Luxury brand strategy and public relations agency, Issa PR has been appointed to handle the launch of Finnish Tech Design and Art’s (FTDA) partnership with the Mondo Music & Technology Industry Conference. Musical artists GEA, and IRENE, and technology innovations Musicinfo, Eligo.Live, We Encourage Education, Spaces of Stillness and Sonic Peace will all be taking part in the three-day festival on October 15-18 at the Williamsburg Hotel in Brooklyn. Mondo connects fans and creators in a shared mission of empowering artists and advancing ideas in an ever-changing music business and technology landscape. FTDA is a non-profit organization that promotes outstanding Finnish creativity to the American market. Issa PR will handle media relations, VIP seeding and invitations, and on-site event management.
Mondo features some of today’s top music and tech industry insiders, innovators, emerging artists, and fans. Over the three days and four nights, 1,700 business conference delegates, and 7,000 concert attendees will be brought together with music, technology, business heavyweights and innovators, helping to shape what’s next in the world of music, media, pop culture and technology. Rolling Stone will be partnering with Mondo 2019 on an exclusive business content track, as well as curating essential music business panel content during the music industry conference on October 17 at Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Hotel. Finnish Tech, Design and Art is also collaborating with the American Guild of Music Supervisors for the first time this year. Their previous annual event, the House of Finland showcased Finnish innovation, sustainability and integrity to an exclusive NY audience of key decision makers, investors and top-tier media.
“We are thrilled to be working with Issa PR on this exciting series of events and thought leadership in the US. Their impressive track record representing a diverse range of clients makes them widely known as one of the leading agencies in the industry” said Director of FTDA, Laura Avonius. “Issa PR’s years of experience in the industry, attention to detail, strategy for storytelling, and flawless execution establishes we are in good hands.”
“Issa PR is honored to have been selected to represent FTDA’s presence at the 2019 Mondo Music & Technology Industry Conference. We are excited to be working with breakthrough Finnish artists GEA, and IRENE, as our passion for bringing people together in a creative space, while supporting emerging artists is long standing. Mondo’s mission aligns with our company philosophy of helping to shape and grow innovation, as well as the music, and tech industry.” said Viet N’Guyen, CEO and founder of Issa PR.
Mondo will showcase over 100 breakthrough artists and 150 speakers from around the world, and across the USA. Featuring 100 multi-genre artist live showcases, 40 panels, meet-ups, and networking sessions at 12 venues, with 10 participating international territories. Some of the iconic NYC venues include: Arlene’s Grocery, Berlin, Bowery Electric, Brooklyn Bowl, The Delancey, DROM, Knitting Factory, Pianos, United Palace and more.
Highlighted artists in this year’s festival include – Finnish electro-folk, and art pop singer GEA. With a sound described as light, airy, and full of magic and mystery – GEA is a storyteller from the north. She creates and performs electro-acoustic fairy music. Her unique vision and innate ability to fuse acoustic and electronic musical worlds together, combined with her angelic voice, creates completely new transformational sonic experiences. Her unique sound has led her to perform almost in every continent. Her music is cinematic, atmospheric and visual. She also expands her musical vision into a visual form and her first self-produced music video “Alone,” which won a Hollywood International Golden Film Award 2017 for best editing. In addition, one of her newest songs was recently featured on the Emmy Award-winning director, Michele Josue’s hit Netflix series “Happy Jail”. She has also been featured in The Huffington Post, and is currently publishing two poetry and art books. During this year’s Mondo Festival she will be launching her “Spaces of Stillness” concept – an innovative new way to connect with an artist’s music while also providing sound healing.
Another featured artist is IRENE – crafting minimalistic, raw, sensual and powerful nordic electro-pop tunes. Having grown up in a small Finnish town near the Arctic Circle, IRENE is no stranger to raw extremes. She navigates between the light and the dark, the visible and the invisible worlds. Her music emerges from the silence of wilderness, holding the space with her light-filled melancholia. IRENE’s first music video “Keep on Walking” is a purifying pop-shamanic ritual, where she sends her old grand piano up in flames. Her debut was released in November 2017 and the Nordic Spotify playlists picked it immediately onto the key playlists such as: “Nordic Queendom of Pop” and “Brand New Names” and “New Alternative Pop”. It emerged immediately on the list of Finland’s 50 most viral tracks. YleX, a national radio channel part of Finnish Broadcasting Company, acclaimed the song “eery, ethereal, moody and lingering”, praising IRENE’s unique, recognizable voice and original sound color and has been playing her music ever since.
IRENE is known from her strong lyric writing – as a master of arts in literature and a talented renaissance woman, she writes multi-layered songs full of stark emotion. She is currently working on her full-length album to be released in 2020, and her new song SKYBOUND will premiere at Pianos on 16th Oct in New York. IRENE will also be launching her ambient sound healing tech startup at Mondo.
The highly anticipated “Hottest New Tech From Finland” seminar will include five of the most dynamic new startups from Finland: Musicinfo, a digital distribution service for indie musicians and labels to China; Eligo.live, a Social marketplace for consuming and trading digital memorabilia; We Encourage Education, which uses the latest technology to enable education and prevent forced marriage; Spaces of Stillness, an immersive music distribution and sound healing innovation and Sonic Peace, a mobile app which is an artist-driven contender to mainstream concepts like Calm and Headspace. Forbes says “The World Happiness Report named Finland the happiest place to live, but it’s also a hotbed for entrepreneurs and a thriving technology industry – for a few key reasons.” “The Hottest New Tech from Finland” seminar introduces a handful of awarded rising stars and innovations from the fields of digital music distribution, AI, blockchain and AR. Speakers include: Anna Juusela, Founder & Operational Leader, We Encourage Education, Juri Kobayashi, Artist Relations Manager, Musicinfo, Sami Peltola, CEO, Eligo.Live, Laura Avonius, Founder & Artist, Spaces of Stillness and Jutta Irene Ruonansuu, Artist, Sonic Peace.
Special Event Schedule
Mondo Showcase Concert: “Female Voices from Finland, co-presented by the Guild of Music Supervisors”
- Wednesday, October 16
- 7:00pm IRENE, 8:00pm GEA, 9:00pm Anni
- Pianos:158 Ludlow St, New York, NY (Downstairs, Main Stage)
The Hottest New Tech From Finland
- Thursday, October 17
- Williamsburg Hotel: 96 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY
- 2:00pm
- Panelists / Speakers: Eligo.live, Sami Peltola; Musicinfo, Juri Kobayashi; We Encourage Education, Anna Juusela; Spaces of Stillness by GEA, Laura Avonius; Sonic Peace, Jutta Irene Ruonansuu
Sync Drinks by The Guild of Music Supervisors
- Thursday, October 17
- 7:00pm
- Chloe 81: 81 Ludlow St, New York, NY
- **The artists will be attending a private music presentation session with The Guild of Music Supervisors prior to the Sync Drinks from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
FTDA Co-Produced Event with Kota-Alliance
- Saturday, October 19
- 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Ignite Vulnerability Event – Empower Yourself and Be the Change
- Saturday, October 19
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm Discussion
- 1:00pm – 1:45pm Sound Empowerment Session / Interactive Concert: GEA, Anni & IRENE
- 2pm #Breakthemold Photography Sessions
- Centre for Social Innovation, 601 W 26th St #325, New York, NY
- Artists will be hosting a meet-and-greet. Free hands-on networking, and brainstorming lounge continues until 6:00pm
Special Evening Event with Anni, GEA, IRENE
- Sunday, October 20
- Pianos: 158 Ludlow St, New York, NY (Upstairs)
