VidCon 2026 & BET Awards Weekend Recap

In the last week of June, our team spent four days on the ground in Anaheim and Los Angeles for some of the biggest moments on the creator calendar: VidCon 2026 and BET Awards Weekend. The days were packed with panels, parties, a run club, a mentorship session, and a creator mixer, all pointed at the same goal: building real community with creators.

Welcome to LA Creator Mixer

On Thursday, June 25, we hosted a Creator Mixer in partnership with Double Tap Democracy, with Timisola Ogunleye, Joshua King, and María José Hurtado-Minjock helping bring the room together. The night gave creators a relaxed space to meet each other, trade ideas, and connect away from the rush of the main event floor. Here are some highlights from the team on the ground of the event:

"Our BET weekend creator mixer was a vibe! The casual, intimate setting gave creators space to actually let loose and be themselves, turning what could've been a stiff networking event into a genuine happy hour vibe with good energy. The biggest takeaway is that intimate events work, and they don't need to be huge in order to be successful. Overall it was a very successful event that everyone praised, and next time we'll just improve the guest list approach by confirming waitlisted creators earlier or opening capacity wider with clear "first come, first served" expectations on food and drinks!"

Timisola Ogunleye, Senior Digital Strategist

"It was really cool to see such an incredible group of creators come together to celebrate the BET awards, chat with one another, and support local businesses like Delicious Pizza and Support Black Creators."

María José Hurtado-Minjock, Senior Digital Strategist

Joshua King on the ground

Creator Engagement Manager Joshua King spent the weekend moving between venues, sessions, and sidewalks, and some of his favorite moments were the ones that weren't on any schedule. He highlighted the 7:30am VidCon Run Club, hallway conversations between panels, and quick chats on the walk between venues as some of the most meaningful of the trip. For Joshua, his mentorship session on setting rates as a Creator was the standout.

Joshua King, Creator Engagement Manager

"Creators showed up, felt seen and learned a ton at the Social Currant mentorship session during VidCon 2026! Building community and trust, setting realistic rates and being an advocate for each other was all on the menu — and the class ate good!"

Influencing for Good: a panel on advocacy and democracy

Maria also attended VidCon and joined a panel titled "Influencing for Good: How Advocacy Creators Impact Democracy." Sitting alongside four creators, the group dug into how creators can use their reach to strengthen democracy and move their communities toward good.

The panel featured Maria in conversation with:

• Professor Chesko (@thespeechprof)

• Arielle Fodor (@mrs.frazzled)

• Lauren Bash (@relauren)

And was moderated by creator Jorge Alvarez (@ijorgealvarez)

María José Hurtado-Minjock, Senior Digital Strategist

"This years panel of speakers were some of the most recognizable faces in the advocacy space and it drew in quite the crowd. After talking with other creators and attendees of Vidcon it was clear that creators have been wanting panels like this at this convention and are glad that we are finally having conversations around advocacy work."

What the weekend added up to

Across every touchpoint, the parties, the panels, the run club, the sidewalk conversations, the through-line was the same. Creators left with community. It's a reminder that the best moments come from showing up, early and often, and letting the connections build.

Thank you to every creator who shared a coffee, a slice of pizza, a hallway, or an early morning run with us!