Singapore Media Festival 2026: Asia Creator Summit and ATF

The Singapore Media Festival 2026 runs from 1 to 5 December, its 13th edition, and this year adds a new event for content creators: the Asia Creator Summit, on 4 and 5 December at Marina Bay Sands. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which hosts the festival, announced the line-up on 16 October 2026. The long-running Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) returns from 1 to 4 December, also at Marina Bay Sands, and two creator pitch calls, one offering up to S$100,000 in awards, open in early November.

If you make content for a living, buy or sell programmes, or run brand campaigns with creators, the useful question is which of the two events fits you and what to prepare before the calls open. Ticket and registration prices are on the events' own sites, which we could not open, so this guide covers the programme and the decision rather than the price.

What is the Asia Creator Summit?

IMDA calls ACS "a new flagship event for Asia's creator ecosystem to discover how they can build sustainable businesses, develop intellectual property, and scale effectively across markets". It is curated by Generation Experience (GenXP) with Monica Khan, founder and chief executive of Creator Revolution, and brings together "creators, creative entrepreneurs, brands, platforms, technology providers, and industry leaders".

Speakers named in the release include:

• KIMPRO, described as one of South Korea's leading digital creators, with over 130 million subscribers and 154 billion lifetime views.
• ISSEI, a Japanese creator known for non-verbal comedy, with over 75 million YouTube subscribers.
• AJ Eckstein, founder and chief executive of US-based Creator Match.
• Singapore figures: Johnathan Chua of GRVTY Media, Kelvin Tan of DU Media Holdings and Althea Lim of Gushcloud International.

What are the Creator Pitch Challenge and the Creator Lab?

Two calls invite creators to pitch ideas for real campaigns, according to IMDA:

• Mandarin Oriental, Singapore's Creator Pitch Challenge: develop an original content concept for the hotel's 40th anniversary.
• Bloomr.SG's Creator Lab: pitch "innovative, creator-focused ideas", with up to S$100,000 in awards.

The calls for proposals open in early November 2026; IMDA's release does not give a closing date, eligibility rules or the number of winners, and says details on taking part in the Creator Lab are on the ACS website.

What is new at Asia TV Forum & Market 2026?

IMDA describes ATF as "a leading co-production and entertainment content market and conference in Asia". Its release lists these additions for 2026:

• Leaders' Dialogue on 1 December: speakers from East West Bank, Omdia, TikTok, Unilever, WEBTOON Productions and YouTube on how audience behaviour and fandom are reshaping distribution, financing and branded entertainment.
• "The AI Era | Entertainment Reimagined": a programme and zone on AI's implications for content creation, intellectual property and regulation, with the Motion Picture Association, the Television Academy and WIPO among those taking part.
• AI Hackathon 2026 Grand Finals: presented by Yoywow Space and Visify, with a live creative challenge and screenings.
• New pavilions: Canada and Indonesia; microdramas get "growing attention" in the market.

Which event should you attend: ACS or ATF?

A decision checklist built from IMDA's descriptions (our framing, not IMDA's):

• You earn from your own channels or want to: ACS, for monetisation, intellectual property and scaling sessions, and the pitch calls.
• You buy, sell, finance or co-produce shows: ATF, for the market floor, pavilions and drama showcases.
• You run brand campaigns with creators: ACS for the creator side; ATF's Leaders' Dialogue for the brand and platform view.
• You are curious about AI in production: ATF's AI zone and hackathon finals.
• You can spare only one day: compare the two programmes when they are published; ATF's Leaders' Dialogue is on 1 December, while ACS runs on 4 and 5 December.

Before you register, settle three things: your budget (prices were not in IMDA's release), the days you can take off work, and whether your employer will pay. For a pitch, prepare a one-page concept and a short reel now, so you are ready when the calls open in early November.

How to get value from a business event

Industry festivals reward preparation more than attendance. Our guides to getting the most from a business conference and to networking breakfasts cover setting goals, booking meetings and following up. If you want a free introduction to AI tools first, the Digital for Life Festival runs free library workshops on 24 to 25 October and 31 October to 1 November. More planning pieces are on the planning topic page.

Common questions