Where creators, innovators, and communities converge to build the next era of economic growth.
X5 is a year-round global convergence platform for creators, innovators, and communities. Through integrated programming, capital activation, and statewide engagement, X5 transforms ideas into lasting impact.
Anchored by a flagship experience and supported by three regional activations, X5 activates culture, enterprise, capital, and community simultaneously — not in isolation.
Stay ConnectedArtists, founders, engineers, and storytellers are stakeholders, not participants — gaining direct access to capital, collaborators, and audiences.
Up to 20% of proceeds will be allocated back to the X5 community through awards, recognition, and monetary incentives that elevate achievement and reward excellence.
Positioned to become a global convergence hub by 2034, aligned with major international visibility including the Winter Olympics.
One integrated economic engine activating culture, enterprise, capital, and community simultaneously.
The differentiator that expands X5 beyond a traditional festival — activating enterprise budgets, venture capital, and global industry engagement.
Expanding film into a full-spectrum creative ecosystem, placing creators at the center of storytelling, content creation, and monetization.
Integrating capital deployment with community impact through structured venture programming and public-private partnerships.
The flagship creative industries activation under X5 — a disruptive, community-driven model showcasing galleries alongside independent studios, sculptors, and a major Indigenous artist pavilion.
Featuring fine art and performances from University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, Springville Museum, and more.
Visit Salt Lake Art Show
From Ogden to St. George, X5 activates creators, innovators, and communities across Utah — not a single city event, but a statewide convergence.
Built by recognized leaders across arts, culture, enterprise, and innovation.
Jeremy L. Christensen is the founder and chairman of X5, leading the vision to establish Utah as a global convergence hub connecting culture, enterprise, capital, and community. His work driving the X5 platform represents a long-term commitment to positioning Utah as a year-round economic engine beyond the single-industry festival model, with a target of $150M+ in annual statewide economic impact within 3–5 years.
David Steenhoek drives the creative vision of X5, connecting artists, storytellers, and designers to the broader innovation economy. He believes creativity is the foundation of every breakthrough — that before there is innovation or transformation, there is creation. His work at X5 ensures that the platform's cultural programming is inseparable from its enterprise and capital ambitions.
Joe Ross leads X5's enterprise and technology strategy, connecting innovators across sectors with capital and real-world deployment pathways. He sees X5 as a system, not a single event — one designed to ensure that ideas move from concept to reality, and that economic value circulates statewide. His focus spans energy, AI, aerospace, and advanced industry converging alongside creative expression.
Kevin O'Keefe is the founder and CEO of Peaks Art Fairs LLC, parent company of the Reno Tahoe International Art Show and the Salt Lake Art Show — the anchor activation of X5's Creative Industries cluster. The Salt Lake Art Show (May 14–17, 2026) brings together over 50 galleries, more than 100 artists, universities, nonprofits, and collectors in an immersive, marketplace-driven experience rooted in Utah's rich art culture.
Julia Levitan is an arts entrepreneur, producer, performer, and cultural strategist dedicated to creating transformative experiences that inspire connection across generations and communities. She is the founder and CEO of the Eden Arts & Immersive Media Festival, a next-generation cultural platform at the intersection of the performing arts, immersive technology, film, and emerging media. She is also the co-founder and CEO of iCadenza and Cadenza Artists, two ventures that have generated over $25 million in sales and supporting thousands of artists in building sustainable, values-driven careers. A trained operatic soprano and active performer, Julia holds an M.S. in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego and three B.A. degrees from Tufts University, where she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa.
Organizations powering the X5 global convergence platform.
X5 exists to bring people together around the opportunities of the future. When creators, technologists, entrepreneurs, and communities come together in the same environment, entirely new possibilities begin to take shape.
Before there is innovation or transformation, there is creation. Artists, storytellers, and designers help people see possibilities before they exist. That is the spirit of X5.
This is a system, not a single event. By connecting innovators across sectors and linking creators to capital, X5 ensures that ideas move from concept to reality, and that economic value circulates statewide.
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