200 delegates from the music, tech and startup worlds gathered at Petram Resort & Residences in Umag, Croatia, last month.
The second edition of Bridge Conference brought 200 delegates from the music, technology, startup, tourism and creative industries to Croatia’s Istrian coast for three days of programming, closing with a tangible result: of more than 50 startups that pitched during the conference’s accelerator programme, 11 have been shortlisted by lead partner Jukebox Ventures for further talks and potential investment.
This year’s edition was held in partnership with Jukebox Ventures, the music-focused startup accelerator and investment platform.
“I came back so inspired, there was so much talent in the room,” said Alex Jukes, Founder and CEO of Jukebox Ventures. “We’ve really built something special there for the first year of doing it as Jukebox Ventures… we’ve found 11 projects that we wanna continue further talking to and hopefully, invest further into.”
The programme drew senior figures from across the live and recorded music business, including Maria May (Head of Electronic, Creative Artists Agency) and Steve Hogan (Agent & Partner, WME), who opened the second day with a keynote on electronic music’s rise from underground scenes to global stages. Further sessions brought together leaders from Sziget, Boom Festival, Yourope, Sony Music Latin-Iberia, Pollstar and the International Live Music Conference.
Artificial intelligence ran throughout the programme – from “Ticketing 2.0: How AI is Revolutionizing the Ticket Journey” to “The Human Edge: Why Belonging Beats Engagement in the Age of AI,” which weighed technology’s reach against the value of authentic human connection. Other panels tackled the financial realities of building events, data-led artist development, music tourism, women’s leadership across the industry, and sustainability.
“When we launched Bridge, we hoped to create a place where the future of the industry could be shaped through real human connections,” said Dušan Kovačević, Founder and CEO of EXIT Festival Group. “This year, seeing startups pitch their ideas, investors discover new opportunities and industry leaders begin new conversations showed us that the future is already being built here.”
Held overlooking the Adriatic, the conference paired high-level sessions with networking events, gala dinners, sunset meetups and its signature La Dolce Vita evenings. Jennifer Cochrane (CEO, Getahead; Booker, EXIT Festival Group) called this year’s edition “nothing short of outstanding,” adding the team is “already looking forward to what next year will bring.”
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