By Lookout Staff

October 11, 2024 -- LA Tech Week will kick off in Santa Monica Monday with an Innovation Hub Street Fair that will close down a stretch of Ocean Avenue Downtown and an adjacent portion of Palisades Park.

The ticketed even -- sponsored by the City and hosted by StartupStarter -- features live tech activations and the opportunity to meet some of LA’s top investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders.

“Santa Monica is the epicenter of Silicon Beach, and we continue to grow as a hub for innovation, technology and startups,” said Jennifer Taylor, the City's Economic Development Manager.

“We have built a strong tech community here thanks in part to city support including strategic investment in the CityNet dark fiber and community broadband infrastructure. Companies know this is the place their employees want to live, work and play.”

The City’s Information Services and Police and Fire departments are among those showcasing innovations in technology, as well as school robotics programs that are expected to participate.

The fair also features VR/AR activations, a co-working lounge, a sound stage, food trucks, live music and a beer garden, organizers said.

Attendees can also take advantage of a host of special discounts at bars, restaurants and shops throughout downtown Santa Monica with an LA Tech Week Passport provided by Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.

Free tickets were provided to local student groups.

The Street Fair is one of more than 1,000 events hosted locally and throughout the region as part of LA Tech Week presented by venture capital firm a16z, which recently opened a new headquarters in downtown Santa Monica.

"Santa Monica has been a center for innovation in Southern California for more than 30 years with a high concentration of technology start-ups and ground-breaking companies already established, plus a growing number of new businesses choosing to come to Santa Monica," City officials said.

Technology and creative industries make up 34 percent of the city’s total employment with more than 29,000 workers and an average annual payroll of $6.3 billion, making up more than half of the city’s total.

Among the tech companies headquartered in Santa Monica are Activision, Hulu, Cornerstone on Demand, Lionsgate Entertainment, Snap Inc. and Universal Music Group.

The Santa Monica Innovation Hub takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ocean Avenue will be closed between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway from 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 13 to 11:30 p.m. on Monday, October 14.

For more on Tech Week, visit tech-week.com.