Splice Beta 2024 tickets are sold out.
We’ll see you in Chiang Mai ❤️
Splice Beta is for anyone who is serving audiences in the information space.
We’re talking mavericks, rule-breakers, game changers — people who understand that the best of media happens when we make our audiences seen.
Be Beta. Be tuktuk.
The strongest media businesses understand that people don't buy journalism — they buy ways to solve problems they face, a way to improve their lives, a painkiller, status, to feel important.
Beta is a festival about how to treat your users. The people who actually use your stuff. The ones who pay your bills. Your salaries. The ones who go on to tell everyone how well you treated them. And how you solved their most nagging problems.
Media is in the hospitality business — understanding needs, solving problems, helping people make decisions, creating more meaningful lives. And in doing so, helping our people — our users, stakeholders, viewers, readers — feel seen.
Hospitality is about making people feel seen, heard, acknowledged. That means not treating them like data points on your analytics dashboard. Instead, bring back the unique to that unique user. The best form of hospitality is one size fits one. User-driven, demand-based, highly intentional. And gracious.
Come celebrate this community and its traditions at Splice Beta in November.
Spiffy is the Splice Pay It Forward Fund.
Help someone get to Beta
Plane tickets and hotels are out of reach for a lot of people. Please consider donating to our Beta fund.
Splice Beta helps connect to opportunities for all of us in media — from business models and audiences to grants and jobs. Let’s make sure everyone has a seat at the table.
Maya, Darathtey, Anjali, Nadia, Mattia, Jeyup, Khalil, Tom, Anu, Krystal, Darsh, Hui Yee, Tanmoy, and all of you who wanted to stay anonymous — thank you so much for your kind donations! You make this community truly magical.
This is not a Beta ticket. This is a donation to our fund so that we can help people who can’t afford travel to get to Splice Beta.
What is Splice Beta?
An inclusive and diverse media creator festival in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.
Beta is the only event in Asia that brings together the media ecosystem. This is the golden age of media. Let us show you what it looks like.
Tuktuk therapy for all.
FAQs
Where should I stay?
Like in previous years, the venues will be in the Nimman district of Chiang Mai. You’ll be surrounded by plenty of restaurants and cafes — and very reasonably priced hotels. Here's a quick list of Chiang Mai hotels to consider staying at.
You may also want to check out Airbnb if you’re coming as a group — there are some great houses you could share.
Check out all the Beta venues and hotels — and our favourite spots for coffee, food, drinks, and music
Who is Beta for? The global media ecosystem
Media startup founders, creators, tech folks, investors, journalists, media development donors, product managers, media program managers, and academics.
Diversity, inclusivity, and access are a big deal for us.
Last year, 65% of Beta registrants had never attended Beta before, came from 56 countries, were 54% female, and worked at over 150 organisations.
These numbers are not a coincidence: they’re 100% intentionally designed like this with pride. So if we mess up on these stats, hold us accountable.
Some of the 96+ organisations coming to Beta this year
Agence France-Presse (AFP), Amnesty International, Amu TV, Apache, Asian American Journalists Association, Asia Investigative Reporting Network, Asia New Zealand Foundation, Atleta Filipina, Beijing SourceEngine Technology, Border Eyes, Burma News International, Center for Investigative Reporting, Chulalongkorn University, Climate Tracker, Code for Africa, Cofact Thailand, Daraj Media, Delta News Agency, DVB, Etilaatroz, Food For Mzansi Group, Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Frontier Myanmar, Gazzetta, Gereg & Ublife, Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), GMA Network, Google, Gravitas PH, Heritage Matters, Hong Kong Free Press, Ibex Media Network, Icarus Media, Impact Hub Phnom Penh, Inclusive Journalism, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), International Media Support (IMS), Internews, International Press Institute (IPI), Jom Media, JournalismAI, Kalam Digital, Kiripost, Legal Initiatives for Vietnam, Lighthouse Reports, London School of Economics and Political Science, Luminate, Magdalene.co, MAHIA, Mekong Eye, Mekong Review, Mindanao Institute of Journalism, Myanmar Women in Media, Nest Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, Newsgraphy, Newspack/Automattic, Nieman Foundation, NorthernX Company, Open Society Foundations, Pulitzer Center, Report for the World, Rest of World, SCG Media, Scroll, Shh... Diam!, Shit You Should Care About, StoryFlow Ltd., Studio Zainal & Zainal, Supernova.is, Than Lwin Khet News, The Bridge of Asia, The Continent, The Conversation, The Examination, The Green Line, The Irrawaddy, The Launch & Meet Company, The News Minute, The Spinoff, The Standard, The Straits Times, Thibi, University of Hong Kong, University of South Australia, Unnu.news, U.S. Embassy Hanoi, Vietnam National University, VoiceDeck, Women's Media Centre of Cambodia (WMC), and Zamaneh Media Foundation.
Why you really should sponsor Beta 2024
It’s a great marketing platform
Link to your organisation’s programs, work, and resources from the Beta website, newsletters, and social.
Are you launching a grant, fellowship, product, program, or service? Announce it at Beta. Let us help you get the word out.
You meet the community
We facilitate introductions to participants. Find your next upcoming media entrepreneur, creator, or newsroom.
We have private meeting rooms for quiet conversations. No one likes noisy cafes for important meetings.
Are you looking to introduce yourself to the community? We can help you organise social spaces around drinks and networking.
We’ll have great spaces for you.
It’s your opportunity to build the community
Host a session to recognise the heroes from your programs and cohorts. Let’s give them the acknowledgement they deserve.
Help the community learn what they need
Do you have case studies to present, or knowledge to teach? Run a workshop or presentation.
Best practices or tactical insights to impart? Run a Clinic.
That’s very Beta.
We appreciate you!
We’ll show our appreciation for your support at the sessions, on our website, newsletters, social media, printed materials, and signage. It truly matters to us.
Can I bring my partner or colleague or spouse or friend or child to Beta?
No.
We have a strict policy at Splice Beta around capacity due to limited space and security. This means that your companions, partners, family, kids, friends, or colleagues cannot be accommodated in any Beta sessions, social events, or meals. Please spare us and yourself the logistical hassle and awkwardness and arrange to meet them outside of Beta. Splice is a two-person team, and we can use all the help we can get. Thank you 🙏
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes — we’ll be recording the audio from most of the sessions. You’ll find them on our Splice Pink podcast eventually.
I can't make it to Beta. Can I get a refund?
Sorry — we can’t do refunds on your Beta ticket. Splice is a two-person startup, so we’re managing the entire process ourselves, and the refund process is time-consuming and expensive. But we have a fund for people who can’t afford flights and hotels to get to Beta, so we hope you don’t mind if we pay it forward 🙏
I can't make it to Beta. Can you give my ticket to someone else?
Sorry to hear you can’t come. But let us know here as soon as you can, and we'll let someone in from the waitlist.
How do I get to Chiang Mai?
There are some direct flights from Southeast Asia, but some of you will be transiting through Bangkok, where it’s just a quick 75 min flight from the capital.
I’m ready to book my travel. When should I get there?
Please aim to arrive on the 4th so you have enough time to relax before things kick off. And then it’s two full days of festivities on November 6 and 7 (we’ll have the program up soon). You can then jump back on the plane on November 8 if you’re in a hurry.
Where should I stay?
Like in previous years, the venues will be in the Nimman district of Chiang Mai. You’ll be surrounded by plenty of restaurants and cafes — and very reasonably priced hotels. Here's a quick list of Chiang Mai hotels to consider staying at.
You may also want to check out Airbnb if you’re coming as a group — there are some great houses you could share.
I’ve heard Chiang Mai has great food. And coffee. And bars. Do you have a list of places you recommend?
You’re in luck! We have something better than a list — welcome to the Splice Beta 2024 map of this community’s favourite places in Chiang Mai.
Why are you charging higher prices for Beta institutional tickets this year?
The sponsorship space has changed greatly this year and we no longer have the same level of support as we had previously. Your US$450 corporate ticket helps us pay for venues, meals, drinks, and all the hands that go into putting this event together.
The pricing for individual tickets stays the same at US$50.
I can’t afford to attend Beta. Can you help?
Yes. So many people have generously donated to the Splice Pay It Forward Fund (we call it Spiffy). Email us and we’ll see what we can do.
I don’t have a credit card. How do I register and buy a ticket?
Email us and we’ll figure something out.
I want to help others get to Beta. How can I donate?
It’s so kind of you to offer. Please donate to our Splice Pay It Forward Fund here (we call it Spiffy). Thank you for your generosity!
Is it too late to sponsor Beta?
Noooooooo! Email us and let’s put your budget to use in helping grow this community.
Do you guys have a dress code?
Of course not — we’re not that kind of event. But we recommend shorts, t-shirts, and flipflops. (Extra points if you show up in Splice pink.)
Do you have a Splice t-shirt I can buy?
We’re so happy you asked! Yes, we do. (Also — mugs!)
I need a visa. Can you send me a letter of invitation?
Sure. Email us.
How do I get around Chiang Mai?
Like most Southeast Asian cities, Grab is all you need. So make sure you download the app and set up your payment methods before heading out. Grab is also useful if you need snacks delivered in the middle of the night!
What about money? Do I need cash?
Cash is always useful, but more places are starting to accept credit cards. Expect to spend about $3-$5 a meal and $2-$5 for drinks.
Will there really be a pink tuktuk?
Yes.
Will Ellie make a return this year?
Yes! Ellie the elephant was all over Beta last year. She is a symbol of your user — the big elephant in the room that so few of us pay any attention to. Or reader or listener or viewer or customer or fan or patron or whatever you feel like calling them. Either way, they’re the people you’re creating your content for — whether it’s news, journalism, updates, stories, posts, programs, funds, courses, or training. It’s time to give them some love.
