Singapore Media Festival Adds Asia Creator Summit to December Lineup

By Grace Kim

The Singapore Media Festival will launch its first Asia Creator Summit (ACS) on Dec. 4-5 at Marina Bay Sands, adding a creator-economy strand to a December gathering it expects to draw more than 5,000 industry attendees.

The new summit runs alongside the 27th Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), which takes place Dec. 1-4. Both sit inside the festival hosted by Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and carry the 2026 theme "The Heart of the World's Stories."

What's actually new at SMF this year?

The creator-business track didn't exist before. ACS carries the tagline "Create. Monetize. Scale." Its two-day program packs more than 20 sessions — keynotes, panels, master classes — built to help creators convert audience reach into lasting IP (intellectual property) that travels across markets.

Generation Experience (GenXP) curated the program with Monica Khan, founder and CEO of Creator Revolution. Singapore-based executives Johnathan Chua of GRVTY Media, Kelvin Tan of DU Media Holdings, and Althea Lim of Gushcloud International join the local lineup.

Who is actually on stage?

Names with measurable reach lead the bill. South Korean creator Kimpro claims more than 130 million subscribers and a career total of 154 billion views. Japan's Issei, whose dialogue-free comedy crosses language barriers, holds upward of 75 million YouTube subscribers. AJ Eckstein, founder and CEO of U.S. firm Creator Match, joins to discuss brand-side programs for clients including Anthropic, Fiverr, Notion, Lovable and Zapier.

What can creators actually win?

Two brand-linked opportunities sit inside ACS. Mandarin Oriental, Singapore runs a Creator Pitch Challenge tied to its 40th anniversary. Bloomr.SG will run a "Creator Lab" that hands out up to SGD 100,000 (about $78,000) in awards for creator-focused ideas. Calls for proposals open in early November.

What does the AI zone cover?

ATF is adding a strand called "The AI Era | Entertainment Reimagined." It pairs a program with a physical zone on AI in content creation, IP rights and regulation. Confirmed participants include Huace Group, Moonmax, Studio Meta K, the Motion Picture Association, the Television Academy and WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization, a UN agency).

ATF also hosts the final round of AI Hackathon 2026, backed by Yoywow Space and Visify. The contest runs a live creative challenge plus screenings of selected entries.

What's the broader program look like?

Organizers expect more than 5,000 content players from 60 countries and regions across both events. The opening-day ATF Leaders' Dialogue runs under "The Attention Economy." Executives from East West Bank, Omdia, TikTok, Unilever, Webtoon Productions and YouTube will examine how fandom and shifting viewing habits reshape distribution, financing and branded entertainment.

Canada and Indonesia each bring new pavilions. Microdrama — short-form vertical (phone-shaped) video serials built for app-based feeds — gets a heavier focus this year, sitting alongside existing drama showcases and pitching programs.

What does this change for the region's media professionals?

The festival is treating creator work as a sector with its own financing and IP pipeline, not a side track. Michelle Lim, founder and CEO of GenXP, framed the shift plainly: "Creators are playing an increasingly influential role in how audiences discover, engage and connect with content, brands and ideas."

Yvonne Tang, assistant chief executive of IMDA's Media Industry Group, framed it from the policy side: "Our latest SMF 2026 program is designed to help Singapore's media professionals and companies adapt in this evolving media landscape, by strengthening their creative and commercial capabilities through wide ranging partnerships and business opportunities."

What this changes for a working producer: ACS gives them a place to pitch brands under one roof. ATF's new AI zone and microdrama focus give rights buyers a clearer read on where Asian content is heading into 2026. That combination — creator deals, AI tools and short-form IP in a single December week — is the part to watch.