CHELSEA — Forget memes, gifs, and pictures of cats — the Internet has come to New York and it's got some big-name cred, along with some debaucherous parties.
Internet Week, the annual celebration of all things digital and geeky, will kick off in New York on Monday, with hundreds of events and appearances by celebs like Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld and Patton Oswalt.
From small, intimate gatherings to the increasingly prestigious Webby Awards, the fest offers something for everybody, aiming to cover the intersection of technology, business and culture.
This year, Internet Week aims to explore how technology has changed every sector of the business world. Over 45,000 people are expected to participate to the festival, which is based out of a hub at Chelsea's Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 W. 18th St.
Some of the web's most well-known luminaries and sites will participate in events, panels, and speeches throughout the week, including Jonah Peretti, founder and CEO of Buzzfeed, Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times, and Randi Zuckerberg, the former marketing director of Facebook.
Oswalt will host the Webbys as part of Internet Week on May 22, which will honor the best of the web and include five-word speeches from Seinfeld, Frank Ocean, and Kevin Spacey.
On the more creative side, public radio's The Moth will host a technology-focused storytelling competition on May 23.
Then week also hosts dozens of social events for the tech-savvy crowd: the web's elites will cavort on May 23 as 8 p.m. at the exclusive Webutante Ball, and recover in time to sip jargaritas (margaritas served in mason jars) at the Obliterati party the next night.
Many of the events are free and open to the public, though the cream of the crop will require purchase of a pass, which range from $135 for a regular ticket to $1000 for VIP access.
Internet Week New York runs from Mon. May 20 to Mon. May 27. A full listing of events is available on the festival's website.
