's trendiest city, a veritable incubator for some of Europe's most active startups, promising a special program for its night owls called "The Night Summit." An intoxicating immersion in Lisbon's nightlife, as described by Edward Cooper, the head of the neobank Revolut and a regular attendee: " The Night Summit in three words? Closing deals ." QED. The formula hits the mark.

Yet it's not new. For nearly 40 years, the festival called South by Southwest (a nod to Alfred Hitchcock's film North by Northwest), rooted in one of North America's strongholds of alternative culture, has built its success on the same formula: the enthusiasm of tech professionals for a city of ultra-cool artists and students, brimming with creativity. In the heart of the cultural desert of the conservative state of Texas, the kingdom of rodeo and oil, the liberal oasis of Austin has long cultivated its distinctiveness and sense of community. As the old slogan goes: " Keep Austin Weird "... In Austin, the " live music capital of the world ," with its hundreds of music clubs, they've never joked around when it comes to guitars. Willie Nelson and Janis Joplin were locals. Regulars speak of an unshakeable spirit of eccentricity and freedom. And to find the most obvious expression of this energy, you have to walk the aisles of SXSW... Created in 1987, the multidisciplinary festival (music, film, technology) has always excelled at blending genres, brilliantly bringing together, in a single edition, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Lady Gaga, and Damon Albarn, or, in another year, the Obamas, Queen Latifah, and Missy Elliott, not to mention the fringe program... Over the years, the event has grown in scale, particularly in its tech sector, becoming one of the most cutting-edge venues in the field of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), even if it means losing some of its spontaneity. Yet, it still retains that certain cool something. Some concerts and parties are still accessible without a badge—the dress code is less formal than elsewhere—and that famous diversity in the programming remains. Seen at the 2024 edition: Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling for the premiere of "The Fall Guy," Selena Gomez sharing her insights during a panel discussion on the power of good mental health, Nicolas Cage and Conor McGregor in the midst of a promotional tour, and The Black Keys headlining a dazzling lineup of concerts in local clubs... France also had its say, notably with the presence of the electronic duo Justice, who came to discuss their upcoming album, Hyperdrama. The next event is scheduled for the end of June, this time on the Croisette in Cannes, to take the pulse of the new trends shaping this fruitful alliance between business and entertainment, in which the Cannes Film Festival excels. It would be a lie to say that, amidst the canapés and glasses of champagne, served with chic elegance in the most glamorous settings—luxury hotel terraces, private villas, and yachts—no one comes to draw a great deal of inspiration.