MODE by Flickr
MODE by Flickr operates a three-day, multi-venue photography festival in downtown Minneapolis offering workshops, masterclasses, concerts, and tech demos to photography professionals and hobbyists, monetized through tiered ticket sales ($250-$660) and OEM sponsorship, as an IRL extension of the Flickr platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MODE by Flickr does
MODE by Flickr is a three-day, multi-venue photography festival held annually in downtown Minneapolis, operated as a corporate event by Awes.me, Inc. (Delaware-incorporated, San Francisco mailing address) under the Flickr brand, which itself is owned by SmugMug. The festival is structured around seven thematic pillars (MODE:Change for photojournalism, MODE:Next for emerging technology including AI, MODE:Money for the business of photography, MODE:Motion for video, MODE:Culture for concerts and lifestyle, MODE:IRL for analog/film, and MODE:Earth for landscape and nature), and features over 50 photographers and musicians including Brooke Shaden, Chris Burkard, Keith Ladzinski, Matthew Rolston, Sandro Miller, Vince Staples, Tycho, and Cory Wong. Attendees access the event via RFID wristbands tied to Flickr accounts, sold through three pass tiers directly on modefestival.com: General Admission ($250), Flickr Pro Interactive ($340, or $260 for existing Flickr Pro members, including a bundled 1-year Flickr Pro membership), and VIP Experience ($660).
The business model is a hybrid of consumer ticketing and B2B sponsorship. Revenue is generated through direct-to-consumer pass sales and from a roster of 13 named sponsors for the 2026 edition, including tier-one camera OEMs Fujifilm and Sony, parent SmugMug and the Flickr Foundation, hotel partner Marquette, and software/accessory brands such as Aftershoot, OM System, HoverAir, Narrative, Nisi, Hunt's Photo & Video, Lemur Strap, and Identity Digital. Distribution is entirely self-serve via the festival website, marketed through the Flickr platform community plus dedicated Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and email channels. Geographic reach is limited to a single annual event in Minneapolis, with international attendees required to pick up wristbands on-site.
Firmographically, MODE is classified as a non-profit community event but is legally operated by Awes.me, Inc., a private subsidiary-like vehicle of Flickr/SmugMug; no separate funding rounds, headcount, or financial disclosures exist for the event itself. The festival functions as a brand and community extension of the Flickr platform, designed to convert online community members into IRL engagement and to cross-sell Flickr Pro subscriptions, rather than as a standalone profit center.
MODE by Flickr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MODE by Flickr
- Legal name
- Awes.me, Inc.
- Website
- http://modefestival.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- MODE by Flickr operates a three-day, multi-venue photography festival in downtown Minneapolis offering workshops, masterclasses, concerts, and tech demos to photography professionals and hobbyists, monetized through tiered ticket sales ($250-$660) and OEM sponsorship, as an IRL extension of the Flickr platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MODE by Flickr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Photography Events
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- VIP, Hospitality & Premium Experiences (MPAGAAAK), Premiere, Awards & Festival Access (HSACAMAD)
Keywords
Where MODE by Flickr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MODE by Flickr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Festival Pass Sales: Direct ticket sales for the three-day photography festival in Minneapolis. Three pass tiers are offered: General Admission ($250), Flickr Pro Interactive ($340, includes 1 year of Flickr Pro), and VIP Experience ($660). Existing Flickr Pro members receive a discounted rate on the Flickr Pro Interactive pass ($260 vs $340). Processing fees apply to all ticket purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - $250 for 3-day festival entry |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Flickr Pro Interactive - $340 ($260 for existing Flickr Pro members) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | VIP Experience - $660 for all-access pass |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
MODE by Flickr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MODE by Flickr operates a three-day, multi-venue photography festival held September 18-20, 2026 in downtown Minneapolis. The festival combines keynotes, masterclasses, workshops, photo walks, gear and tech demos, film screenings, networking events, and live music performances across themed programming pillars. Festival access is sold via tiered passes ranging from General Admission ($250) to a VIP Experience ($660), with the Flickr Pro Interactive tier bundling a one-year Flickr Pro subscription. All passes include RFID wristbands that serve as admission and session credentials, activated through attendees' Flickr accounts.
Product overview
MODE by Flickr is a three-day photography festival (The World's Photography Festival) held annually in downtown Minneapolis. The core product is the MODE Festival experience itself, offering multi-venue programming that includes keynotes, masterclasses, workshops, panels, photowalks, film screenings, and live music performances. The festival is organized around seven thematic pillars: MODE: Change (photojournalism and activism), MODE: Next (technology and AI), MODE: Money (business of photography), MODE: Motion (video), MODE: Culture (food, music, fashion), MODE: IRL (film photography), and MODE: Earth (landscape). Attendees access the festival through tiered passes: General Admission ($250), Flickr Pro Interactive ($340, includes one year of Flickr Pro membership), and VIP Experience ($660, all-access with exclusive events). On-site venues include MODE:HUB (central programming space), the Flickr Pro Lounge (exclusive networking), MODE:MARKET (gear and tech demos), and MODE:SOCIAL (networking and dining).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MODE Festival A three-day, multi-venue photography festival held in downtown Minneapolis combining workshops, concerts, talks, demos, screenings, and meetups for professional photographers, hobbyists, students, filmmakers, and photo enthusiasts. Organized around seven thematic pillars covering photojournalism, emerging technology, the business of photography, video, culture and music, analog film, and nature/landscape photography.
Quantifiable outcome
- Flickr Pro members receive $80 discount on Flickr Pro Interactive pass
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use MODE by Flickr
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
MODE by Flickr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
MODE by Flickr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- FujifilmmajorOfficial sponsor of MODE Festival 2026. Fujifilm-X brand photography equipment featured at the festival.
- SonymajorOfficial sponsor of MODE Festival 2026. Sony Alpha Ambassador Steve Sweatpants is featured at the festival.
- Marquette HotelmajorOfficial hotel sponsor of MODE Festival. Located just steps from the MODE Hub in downtown Minneapolis. Festival attendees receive exclusive booking rates through a dedicated reservation portal.
- SmugMugminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026. Parent company of Flickr.
- Flickr FoundationcoreThe Flickr Foundation is the non-profit arm of Flickr, focused on using photography for positive change. MODE is an extension of this mission, bringing the Flickr community from online to in-person.
- OM SystemminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, showcasing photography equipment.
- HoverAirminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, showcasing drone/selfie camera technology.
- Identity DigitalminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026.
- NarrativeminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, photography workflow software.
- Lemur StrapminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, camera accessory brand.
- Hunt's Photo & VideominorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, photography equipment retailer.
- AftershootminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, photo editing AI software.
- NisiminorSponsor of MODE Festival 2026, camera filter brand.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
MODE by Flickr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Photoville: Free, multi-venue photography festival in New York City featuring exhibitions, workshops, and talks. Most directly comparable as a community-first photography festival built around an existing photographer audience and OEM/exhibitor sponsorships.
- Photo Plus Expo: Long-running photography trade show and conference in New York combining gear exhibits, workshops, and educational programming. Comparable to MODE's trade-show-plus-festival format and OEM-driven sponsorship model.
- Photolucida: Portland-based biennial photography event built around portfolio reviews, exhibitions, and community programming. Directly comparable as a photography-specific, community-driven event with workshop and meet-up elements.
- WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International): Major photography convention focused on professional portrait and wedding photographers, with trade show, classes, and networking. Comparable in scale, structure, and sponsorship mix to MODE's professional-focused programming.
- Gulf Photo Plus: Dubai-based photography education and event platform running workshops, talks, and an annual photography festival (PhotoPlus). Comparable to MODE as a city-anchored photography festival with brand sponsorship and tiered educational programming.
- Filter Photo Festival: Chicago-based photography festival featuring exhibitions, portfolio reviews, talks, and workshops. Comparable multi-day, multi-venue photography festival format with sponsorship and educational programming.
Broad incumbents
- Adobe MAX: Adobe's flagship creative conference combining keynotes, workshops, and product launches across photography, video, and design. Overlaps with MODE's photography tracks but operates as a broader creative platform event with a much larger footprint and budget.
- SXSW: Large multi-disciplinary festival spanning music, film, and interactive media with strong photography and creator programming. Comparable as a multi-venue, multi-pillar festival with tiered passes and major sponsor categories, though far larger in scale.
Regional players
- Sundance Film Festival: Premier independent film festival featuring screenings, talks, and creator programming with a strong photography-adjacent community. Comparable as a creator-focused, single-host-city festival but with a film rather than photography primary focus.
Others
- Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC): Annual creator/developer conference with workshops, labs, and tiered access for developers and creative pros. Adjacent to MODE as a premium creative-tech event leveraging an existing platform community, but not a photography-specific competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MODE by Flickr social profiles
Digital presenceMODE by Flickr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MODE by Flickr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
MODE by Flickr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MODE by Flickr M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MODE by Flickr
What does MODE by Flickr do?
MODE by Flickr operates a three-day, multi-venue photography festival held September 18-20, 2026 in downtown Minneapolis. The festival combines keynotes, masterclasses, workshops, photo walks, gear and tech demos, film screenings, networking events, and live music performances across themed programming pillars. Festival access is sold via tiered passes ranging from General Admission ($250) to a VIP Experience ($660), with the Flickr Pro Interactive tier bundling a one-year Flickr Pro subscription. All passes include RFID wristbands that serve as admission and session credentials, activated through attendees' Flickr accounts.
Is MODE by Flickr a public or private company?
MODE by Flickr is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MODE by Flickr founded?
MODE by Flickr was founded in -1.
Where is MODE by Flickr based?
MODE by Flickr is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does MODE by Flickr make money?
One revenue line is on record: festival Pass Sales.
Who are MODE by Flickr's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Photoville, Photo Plus Expo, Photolucida, WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International), Gulf Photo Plus and Filter Photo Festival. Broad incumbents are Adobe MAX and SXSW. Sundance Film Festival is listed as a regional player. Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is listed as an others.
Does MODE by Flickr have an API?
No public API is recorded for MODE by Flickr.
What industry is MODE by Flickr in?
MODE by Flickr's product category is Photography Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAKAD, Film Festivals & Festival Organizers, with a secondary code of MPAGAAAK, VIP, Hospitality & Premium Experiences. Its NAICS code is 711310 and its SIC code is 7990.