Creative gurus join heads in the South-West Creative minds will visit Margaret River for the first-ever Emergence Creative Festival. Some of the world's best creative minds will visit Margaret River for the inaugural Emergence Creative Festival next month. SOME of the worlds best creative minds will visit Margaret River for the inaugural Emergence Creative Festival next month. Creatives, entrepreneurs and techs from the advertising,communications, music, film, digital and design industries will take over the grounds of Leeuwin Estate and Cape Mentelle to debate and divulge the future impact technology and digital on creative industries. View the Emergence Creative Festival program here The South West Development Commission funded the festival for its inaugural year. South West Development Commission Tradestart advisor and Emergence chairman Mat Lewis hoped the festival would develop into a sustainable long-term event. " (We want to) further develop the Creative Corner, a hub for the creative industries in the South West, as well as highlighting the creative talent that is already established in the region," he said. Emergence Creative program director Paula Taylor said technology was developing faster than anyone imagined. "It's opening up new opportunities, reinventing business models, disrupting industries and breaking down the boundaries of how we work locally and globally," she said. Emergence is a festival with forward thinking vision, promoting creative living in a globally connected world. With more than two dozen speakers already on the bill, the event is a big drawcard for the creative industries already in its opening year. Participants will see screenings of great creative work, take part in collaborative sessions, beach breakfasts, as well as some of the South-West's gems, including surf competitions and winery dinners within Margaret River wine region. Emergence's partner event Mai Tai, founded by Bill Tai and Susi Mai, is also bringing high profile Silicon Valley investors, techs and entrepreneurs to WA to kiteboard and join the event. Keynote speakers include: * Bill Tai - leading venture capitalist and "kite boarding king" of Silicon Valley, * Mike Rosenstein - producer of Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films * Shane RJ Walter - creative director, co-founder and CEO of onedotzero, a London-based "digital creativity initiative," * Agnello Dias - co-founder of Taproot Media Mumbai, one of India's hottest independent agencies * Richard Bullock - director at Prodigy and Hungry Man film companies. Mr Lewis said Emergence was billed as 'anti-conference' but its focus on collaboration has attracted strategic partners, including 32 Degrees South Group, Screenwest, The West Australian Music Association, The Communications Council, AGDA, SAE and Quantum. News Limited and PerthNow are also proud partners within the Regional Entrepreneurship category. Other supporters include Campaign Brief, Augusta Margaret River Tourism Bureau, Scott Print, Jack in the Box, the Shire of Augusta and Margaret River, Department of Commerce, Cape Mentelle, CISCO and Margaret River Press. Telstra is also on board to help support social activities, events and gala dinners throughout the festival. For more information on the festival or to register your interest visit www.emergencecreative.com or www.facebook.com/emergencecreative.