Rovinj will once again become a meeting point for the regional and international business scene at the end of September, but this time in a format that clearly reflects how industries are increasingly overlapping. Alongside the central Weekend.19, the program expands into a total of eight specialized festivals: Tech.Weekend, HR.Weekend, Finance.Weekend, Investment.Weekend, Energy.Weekend, as well as two new formats – Health.Weekend and Education.Weekend.
This structure is not just a program expansion, but a reflection of market reality in which key topics can no longer be contained within a single industry. Artificial intelligence, health, education, or energy today function as interconnected systems, and this very framework becomes the core content of Weekend.19.
A program that follows change, not categories
This year’s edition already announces a combination of global and regional perspectives, with a focus on topics shaping social and business dynamics.
Among the confirmed speakers is James Bloodworth, whose work explores contemporary masculinity, social inequality, and online subcultures. His book Lost Boys examines the crisis of modern masculinity through the lens of loneliness, radicalization, and digital communities, directly connecting to broader societal shifts that influence both markets and communication.
Fredrik Haren is also coming to Weekend.19, internationally recognized as one of the leading speakers on business creativity. His focus is not on creativity as inspiration, but as an operational skill that defines competitiveness in rapidly changing market conditions.
A technological perspective is brought by Laura Bermudez, with experience in companies such as PayPal, eBay, and Carta. Her focus is on the transformation of complex digital systems in an era where data, infrastructure, and AI are becoming the foundation of business.
A regional perspective is brought by a panel dedicated to the film Svadba, featuring Rene Bitorajac, Dragan Bjelogrlić, Anđelka Stević Žugić, Igor Šeregi, and Ivan Kelava, opening the question of how the development and execution of regional film projects looks today – from idea to set.
The program is also joined by Milena Radulović, who will speak about working across regional and international productions, including differences in professional standards, expectations, and pressures on set.
New formats for topics that move beyond their industries
Two new festival segments further expand the focus of Weekend.19.
Health.Weekend approaches health beyond the framework of medicine as a profession, observing it through the lens of technology, system organization, and changes in service delivery. The focus is on how digital solutions and artificial intelligence redefine the relationship between patients, systems, and the industry.
Education.Weekend introduces education as a key economic and societal issue. The platform brings together academia and industry at a time when the labor market demands new competencies, and artificial intelligence is transforming how knowledge is acquired and transferred.
A format that cannot be replicated online
Since its inception, Weekend.19 has built its value through a combination of content and informal interactions. The program begins on stage, but a crucial part of the event takes place beyond it – through conversations, encounters, and spontaneous connections that often lead to concrete projects and collaborations.
It is precisely this combination of curated content and open networking space that positions Weekend.19 as one of the most relevant regional events for industries that can no longer be viewed in isolation.
