X5 is a Utah-based, year-round convergence platform integrating creators, innovators, and communities across culture, technology, and capital. Anchored by Salt Lake Art Show, it aims to generate economic impact and scalable opportunity.
Salt Lake City, Utah — April 21, 2026
When the Salt Lake Art Show opens May 14–17 at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, it will look, on the surface, like a high-end regional art fair: more than 50 galleries, over 100 artists, and a mix of collectors, institutions, and independent creators.
But organizers say the event is something else entirely—the first public activation of X5, a new Utah-based platform aiming to connect creative industries, technology, and capital into a single, year-round system.
At a time when most festivals operate as isolated, short-term events, X5 is built on a different premise: meaningful innovation happens when industries intersect, not when they operate in silos.
"When Jeremy first told us about the X5 Convergence concept, we immediately
recognized the inherent power of the event," said Kevin O'Keefe, President of Platform Operations for X5 and Founder & CEO of the Reno Tahoe International Art Show, Salt Lake Art Show, and parent company Peaks Art Fairs LLC.
"At this time in history, with so much innovation coming so fast across all of society globally, X5 is essential to help define the future for humanity, and Utah is an ideal location. We are thrilled to be a part of it and look forward to building an awe-inspiring international fine art exhibition next October!"
From Art Show to Platform
The Salt Lake Art Show provides X5 with its most immediate proof point.
The four-day event will feature independent studios, sculptors, furniture designers, a major Indigenous artist pavilion, and a “Utah Treasures” section highlighting regional talent. Participating institutions include the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, and the Springville Museum, grounding the international-facing show in local infrastructure.
For X5, the goal is not just exhibition, but connection.
Organizers describe the event as an early example of how creators can engage directly with collectors, institutions, and potential funding partners—an approach that ties creative output more closely to economic opportunity.
What X5 Is Building
Unlike a traditional festival, which delivers a short burst of activity followed by months of inactivity, X5 positions itself as a “convergence platform,” designed to operate continuously as a year-round platform.
The model is structured around three interconnected clusters:
“Innovation is accelerating across every part of society, and the most meaningful breakthroughs will come from collaboration,” said Jeremy L. Christensen, Chairman and CEO of X5. “When creators, technologists, entrepreneurs, and communities come together in the same environment, new ideas emerge and entirely new possibilities begin to take shape.”
The Economic Bet
X5’s ambitions extend beyond programming.
The organization projects more than $150 million in annual statewide economic activity within three to five years—placing its target alongside Utah’s most established cultural engines.
That benchmark is not arbitrary. According to the Sundance Institute, its annual festival has historically generated between roughly $150 million and $190 million in economic impact for Utah.
X5’s leadership argues that a year-round, multi-sector model could match—or potentially exceed—those figures by distributing activity across industries and across the calendar, rather than concentrating it in a single event.
A key part of that model is how capital moves through the system.
Revenue from sponsorships, partnerships, and programming is intended to feed a reinvestment pool, with up to 20 percent of net proceeds allocated to creator grants, awards, and workforce initiatives. The effort will be overseen by the X5 Foundation, which is tasked with directing funds toward creator development, education pathways, and regional economic programs.
“Across energy, technology, and infrastructure, the next generation of solutions is already taking shape,” said Joe Ross, Vice Chair and Chief Innovation Officer. “X5 brings together the engineers, innovators, investors, and policymakers building those systems and gives them a place to collaborate, exchange ideas, and accelerate progress.”
Creativity as Infrastructure
While much of X5’s framing centers on innovation and capital, leadership emphasizes that creative work is not a side component—it is foundational.
"Every breakthrough begins with imagination," said David Steenhoek, Vice Chair and Chief Creative Officer of X5. "Artists, storytellers, and designers help people see possibilities before they exist. When this convergence happens, entirely new futures begin to emerge. That is the spirit of X5."
The platform is also exploring how emerging technologies—including AI and virtual production—can reshape how creative work is produced, financed, and distributed, while maintaining protections for creators and intellectual property.
Why Utah, Why Now
X5’s location is central to its strategy. Utah offers a mix of high-growth technology sectors, established creative communities, and major research universities. The state is also preparing to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, a global event that will bring significant attention and infrastructure investment.
Statewide participation is central to that vision. The platform aims to build a sustained presence leading up to 2034, positioning Utah not just as a host for global events, but as a place where those events translate into long-term economic and creative systems. The platform envisions rural activation programs and workforce pipelines are embedded within the platform's third Cluster to expand access to opportunity and ensure that economic growth reaches communities across the state, not just within the urban corridor.
"Across energy, technology, and infrastructure, the next generation of solutions is
already taking shape," said Joe Ross, Vice Chair and Chief Innovation Officer.
"X5 brings together the engineers, innovators, investors, and policymakers building those systems and gives them a place to collaborate, exchange ideas, and accelerate progress. When innovators connect across industries, solutions move from concept to reality." X5 is committed to leveraging emerging technologies to expand how films are created, financed, and distributed, and aims to attract multiple film festivals and creative organizations to Utah to build alongside the platform.
What's Next
The Salt Lake Art Show (May 14–17, 2026) marks the first public activation of the
platform. From there, X5’s full convergence programming is designed to scale through 2034 and beyond, building toward a sustained, year-round presence.
By 2034, X5 aims to position Utah as a global convergence hub, integrating culture, enterprise, capital, and community into a unified system. Its multi-entity structure, spanning cultural programming, enterprise initiatives, venture capital, nonprofit efforts, and regional activations, is designed to support scalability, long-term impact, and national and international recognition.
As part of this expansion, X5 is working to attract and align film festivals and creative organizations to Utah, inviting them to participate in and build alongside the platform while expanding film production and storytelling across the state.
X5 also intends to leverage emerging technologies to reshape how films are created, financed, and distributed, enabling creators to produce high-quality work more efficiently while reducing traditional cost barriers.
Learn more at https://x5fest.com