Hey friends,

Summer is a working season in this industry. The next 90 days sets the agenda for the rest of the year, and most of the rooms where that happens are filling up now.

Here's what I'm tracking.

AI on the Lot // May 27-28 // Culver City, CA

The world's largest AI filmmaking conference, returning to Culver City May 27-28 with more than 1,800 attendees expected. Culver City's council voted on March 9 to formally back the event, and the broader Hollywood AI studio boom has been backed by more than $3 billion in venture capital in 2025. AI FILMS StudioAI FILMS Studio

Press Publish LA: The Hollywood Creator Summit // May 28 // Los Angeles

A one-day summit from The Publish Press, gathering 500 of the most creative storytellers, builders, and media entrepreneurs building the future of entertainment. Hosted by Colin and Samir, following the success of Press Publish NYC last September.

Yale Innovation Summit // May 27-28 // New Haven, CT

The Northeast's largest gathering for innovation and entrepreneurship, hosted by Yale Ventures. 60+ sessions across six tracks: arts, biotech, civic, climate, health, and tech.

I'll be there. If you're in New Haven, let's connect.

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity // June 22-26 // Cannes, France

Five days at the Palais des Festivals bringing together creative leaders, marketers, and innovators. The 2026 programming leans further into our world. LIONS Creators, LIONS Sport, and LIONS B2B all have their own tracks, and Oprah Winfrey is being honored with the 2026 Cannes LionHeart. A new Creative Brand Lion is also debuting.

What I'm watching: how the holding companies talk about creators now that there's prize money attached, and what brands are actually paying creators consistently (and not just the top one’s) vs doing one event or a press release.

VidCon Anaheim // June 25-27 // Anaheim Convention Center

The 15th anniversary of VidCon. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy is on the Industry Mainstage, with executives from Snap, Spotify, Pinterest, and Tubi also speaking. The new Brand Match Accelerator is the structural shift to pay attention to. Invitation-only creator-brand networking with actual matchmaking.

Creator Economy Live East // July 29 // New York City

500+ brands attend, including Estee Lauder, Disney, e.l.f. Beauty, Southwest Airlines, Fenty, Subaru, AG1, Michaels, and Lululemon. Tactical sessions on influencer programs and partnerships. Smaller and more focused than VidCon.

People assume Cannes is only for people on agency expense accounts. It's not. I've done it on a shoestring and so can you. Here's how I did it:

Skip the badge. Get press credentials. If you have a newsletter, a podcast, a Substack, or a media outlet you contribute to, apply for a press pass. The application is free. The badge is free. The badge gets you into the talks, the after-parties, and most of the activations. This is the single biggest cost cut available.

Don’t have an official badge? No problem. Even without a paid or press badge, most activations along the Croisette will take your info there and check you in. I’ll be sharing an event and party list shortly- stay tuned!

Fly on points. Book three to four months out and watch the award seat calendars. Star Alliance and SkyTeam usually have summer Europe availability if you're flexible on dates by a day or two on either side.

Last-minute Airbnb is your friend. Counterintuitive, but a lot of Cannes hosts overprice in advance and drop rates the week before. If you're willing to commit late, you can find a room for a fraction of the listed price. Stay in Antibes or Juan-les-Pins and take the train in. Ten minutes, a few euros each way.

Or just sleep on someone's couch. Everyone in our world is going. Post in your group chats, your LinkedIn, your Slack communities. Someone has a spare room, a pull-out, a floor. Offer to cover groceries or buy dinner. It works.

You don't have to pay for a ton food. There are tons of hosted lunches and dinners hosted nightly by agencies, platforms, and brands. Coffee is at every brand activation. Snacks are constant.

The whole point of Cannes is the people, not the panels. You can absolutely do this week without dropping $15K.

Anime Expo // July 2-5 // Los Angeles The largest North American anime convention. The fandom drives meaningful YouTube and TikTok audiences.

Essence Festival // July 3-5 // New Orleans A celebration of Black culture and music. Brand activations across food, beauty, and tech.

San Diego Comic-Con // July 23-26 // San Diego Major studio reveals for movies, TV, and comics. The IP announcements shape a year of fan content downstream.

Gamescom // August 26-30 // Cologne, Germany The world's largest event for computer and video games. Gaming creators this one is for you!

Open Sauce // July 17-19, 2026 // San Mateo, CA

A technology and creator festival featuring more than 100 creators and a dedicated business summit for brands looking to expand their influencer marketing efforts. Founded in 2023 by YouTuber William Osman, it's an annual convention focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, held in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Bloomberg Screentime // September 30 - October 1 // Los Angeles An invitation-style event bringing together executives, creators, and entrepreneurs across film, TV, streaming, music, gaming, and media. Past speakers include Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, Shonda Rhimes, and MrBeast. Worth the angle for an invite now if you don't have one.

VidSummit // September 29 - October 1, 2026 // Dallas, TX

A business-focused conference that brings together leading content creators, media executives, brand strategists, and video marketers.

I’ll be at both Cannes Lions and Vidcon (announcements coming soon!)

Other headlines to check out:

Remember, I'm Bullish on you! With gratitude,