Screen Queensland has announced the Creator Economy Summit, a new initiative designed to connect established film and television professionals with Australia’s rapidly expanding creator economy.
The one-day event will take place on Saturday 7 February as part of the 2026 AACTA Festival at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast. Screen Queensland has developed the summit in partnership with Changer and in conjunction with The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA).
With Australia’s creator community now numbering in the millions, the summit responds to growing demand from online creators seeking to professionalise their practice, scale their businesses and explore opportunities across film, television and digital screen. The event also aims to provide valuable insights for producers and screen practitioners navigating new platform-led business models.
Screen Queensland Executive Director, Screen Content Julie Eckersley said the summit reflects the agency’s commitment to supporting creators as the screen industry ecosystem continues to evolve.
“It is time to build more bridges between the creator economy and the existing film and television industry,” Eckersley said. “The Creator Economy Summit brings these two elements together to support creators to take the next step in building a sustainable global business.
“At the same time it opens doors for the film and television industry to establish deeper collaborations with creators and a richer understanding of the amazing opportunities in this space.”
The creator economy has experienced significant growth in recent years, with content creators building substantial audiences and businesses through platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. The summit acknowledges this shift by providing a dedicated space for creators and traditional screen industry professionals to connect and collaborate.
Changer Founder Farhad Meher-Homji said that creators are no longer just building channels, they’re building real businesses.
“The Creator Economy Summit is about giving creators the tools, connections and confidence to scale sustainably and engage meaningfully with the broader screen industry,” Meher-Homji said.
The program will feature a curated mix of panel discussions with senior representatives from major broadcasters and streaming platforms including ABC, Netflix, BBC Studios and Screen Australia. Creator-led sessions will also form a key part of the summit, with Sarah Renae Clark, YouTube’s Sabine Zonderland, James McPherson and Shannon Jones among those contributing. These sessions will focus on business growth, monetisation and pathways into screen production.
AACTA Awards and Industry Development Manager Ivan Vukusic said the organisation is excited to collaborate with Screen Queensland and Changer on the inaugural summit.
“Bringing together established film, television and media leaders with the vibrant, fast-growing creator economy, this one-day summit will foster genuine dialogue, unlock new partnership opportunities and inspire innovative approaches to Australian screen content,” Vukusic said.
“As the perfect crossroads for these two worlds, the AACTA Festival is where legacy and established craft meets next gen creativity and we’re proud to champion this powerful game changing convergence.”
The summit has been designed specifically for online creators and film and television producers to come together, recognising that both groups have much to offer each other. For creators, the event provides access to industry knowledge and potential pathways into larger scale screen production. For established industry professionals, it offers insights into new business models and opportunities to collaborate with creators who have built engaged audiences.
As a pilot initiative, the Creator Economy Summit will test audience appetite and inform future creator-focused programs. Screen Queensland has outlined a long-term vision to position South East Queensland as the creator capital of Australia, with this summit serving as an important first step toward that goal.
The timing of the summit, running alongside the AACTA Festival, places it within one of Australia’s most significant screen industry gatherings. The AACTA Awards celebrate excellence in Australian film and television, making the festival an ideal setting for conversations about the future of screen content and the role creators will play in shaping it.
HOTA on the Gold Coast will serve as the venue for the summit, continuing the region’s growing profile as a hub for screen production and creative industries. Queensland has invested heavily in building its screen sector in recent years, with major productions choosing the state as a filming location.
The Creator Economy Summit represents a recognition that the boundaries between traditional screen production and online content creation are increasingly blurred. As creators professionalise and seek new opportunities, and as broadcasters and streaming platforms look for fresh voices and formats, events like this summit provide a space for both worlds to explore what they can build together.
