LOS ANGELES—The Hollywood Professional Association today said the theme of its 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, Feb. 14–18, 2027, in La Quinta, Calif., will be “From Story to World,” exploring the people, pipelines and business models behind the entertainment industry.
The retreat will be built on the idea that the media and entertainment sector is not shrinking but changing its shape. Each day of the 2027 program addresses a key question facing the industry. TR-X on Monday, Feb. 15, will examine how stories become worlds that extend across formats.
The Supersession on Tuesday, Feb. 16, will be chaired by HPA founder Leon Silverman. It will explore where the industry is heading and where professionals fit within it. The main program on Wednesday and Thursday will cover the technologies, practices and people shaping the industry today.
“Everyone in our community is asking the same questions right now: ‘Where is this industry going, and where do I fit?’” HPA President Renard Jenkins said. “The Tech Retreat is where this industry stops guessing about the future and starts building it, together, in one room. This year’s program is designed to give attendees a clear picture of what’s changing, along with the knowledge and connections to help shape what comes next.”
Entertainment now extends beyond a single release. One story increasingly expands across many formats. Assets captured during production may be reused years later in games, live experiences or AI-driven characters, placing new demands on how productions are budgeted, staffed and contracted.
TR-X sessions will follow a “world” from first concept to final sale. “Our Budgets Aren’t Ready for This” will examine the planning and pipelines that reusable worlds require. “Scan Once. Use Everywhere” will address the growth of 3D capture, including the Gaussian splats used to plan “Jurassic World Rebirth.”
“Who Owns the World?” will look at rights, provenance and preservation as studios license characters to AI platforms, including Disney’s agreement making more than 200 characters available on OpenAI’s Sora.
The Supersession “Help Me See and Build the Future,” is designed for the current moment—an era when the industry is reinventing and redefining professional media creation.
Organized around the questions the industry is asking now. Where is Hollywood going? How are new creators building? Where is the money moving? How to prepare? The day pairs “Seers,” who help paint a picture of what’s ahead, with “Builders,” who show what’s already underway.
“We’re all in the same boat, in rocky seas, heading to a new world, and everyone is asking the same question: Is there a place in it for me?” Leon Silverman, chair of the Supersession Planning Committee, said. “The industry isn’t shrinking; it’s changing shape. Nobody is going to discover you in this new world. You have to discover yourself. We want everyone in that room to leave seeing a future that includes them.”
HPA will announce program details for Feb. 17–18 in the coming weeks. The Innovation Zone will return with its attendee-voted Best in Show award. Winners of the HPA Awards Innovation & Technology will be revealed at the retreat. Nominees will be announced Jan. 15, 2027.
Registration is now open on the HPA website.
