Mapping

What Mapping does

Mapping Festival is an annual audiovisual arts festival organized by Association PPING, a non-profit cultural organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The festival takes place each May and presents a unified program of exhibitions, installations, performances, conferences, and workshops focused on audiovisual, technological, and transdisciplinary arts. It serves general arts enthusiasts, students from local art schools (ECAL, HEAD Genève), and an international community of artists, with programming designed to be accessible to both initiated and amateur audiences. The festival operates across multiple venues in Geneva, including Fonderie Kugler as the main exhibition space, Le Groove for performances and DJ sets, Downtown Studio for workshops, Jardin des Nations for outdoor installations and the Syllepse underground cistern performances, and the Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève for institutional-grade installations such as the 2026 PROXIMARE piece by Lumus Instruments.

The festival's technology stack is built around a web-based "Mapping Festival Interface" providing rendering controls, geometry settings, color palettes, and export capabilities for PNG, SVG, depth maps, and video formats, alongside partnerships with commercial projection mapping software vendors including MadMapper and GarageCube. Workshop programming covers live coding music, projection mapping, LED technology, and generative design, integrated with co-developed educational content from these technology partners. Revenue is generated through ticket sales distributed via Infomaniak Events and Petzi, supplemented by free outdoor programming, with on-site box offices for indoor venues. The festival also operates the "Platform" participatory installation by artist Guillaumit, designed for family engagement via a collective mural built from reused materials.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue (ticketed performances, workshops, DJ sets) and institutional cultural funding. Major funders include the Ville de Genève, Canton de Genève, ProHelvetia (Swiss Arts Council), Loterie Romande, and Ernst Göhner Stiftung. Association PPING has approximately 30 members, including many active artists, and is governed by a committee led by President Boris Edelstein, with a professional team of approximately 20 named roles for the 2026 edition spanning curation, technical management, production, communications, and volunteer coordination. Marketing reaches audiences through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo, press accreditation workflows, and an email newsletter.

Name

Mapping

Legal name

Association PPING

Website

https://mappingfestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mapping Festival is an annual Geneva-based audiovisual and digital arts festival organized by non-profit Association PPING, running each May since 2005. It serves general audiences, students, and international artists via exhibitions, performances, workshops, and installations across multiple city venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Arts Festival

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Audiovisual arts festival
• Projection mapping installations
• Live performance events
• Digital arts workshops
• Cultural event programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The festival generates revenue through ticket sales for performances, DJ sets, workshops, and conferences. Tickets are sold through online platforms including Infomaniak and Petzi.
2. Free Events: Many festival events are free or at affordable prices, with outdoor areas remaining freely accessible, making the festival inclusive and accessible to a broad audience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mapping Festival is an annual May event in Geneva created in 2005 by Association PPING, a nonprofit cultural organization. It presents exhibitions, installations, performances, conferences, and workshops centered on audiovisual, technological, and transdisciplinary arts. Its program serves local and international audiences and combines professional presentations with educational and participatory activities.

Product overview

Mapping Festival is an annual technology and audiovisual arts festival organized by PPING, a non-profit cultural organization based in Geneva. The festival presents a unified program of exhibitions, installations, performances, conferences, and workshops focused on audiovisual, technological and transdisciplinary arts. It serves as a platform for artists from around the world to present work that offers new modalities of reception, where audiences become actors, players and instigators of digital and technological art experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mapping Festival Annual May festival in Geneva presenting exhibitions, installations, performances, conferences, and workshops focused on audiovisual, technological, and transdisciplinary arts for local and international audiences.
• Workshop Program Educational workshops led by artists and professionals for students and amateur enthusiasts, covering live coding music, projection mapping, LED technology, and generative design.
• Le Groove Performances Ticketed evening events at Le Groove featuring live performances, DJ sets, and Algorave nights with visual artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual festival attracting local and international audiences since 2005

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Ville de GenèvemajorOthersMunicipal government support for the festival as a cultural event in Geneva.
• Canton de GenèvemajorOthersCantonal government support for cultural programming.
• ProHelvetiacoreOthersSwiss arts council supporting Swiss contemporary arts internationally.
• Fonderie KuglercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival venue partner hosting exhibitions and installations.
• Le GroovecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic venue partner hosting performances, DJ sets, and workshops.
• Downtown StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue partner for workshops and events.
• Jardin des NationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic garden venue hosting outdoor installations and the Syllepse performance space.
• Base WindowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for festival events.
• Écomusée APIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial heritage museum hosting workshops.
• Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève (MAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt museum hosting the PROXIMARE installation by Lumus Instruments.
• ECALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉcole cantonale d'art de Lausanne - student performances and workshops.
• HEAD GenèveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaute école d'art et de design Geneva - art school partnership.
• InfomaniakcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ticketing partner for workshops, performances, and conference tickets.
• Geneva TourismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism promotion partner for Geneva.
• Collectif NocturneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural collective partner.
• Loterie RomandemajorOthersSwiss lottery funding supporting cultural events.
• Ernst Göhner Stiftung (EGS)majorOthersSwiss foundation providing funding support for the festival.
• Bout D'la Rue (BDR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBar partnership creating a custom festival cocktail and providing a relaxation venue.
• Lumus InstrumentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of PROXIMARE light installation displayed at MAH museum.
• Base DesignminorOthersGraphic design and branding partner.
• Fête de la DanseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-promotion partner for dance and performance events.
• MokaMagminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner covering Geneva culture.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sónar: Barcelona-based festival of advanced music and creativity combining electronic music, audiovisual art, and technology conferences; overlapping in audience (creative technologists, audiovisual artists) and event format (performances, conferences, workshops).
• Ars Electronica: Long-established Linz-based festival and institution for art, technology, and society; comparable programming in media arts, projection mapping, and digital culture, but at significantly larger institutional scale with year-round operations.

Direct peers

• Mutek: International festival of digital arts and electronic music held annually in Montreal with editions in multiple cities; the closest direct peer to Mapping Festival in scope (audiovisual, transdisciplinary, projection mapping, workshops) and audience (artists, students, enthusiasts).
• CTM Festival: Berlin-based annual festival for adventurous music and art with strong emphasis on audiovisual performance, club culture, and experimental digital art — a directly comparable European festival targeting a similar creative-community audience.
• MIRA Festival: Barcelona-based audiovisual arts festival featuring digital art installations, live AV performances, and workshops — highly comparable in programming mix and European cultural-festival positioning.
• Berlin Atonal: Berlin festival for experimental music and audiovisual art held in an industrial power station, comparable in scope (large-scale audiovisual installations, performances) and venue aesthetic (post-industrial spaces like Fonderie Kugler).
• TodaysArt: The Hague-based festival for contemporary art and technology featuring audiovisual performances, installations, and conferences; closely aligned with Mapping Festival's focus on audiovisual/transdisciplinary art and accessible public programming.

Regional players

• Strp Festival: Eindhoven-based festival for art and technology combining installations, performances, and new media; comparable in audiovisual/transdisciplinary art programming but serving a different European regional audience.

Emerging players

• Kikk Festival: Belgian festival exploring the crossroads of digital art, science, and technology with workshops, exhibitions, and conferences — comparable in workshop-heavy educational programming and emerging-artist focus.

Others

• Lumus Instruments: Creator of the PROXIMARE light installation featured at MAH during Mapping Festival 2026; a collaborating artist/technologist partner rather than a competing festival, but materially engaged in the festival's programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mappingfestival3795?app=desktop
• Facebookfacebook.com/mappingfest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mapping
• Instagraminstagram.com/mappingfestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mapping