Presented by EMC and Mixmag Asia in partnership with Siwilai, The Gathering pop-up Exchange brings together 80 of Asia’s leading music, community, and cultural innovators for a day built around meaningful connection, shared insights, and cross-border collaboration. Unlike traditional conferences, this event prioritises reciprocal exchange over rigid programming—creating a dynamic environment where ideas flow freely and new regional pathways can emerge organically.

Hosted at Siwilai City Club, an expansive indoor–outdoor rooftop space overlooking the heart of Bangkok, this oasis in the sky offers the ideal social architecture for conversation, collaboration, and cultural alignment. Designed as a gathering place rather than a passive venue, its terraces, cabanas, and open-air lounges set the tone for connection that continues well beyond the event itself.

Program Overview

Social Mixer | 3pm – 4:30pm

The afternoon begins with a social mixer with complementary food and beverages until 4:30pm. Meet and connect with independent artists, music professionals, cultural leaders, and community builders from across Asia and Australia.

Session 1 | After the Gathering: Artists in Conversation | 4:30pm

Amira Waworuntu (Managing Editor, Mixmag Asia) facilitates this conversation with artists from The Gathering Artist Retreat—representing Australia, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Mongolia and Thailand—following five days of collaborative music-making to process what they’ve learned. This open forum brings together producers, improvisers, traditional instrumentalists, composers and vocalists to discuss the nuanced realities of their respective music ecosystems, the shared challenges that transcend borders, and the unexpected discoveries that emerged through collaboration. 

This is not a panel to observe but a conversation to join, inviting the audience to contribute their experiences and questions about building sustainable creative exchange across the region.

Session 2 | Building Platforms That Last—Lessons in Infrastructure and Adaptation | 5:30pm

Arun Ramanathan (Director, Mixmag Asia) and Jane Slingo (Director, EMC) facilitate a conversation with Jan-Willem van de Ven (Managing Director, ADE) and Meindert Kennis (Music Industry Strategist and former Co-Director, ADE), examining what Asia’s emerging platforms can learn from ADE’s three-decade evolution—and what needs reinvention.

As Asia develops its own industry gatherings and cultural exchange models, this session explores the infrastructure, policy frameworks, and industry relationships that enabled ADE’s growth from 300 delegates to a 600,000-person cultural institution. With Wonderfruit marking its 10th anniversary the following day, the conversation asks how Asia’s distinct community structures, regulatory environments, and cultural contexts demand different approaches to building enduring platforms that serve both industry development and grassroots culture.

After Party at Siwilai Radical Club, Bangkok

The evening flows into the night at Siwilai Radical Club Bangkok—a space for participants to unwind and continue connections sparked throughout The Gathering exchange.

The Gathering Pop-Up Exchange is a curated event with attendance by invitation. If you are interested in attending, please complete this form: Register your interest to attend

EMC and its initiatives and projects are supported by the Australian Government through Music Australia & the NSW Government through Sound NSW. The Gathering 2025 is also supported by the Victorian Music Development Office.