Same Same But Different and Totem Announce Plans to Revolutionize Festival Attendee Experience

From the Floor of SXSW 2025, Totem and Same Same But Different Announce Partnership to Create Next-Gen Immersive Festival Experience

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Totem, the viral event tech startup, announced their official partnership with music, art, and wellness festival Same Same But Different (SSBD) today from the SXSW Expo in Austin, TX. The two innovators have plans to launch a never-before-seen immersive festival experience for attendees at SSBD 2025 in September, and are actively seeking a sponsorship partner to usher in a new era for festival connection, safety, and immersive crowd experiences.

Inspired by the iconic festival totem, the Totem Compass is the screen-free wearable navigation device that has quickly become a global phenomenon. Combining GNSS technology with Unity Mesh Network, users can find their friends and effortlessly navigate dense crowds without depending on the notoriously unreliable cell service at these events.

Same Same But Different aims to be the first festival to feature Totem’s groundbreaking Immersive Festival Light Shows at full scale, following its successful debut at SXSW 2025. Thousands of Totem Compasses worn by attendees will allow for synchronized dynamic crowd animations and emergent lighting effects throughout the festival, previously only achievable in arenas with designated seating.

“We are working to usher in a new era for live entertainment around the world,” said Carter Fowler, CEO of Totem. “Through this exciting partnership with SSBD, we’re not just making the festival safer—we want to transform it into a fully immersive, interactive experience where every attendee plays a role in the show. Together, we will create an unforgettable experience for attendees unlike anything seen before.”

Totem and SSBD are now searching for a visionary sponsor to help bring this experience to life. With the right partner, their goal is to equip every SSBD attendee with a Totem Compass for the weekend, creating a first-of-its-kind integrated tech experience for festival freedom, synchronized light shows, and integrated safety.

“At SSBD, we’re always looking for new ways to strengthen our community and push the boundaries of festival experiences,” said Brad Sweet, Founder of SSBD. “Totem gives attendees a way to stay connected, without being glued to their phones. The interactive crowd light show capabilities of Totem are next-level—we can’t wait to bring this to life at SSBD ‘25!”

Through this partnership, Same Same But Different 2025 will provide an immersive attendee experience unlike anything seen at a festival before. For more information and to order the Totem Compass now, visit totemlabs.com. Attendees can join the waitlist for SSBD passes at www.ssbdfest.com.

Assets:
Totem Press Kit
SSBD Press Kit

About Totem:

Totem is a Tennessee-based startup dedicated to making live events safer, more immersive, and more beautiful. Founded in early 2024, Totem has rapidly grown from a simple idea into a bonafide global movement. Founded on the belief that no one deserves to be lost, Totem is guided by four core values—Love, Unity, Simplicity, and Beauty—as it seeks to usher in a new era of human connection around the world.

About SSBD:

Same Same But Different Festival returns to Moreno Beach at Lake Perris in Southern California for its seventh year, from September 26-28, 2025. SSBD offers an unforgettable experience, featuring beach-side camping, RV hookups, and more lodging options that create a community atmosphere. In addition to a famously heavy-hitting multi-genre artist lineup, SSBD includes workshops, yoga, breath-work, meditation, dance classes, painting, crafting, and more led by field experts. More information can be found at www.ssbdfest.com and on Facebook and Instagram at @ssbdfest.