Expanded Creator Lab Seeds Digital Synergies

Signs of the growing importance of the creator economy will be every­where at the 2026 NAB Show.

A long list of sessions covers the sector, and an even larger array of exhibitors will offer gear, software and solutions to help creators and broadcasters expand and improve their digital and social media content.

Much of this builds on a quarter-century of work by independent creators, storytellers, artists, producers, YouTubers, bloggers, influencers and others in the creator economy.

The content they produce has turned YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and other social media platforms into some of the most valuable enterprises on the planet. YouTube, for instance, was recently valued at more than $560 billion, making it the largest media company in the world, according to MoffettNathanson Research.

Despite its size, however, creators comprise a diverse and at times atomized community. The creator economy includes part-time producers creating niche content as well as creators like MrBeast and Dhar Mann, who have used their storytelling skills to build successful multimedia studios serving millions of followers.

Some of these producers bristle at the term “creator economy.” They complain it reduces their passion for creativity and storytelling to money-making hustle. Others see themselves as entrepreneurs serving a community rather than as strictly content producers.

What isn’t up for debate is the importance of the phenomenon at the convention for creators and more traditional broadcasters and tech vendors.

In an ongoing convergence of interests, traditional media is looking for ways to better serve the younger audiences on digital platforms and social media, while many creators are flocking to the Show to explore technologies to help them better monetize their content by adopting professional, studio-grade broadcast workflows.

“A lot of broadcasters are trying to be where consumers are now. Social media and solo creators are trying to figure out how to turn themselves into media companies,” said Dylan Huey, a 24-year-old creator who has built up 6 million followers in the last 10 years and is the CEO of Reach, a national influencer organization active at more than 100 universities. “There is a merging of the two worlds. Digital wants to go more traditional and traditional wants to go digital.”

Added Nicki Sun, creator of “The Nicki Sun Show” and founder of Nicki Sun Media, “The NAB Show is a place for creators who want to scale their business, meet new people and explore new technologies.”

Sun first came to NAB Show 10 years ago, at age 20, with her dad. “It’s a fun place to geek out with people about the same things that you’re interested in.”

Connecting Creators

To tap into this convergence, the National Association of Broadcasters has been working in recent years to establish closer ties to the creator community.

It launched Creator Lab sessions in 2024. Last year it established a Creator Council of individuals like Huey and Sun, who work with NAB on a variety of issues.

This year, organizers have been offering creators free passes to the exhibit floor. The expanded iteration of the Creator Lab will feature four to six sessions daily from Sunday to Tuesday at the Creator Lab Theater (C9226), as well as a mixer and networking event on Monday at 5 p.m. (also in the theater), sponsored by Adobe and Blackmagic Design.

Council members will discuss their work and plans at sessions such as “Creator Survival Guide: Contracts, Burnout & the Business of Building Content” on Tuesday from 2 to 2:30 p.m.

One speaker at that session is Shira Lazar, CEO of WhatsTrending.com and a member of the Creator Council.

Lazar has been covering digital media and working in the creator space for two decades. While the creator economy is already a “legitimate industry and workplace,” she noted, many creators are self-employed and lack the support and resources they need to grow and operate their businesses, like health care, legal expertise and tools.

That makes the dialogue between NAB, broadcasters and the creator community particularly important, Lazar said.

On one hand, the Creator Council and its work with NAB benefits creators by helping them get access to resources, technology and expertise. On the other hand, the alliance helps exhibitors expand their presence in a growing market and provides broadcasters with new talent and new approaches to digital media.

“Creators have stuff to learn from the old guard of traditional media, which has all the incredible production expertise, and traditional media has stuff to learn from us,” said Travis W. Keyes, photographer, filmmaker, content creator and creative educator, who will speak at a Creator Lab session and is active on the Council.

“That’s why it is so important and great to see the NAB is bringing those two groups together at this year’s Show,” he said.

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