THR and Access Media are positioning UP NEXT as a "serious business marketplace" that bridges the gap between digital creators and Hollywood's traditional power players. Maer Roshan frames it as an exciting collaboration, saying creators continue to fuel studio talent pipelines and drive brand marketing strategies.
Insiders know this summit is Hollywood playing catch-up. Studios are scrambling for fresh IP as audience-first storytelling disrupts the old development model. The real question: will creators get fair deals, or will studios use these events to lock up creator IP on their terms?
UP NEXT: The Creator IP Market launches October 2026 in Los Angeles. Scott Benzie — former WorldBuilder Summit founder and Buffer Festival CEO — has been tapped as general manager. Ferne Cohen, Access Media president, called this "one of the most significant shifts" in entertainment history.
This isn't just another industry panel — it's Hollywood officially acknowledging that creators hold the keys to the kingdom now. October's summit will reveal whether traditional studios are ready to share power or simply find new ways to control it.
The Hollywood Reporter is making a major power play, and digital creators should probably start clearing their calendars for October 2026. THR has partnered with Access Media to launch UP NEXT: The Creator IP Market, a first-of-its-kind event that promises to bring together every major player in entertainment under one roof — if they're willing to pay to play. The inaugural summit will take place in Los Angeles and is designed specifically as a dealmaking marketplace where global development-ready digital content producers can connect directly with studios, streamers, broadcasters, talent agencies, digital platforms, production companies, brands, and buyers.
According to event organizers, the programming includes curated deal-making opportunities, industry networking, keynote conversations, creator showcases, live IP presentations, and exclusive editorial content from THR itself. Maer Roshan, Editor-in-Chief of The Hollywood Reporter, didn't hide his enthusiasm in a published statement: "We're excited to bring the fast-growing creator economy and Hollywood together, as digital innovators continue to fuel studio talent pipelines, drive brand marketing strategies and redefine who becomes a star." That's corporate-speak for: the old gatekeepers are finally admitting they need what creators have.
Ferne Cohen, President of Access Media and Executive Director of UP NEXT, painted an even starker picture. "Entertainment is undergoing one of the most significant shifts in its history, and creators are at the center of that transformation," Cohen said. "Some of the most valuable and culturally relevant IP in the world is now emerging from creator-led communities with deeply engaged audiences." The framing here is clear: this event exists because traditional development pipelines are failing and studios know it.
The leadership lineup suggests this isn't some half-baked industry vanity project. Scott Benzie, who founded WorldBuilder Summit and previously served as CEO of Buffer Festival, has been tapped as UP NEXT's general manager — bringing actual creator-economy credentials to the table rather than just Hollywood suits repackaging existing ideas. More details about the event will be announced in the coming months, according to organizers.
The timing isn't accidental. The source material notes that studios are actively seeking commercially viable IP for new audiences and emerging formats like podcasts and microdramas as they attempt to expand traditional content pipelines. Translation: Netflix, Disney, and everyone else are desperate for fresh intellectual property that doesn't require the bloated budgets and development times of legacy Hollywood production. Creators with built-in audiences represent exactly that — but whether this summit results in fair partnerships or another land grab remains to be seen.
