CultureCon is the brainchild of former Atlantan Imani Ellis, who wanted to develop a meeting place for “creatives” of color.
The first Atlanta version will be held Saturday, May 7 at 787 Windsor in southwest Atlanta, “in a beautiful mixed-use warehouse vibe with indoor and outdoor space,” Ellis said.
The event will feature workshops, interactive activations and a small business market. Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss and actor Jay Ellis are expected to be interviewed on the main stage.
Some events leading up to CultureCon will be held during the week, including parties, happy hours and private dinners.
Credit: PUBLICITY
Credit: PUBLICITY
“You can show up and be your full self and network,” Ellis said in a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “You don’t have to feel intimidated by the titles. You can talk about loving animé and also being a banker. You can connect with people authentically and not have to hide behind a business card.”
Tickets are available at theccnyc.com though as of Monday, it appears to be sold out. About 2,000 people are expected to attend.
Sponsors hosting workshops and panels include TikTok, Audible, Instagram, ad agency Wieden+Kennedy and LinkedIn. Events will vary in size, Ellis said.
“We’ve had film directors meet actors meet graphic designers,” she said. “Projects have come out of it.”
The first CultureCon was held in New York in 2017, and conventions are planned for Los Angeles and New York later this year. Tracee Ellis Ross and Spike Lee have shown up to previous CultureCons.
Ellis, a 2008 Collins Hill High School graduate and now a New York City resident, also previously worked in public relations for Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta” and now calls herself on Twitter a “ninja publicist & culture strategist.”
She said she’s excited to be back in Atlanta, where her sister and parents still reside.
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