Confluence takes place on Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23, at Rosa Parks
Circle in Grand Rapids.
GRAND RAPIDS – Ferris State University is among the West Michigan organizations partnering in Confluence. The festival connects the art, music, science and technology worlds through programs and shared experiences to play a role in its event on Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23, at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids.
Ferris, the presenting sponsor of the Maker Expo on Saturday, Sept. 23, will highlight its product design and engineering technologies in collaboration with its Kendall College of Art and Design.
“The opportunity to build upon our partnership with Confluence provides a showcase for the cutting-edge work of our faculty,” said Bobby Fleischman, Ferris’ provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “We engage students in technology and design spaces as they prepare for careers in exciting industries that continue to evolve in West Michigan.”
Ferris further plans to co-produce the Confluence esports competition to showcase the full range of its students’ gaming capabilities, highlighting everything from competition to casting to production.
“As we expand our footprint in Grand Rapids as ‘One Ferris,’ Confluence also allows us to introduce K-12 students to our new esports business degree program, student e-sport organizations, our School of Digital Media and Kendall College of Art and Design’s programming,” Fleischman said.
To date, event sponsors include Ferris, Grand Valley State University, Steelcase, JR Automation, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, City of Grand Rapids, Consumers Energy, Technology Council of West Michigan, Spartan Innovations, Atomic Object, Warner Norcross + Judd, Gentex, and New Belgium Brewing. Media partners include WOOD TV8, Grand Rapids Magazine and WGVU Public Media.
Confluence, founded in 2021, is a multi-dimensional ideas festival that merges art, music, science and technology to support and celebrate the region’s innovation ecosystem and creative thinkers as they build a better tomorrow. Confluence features a range of experiential programming throughout the spring and fall.
Click Confluence for more information about the event in Grand Rapids.