Jupiter Festival Miami Makes an Iconic Debut: More Than 2,300 Media, Entertainment and Sports Leaders Converge on Miami Beach to Shape the Future of Content

Inaugural festival brings Joe Scarborough, Lisa Leslie, Joakim Noah and top executives from YouTube, NBCUniversal, McDonald’s, e.l.f. Beauty and IAB together

Sponsors and attendees already committing to return in 2027

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jupiter Festival Miami, a new global event in media, entertainment and sports, wrapped its inaugural event on October 9, 2026 after three and a half high-energy days of headline conversations, deal-making and cultural-defining moments. More than 2,300 media and advertising executives and content creators descended on Miami Beach for the debut, and sponsors and attendees are already committing to come back next year.

Jupiter was built around one big question: What is the future of content? From who creates and owns it, to who earns the audience and captures its value, the program connects conversations that usually happen in separate industries, putting established leaders, emerging voices, brands, creators, platforms and rights holders in the same rooms.

“We didn’t build another conference. We built a festival around the one thing all of these industries run on, content,” said William Mellis, co-founder and CEO of Jupiter Festival. “Media, entertainment, sports, brands and creators have been having the same conversation in separate rooms for years. Jupiter put them all in one place. Over three days, they worked through who holds influence, from how business models are being rebuilt to where value moves next.”

Here are some key highlights:

Tuesday I Kick-Off

• The festival kicked-off with Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner welcoming guests, followed by a private Third Eye Blind concert.
  
  

Wednesday | Influence & Attention.

• In an interview with Frederic Michel, Chief Corporate Officer of MCH Group, MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough, co-host of “Morning Joe,” opened the festival with a frank look at trust in a fractured media landscape, his candid views on President Donald Trump’s relationship with the press and the rise of artificial intelligence in newsrooms.
• Former NBA star Joakim Noah, host of the YouTube series NOMAD, spoke about the creative freedom of owning his audience relationship, “I am able to control my content and say what I want to say without someone telling me what is okay and what’s not.”
• Andrew Gottlieb, VP, Production Operations, Rock Studios, Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal, delivered one of the week’s most-remembered sentiments on AI, upholding that while it can co-create content, AI can’t make people care about that content.
  
  

Thursday | Business Model Reinvention.

• WNBA legend Lisa Leslie joined WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison and The Female Quotient’s Shelley Zalis to unpack the booming women’s sports economy.
• McDonald’s Elizabeth Campbell and Known’s Ross Martin took the stage to discuss Meal Ticket, the Prime Video documentary tied to the 50th McDonald’s All American Games, and how a brand-backed story can become entertainment with cultural weight.
• Anish Melwani, former chairman and CEO of LVMH North America and co-founder of 22 Montaigne Entertainment, made the case that brands no longer chase culture; they create it.
• Evan Shapiro, founder and CEO of ESHAP, launched The Creator Map, a data-informed guide to the biggest creators across platforms, live on stage and predicted “an explosion of premium vertical content in the next 18 months.”
  
  

Friday | The Next Economics of Content.

• IAB CEO David Cohen, in conversation with Forbes contributor Howard Homonoff, issued a challenge to marketers: “If there was a time for a clean sheet of paper and taking advantage of the innovation in the market, it’s now.”
• e.l.f. Beauty’s Integrated Marketing Officer Patrick O’Keefe and LA Sparks President Stacy Johns showed how women’s sports are rewriting the brand playbook. “We have the receipts to show when you put diversity and women on boards of directors, you can be profitable and drive business,” said O’Keefe.
• YouTube’s Amanda Tarpey, creator and NextWave Media CEO Hudson Matter and Integrated Media Company CEO Jonathan Miller closed the week on how creators are building the new media stack. “Marketers have been waking up seeing the trust, influence and authenticity that creators wield,” Tarpey said. “They’re saying: I can’t afford to miss that.”
  
  

“Look at who was on our stages this week,” said Eric Markgraf, co-founder and chief creative and content officer of Jupiter Festival. “Joe Scarborough on trust. Lisa Leslie and the WNBA on building a fan base that lasts. McDonald’s and LVMH on brands making culture instead of chasing it. The CEO of IAB told the industry to throw out last year’s playbook. And the people in the audience were every bit as senior as the people on stage. That’s what made the conversations so sharp, and it’s what turned them into real business.”

“Jupiter Festival’s inaugural year surpassed expectations on all levels. The content and production were world-class. Blue chip sponsors like Transmit, BBC Studios, and YouTube gave the conference an urgency you rarely see in year one. And the delegates, from across the globe, gave the event a memorable and valuable perspective. It was a total blast,” said Evan Shapiro, founder and CEO of ESHAP.

"Jupiter Festival Miami exceeded our expectations. What stood out was the caliber of decision-makers, creators, and brands all gathered in one place with a genuine focus on building meaningful partnerships. For Musclebeat Publishing Group, the conversations we had quickly evolved into real business opportunities, making the value of participation immediately clear. That's why we're not only returning in 2027, but we're also significantly expanding our partnership and presence. Jupiter Festival is establishing itself as an influential platform where the future of media, music, publishing, and content creation comes together," said Rone George, Founder and CEO, Musclebeat Publishing Group.

“Media, entertainment and sports leaders have a lot to learn from each other, but few places offer the opportunity to do just that. Jupiter Festival Miami gives the community a space to share perspectives, build relationships and shape what comes next,” said Ernesto Pagano, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Global Sector Leader, Boston Consulting Group.

“There was a connection among the speakers at Jupiter you rarely get at an industry event -- the event wasn't just about being on stage, it was also about being together and working together to move correlated industries forward. Jupiter was the best first-time festival I have ever experienced,” said Jae Goodman, Founder and CEO of Superconnector Studios.

About Jupiter Festival

Jupiter Festival is a global event in media, entertainment and sports, connecting the decision-makers, creators and brands shaping the future of content and commerce. Founded by William Mellis and Eric Markgraf, Jupiter Festival Miami debuted Oct. 6-9, 2026, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, bringing together more than 2,300 executives and creators for programming, curated meetings, AI-powered matchmaking and immersive experiences. Built to go beyond the traditional conference model, Jupiter Festival is where ideas spark, partnerships form and the future of the global media ecosystem takes shape.

For more information, visit www.jupiter-miami.com.

Media Contact:
Kate Dougherty
KCSA Strategic Communications
jupiter@kcsa.com