HYPE STUDIES CONFERENCE: (DON'T) BELIEVE THE HYPE

The conference was a full success and we were thrilled to welcome so many of you in Barcelona from 10th to 12th of September, 2025.

Check out the program and our news if you are interested what happened those days.

Meanwhile, we are rebuilding this part of the page to feature past and future activities of the group.

WHAT WAS THE CONFERENCE ABOUT?

Hype is a powerful and pervasive phenomenon that influences economic trends, political agendas, media narratives, and technological development. It creates momentum, attracts investment, and fuels speculation, while simultaneously distorting reality, misallocating resources, and amplifying uncertainties. Hype is not just an exaggeration—it is a dynamic process that plays a crucial role in contemporary societies, shaping decision-making at multiple levels.

This conference aims to examine hype as a performative force, exploring its mechanisms, effects, and implications across different domains. From the speculative visions of emerging technologies to political rhetoric, from financial bubbles to cultural trends, we seek to understand how hype operates, who benefits from it, and how it transforms the social, media, political, economic and technological landscape.

We invited researchers, journalists, students, artists, designers, policymakers, technologists and communication professionals to contribute to discussions about the nature of hype and its effects.

HYPE STUDIES CONFERENCE: (DON'T) BELIEVE THE HYPE receives kind financial support by:

Hype Illustration Hype Illustration