Connect is inviting organizations, companies, cultural institutions, community partners, startups, artists, universities, venues, and ecosystem leaders to submit proposals for programming as part of IDEA Week San Diego.
IDEA stands for Innovation, Discovery, Expression, and Art. This week is designed to showcase the people, companies, ideas, creative work, and breakthrough thinking that make San Diego one of the most vibrant innovation regions in the country.
Through IDEA Week, Connect aims to bring together San Diego’s innovation and arts communities for a weeklong experience that is bigger than any one organization could create alone.
We are seeking partners who want to host, produce, or collaborate on events under the IDEA Week umbrella and help create a dynamic, citywide celebration of creativity, technology, science, entrepreneurship, and culture.
Connect is seeking proposals for events, activations, showcases, conversations, performances, demonstrations, panels, workshops, receptions, tours, and community experiences that align with one or more of the following themes.
Programs highlighting startups, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, investment, research, business growth, and the future of industry.
Experiences focused on science, research, education, exploration, talent, new ideas, and breakthrough thinking.
Events that elevate storytelling, design, creativity, identity, communication, leadership, and cultural perspective.
Programming that showcases visual art, performance, music, film, immersive experiences, design, creative technology, and San Diego’s broader arts community.
Selected partners will have the opportunity to host programming as part of the official IDEA Week San Diego calendar. Connect will help unify the week through shared branding, coordinated promotion, community awareness, and broader ecosystem engagement.
Partners may propose events that are already in development, new concepts created specifically for IDEA Week, or collaborative programming with other organizations.
Each proposal should include the following information so Connect can evaluate fit, feasibility, timing, audience, and promotional needs.
Connect will review proposals based on alignment with the IDEA Week mission, ability to engage San Diego’s innovation and arts communities, event feasibility, and partner readiness to plan, market, and execute.
Selected partners will be responsible for planning and executing their individual event unless otherwise agreed upon. This may include venue coordination, speaker or artist management, production, staffing, registration, catering, permits, and day-of operations.
Connect will provide IDEA Week branding materials, inclusion in the official event calendar, and promotional support through Connect’s communication channels as appropriate.
Proposals are due by end of day on Friday, Aug. 29, 2026. Submit your event for consideration as part of IDEA Week San Diego.