Heckler set to host ‘Collision // East x West’ at SXSW Sydney next Thursday, October 17

To celebrate an evening of creativity, tech and music, Heckler is set to host ‘Collision // East x West’ as part of this year’s SXSW Sydney event on Thursday, 17 October.

Spotlighting West Australian tech, creativity and hospitality, the event will focus on ten Western Australian founders in the tech world as they pitch their startups as part of West Tech Fest’s delegation to SXSW Sydney.

The pitch will be followed by an epic night of experimentation as creativity, tech and music collide in a showcase from Australia’s new immersive experience and entertainment collective – Supergiant, along with a line-up of awesome musicians from Western Australia.

Heckler co-founder and executive producer, Will Alexander, says: “You don’t need to ask me twice to get behind a great SXSW Sydney event and to promote the creative talents of a region in Australia I really admire.”

The opportunity to host Collision // East x West was borne out of Heckler’s 10-year partnership with Western Australia’s leading creative festival, Emergence Creative, and hosting Re-Emergence pop-up events in both Sydney and Singapore over the past few years.

Alexander explains: “WA is teaming with top entrepreneurial talent and it’s my pleasure to bring this creative ambition to the forefront. Emergence went into hibernation during the pandemic, and we had our first delegation and festival conference in March 2024. Now back with a bang, we have events planned not only for SXSW Sydney but also next year in Singapore to coincide with the country’s 60th Anniversary of Independence.”

Mat Lewis, Director of Creative Tech Village and Chair of Emergence Creative, adds: “Will and Heckler’s collaboration with Emergence Creative has been instrumental in creating future networks both here and further abroad in Southeast Asia.

“It’s so important that creativity is a priority in the fields of tech and innovation and cultivating opportunities for future skills in this space is paramount for the development of our next generation of artists and creatives; cross pollinating ideas to bring our best creative minds together.”

Western Australia Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, Stephen Dawson, says: “The Cook Government is committed to making our State a global hub for invention, investment, innovation and impact. Supporting local founders to attend the SXSW Sydney reinforces this commitment and will enable the brightest minds in our local innovation ecosystem to meet, learn and collaborate with entrepreneurs from across the world.”

All the fun will be fuelled by everyone’s favourite Margaret River beer and wine.

Collision // East x West Event Details:
Date: Thursday, 17 Oct, 5:30pm – 9:30pm AEDT
Location: Hecker, Paramount House Hotel
5.30pm: Investor and Founders arrival
6.00pm: Pitch from WA founders to Investor network
7.00pm: Q&A
7.30pm: EAST X WEST COAST COLLISION EVENT
RSVP: Please register here – https://events.humanitix.com/wtf-collision-east-x-west-sxsw