If you’re in town for Beyoncé’s four nights of concerts or just looking to tap into Atlanta’s eclectic creative scene, there’s another experience you’ll want to add to your weekend plans.
Heat Wave isn’t your typical networking mixer or event. Happening Saturday, July 12, this immersive arts and culture gathering will bring together tastemakers across fashion, music, entertainment and business.
“The main goal of it is to get people to connect on an intentional level,” said Kaylyn Fudge, founder of Blk Book Studio, the creative marketing agency behind the inaugural event. “I hate the word networking. I think naturally when you put the right people in the room together, it’s bound to happen and not in such a pushy way. Like, I don’t want it to feel like, ‘Oh, we’re networking today.’ It’s not stuffy.”
Heat Wave, she said, is about celebrating the people who are making waves in Atlanta — and doing it in a way that feels organic.
Fudge first tested the Heat Wave concept last year with a low-key invite-only mixer, then doubled down in June with Heat Index — a bold, high-style preview of what’s coming this Saturday.
That vision evolved into Heat Wave, which she describes as equal parts party and purpose. Throughout the night, guests can expect DJs, a performance from rapper Will Hill, an immersive photo wall and a celebratory toast honoring the “Hot List 15,” an inaugural class of standout creators and leaders.
Among them are Keyeriah Miles, who launched golf collective Ladies Who Golf, and Brandon Jenkins, creative director of Meals on Wheels Atlanta.
While the night will honor trailblazers, Fudge emphasized that Heat Wave is designed for everyone. The timing between Beyoncé’s concerts was no accident. She hopes to attract both locals and visitors to Atlanta.
“I want everyone to feel like they belong in the room,” she said. “Atlanta is full of people who come here to build something. When you curate a space with intention, the right connections happen naturally.”
After Heat Wave, she plans to take a pause — maybe even a vacation — before exploring new projects. But she’s already thinking about how to evolve the concept for next year.
“At the end of the day, I want this to be more than a moment,” she said. “I want it to be something that keeps inspiring people to show up, connect and keep creating. And how that looks every year may be different.”
If you go
6-10 p.m. Saturday. V12, 610 Spring St., Atlanta. 404-808-2067, posh.vip/e/heat-wave-8
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