SPEAKERS

For 25 years Johan Moerman led Rotterdam Festivals, the organisation responsible for the annual event calender, event policy and – support in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Rotterdam Festivals also produces Audience Development services for the cultural sector.  Before starting Rotterdam Festivals, he was Deputy Director of the Rotterdam Arts Council.  The International Festivals and Events Association called him ‘One of the most respected voices in the industry’. 

With 40 years of experience in the cultural sector, Johan now helps cities and cultural organizations further in their development. Concepts that maximize the results for both festival organisers and their cities are his specialty. Festivals can help cities to strengthen their attractiveness and image, to increase community pride and to develop neighbourhoods.

João Garcia Miguel began his journey in Fine Arts – Painting at FBAUL (Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon), later developing an interdisciplinary path in performing arts as a director, actor, screenwriter and set designer, while maintaining connections to painting, installation, video and urban intervention. He holds a PhD in Painting and Performance from FBAUL (2017) with “Performance Body and Unconscious,” combining creative activity with artistic direction. In 2002, he founded CJGM, a contemporary creation company that researches artistic development in performing arts, based on three axes: creation, editing and training.

As an actor, notable works include “Love is Fucked,” “Maritime Ode,” “Waiting for Godot,” “The Spies I Made” and “Fado Donald.” He was Artistic Director of Teatro Cine de Torres Vedras (2002-2016), Novas Invasões Festival and World Accordion Festival (2015-2022), President of the Iberian Theatre Association (2016-2022) and, since 2022, Artistic Director of CAC in Torres Vedras. He has collaborated with Miguel Borges, Sara Ribeiro, David Pereira Bastos, João Lagarto, Duarte Melo, Oceana Basílio, Manuel João Vieira, Beatriz Godinho, Soraia Tavares, Lara Guidetti, Mário Laginha, Rafael Zink, Augusto Marin, Lucrecia Paco, Tomás Bié, Francisca Mirrine, Mai Júli, Preta Ferreira, Chico Diaz, José Trassi, Petrônio Gontijo, Ademir Emboava, Lena Roque, Sean O’Callaghan, Anton Skrzypiciel, Miguel Moreira, Tónan Quito, Custódia Gallego, Paula Só, Paula Diogo, Inês Rosado, Sara de Castro, Paula Liberatti, Annette Naiman, Hugo Marmelada and Visões Úteis, among other national and international creators. He has been teaching at Portuguese and foreign universities since 2003. Founder of Cosmic Cannibalism, ZDB Gallery and OLHO, he was distinguished with the FAD Sebastià Gasch Prize (2008) and Best Direction Prize SPA with “Yerma” (2014).

Suzana Durão is currently Executive Director of Companhia João Garcia Miguel, a Portuguese Contemporary Theatre Company with more than 20 years of activity. She is known for Mockingbird, a consultant specializing in the management of digital transformation projects in the field of Culture, particularly at DGARTES where she has been accompanying the technological modernization of management support platforms for 6 years. With an international career in global markets, she worked at large multinationals such as Avast Antivirus in Prague, with extensive experience in management, marketing and digital areas. She holds a degree in Art History (NOVA University of Lisbon) and is pursuing a master’s degree in Culture, Communication and Information Technologies (ISCTE, Lisbon). She also holds a Leadership in Innovation certificate (INSEAD).

With over 30 years in the Estonian music scene as both a musician and entrepreneur, Lauri Laubrehas shaped the region’s cultural landscape. He is the founder of Piletilevi, the largest ticketing network in the Baltics and Eastern Europe (including Biļešu Serviss in Latvia). His career spans creating some of Estonia’s most iconic live music and dance clubs, founding the country’s widest-reaching commercial radio network (B3), producing over ten pop albums, and managing artists.

Lauri has brought world-famous stars to the Baltics, including Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, and Queen. He is currently developing Polaris Arena, a large nature-based venue set to open in 2027. In 2023, he released Northodoxian, a unique progressive rock album entirely written and produced by himself.

One of the leading figures in Latvia’s startup ecosystem, Anna is the CEO and Chair of the Board at Riga TechGirls, and Co-founder and Executive Director of StartSchool. Her background includes founding design and technology companies such as FROONT, berta.me, and HungryLab. She has also played a vital role in supporting the startup community by establishing the co-creation space THE MILL, serving on the board of TechHub Riga, and advocating for gender equality in tech. Under her leadership, the Riga TechGirls community has supported over 50,000 women in developing IT skills.

Since 2018, Pauls has been actively involved in Latvia’s startup and IT sectors. He has worked for organizations such as TechHub Riga, TechChill, and Helve. For the past four years, he has been a key team member at Riga TechGirls, where he has led a variety of projects – from monthly community meetups to digital skills training programs with over 2800 participants. He currently serves as a board member and project director.

Before entering the tech and startup scene, Pauls worked as an event coordinator and producer – both in event agencies and at the National Library of Latvia. He also has a background in music journalism and is currently part of the Radio NABA team.

Helmuts Bems is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in developing companies from an idea to international success. He stands out with excellent strategic planning, team-building, and visionary skills, as well as previous experience in venture capital.

Co-founder and CEO of Sonarworks – a multi-award-winning music technology company whose innovations are used by over 200,000 recording studios and numerous Grammy Award–winning sound engineers. The company offers software tools for music creatorsand an app for listeners.

Helmuts has grown the company from its very inception into a globally recognized brand.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and has also studied physics. Driven by big challenges, outside of business he is a passionate mountaineer, kite-surfer, and yoga enthusiast.