CREATIVE ECONOMY SUMMIT
October 22, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Watsonville Civic Center Community Room
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT PARTNERS!
Creativity is more than a cultural asset—it is an economic one.
Across the Monterey Bay region, artists, designers, filmmakers, educators, entrepreneurs, cultural organizations, creative businesses and innovators contribute to vibrant communities while supporting jobs, attracting visitors, strengthening local economies and creating new opportunities.
But what would it take to better connect these assets and intentionally grow a thriving regional creative economy?
Join Monterey Bay Economic Partnership and regional leaders for the Creative Economy Summit, a cross-sector gathering exploring the role creativity can play in the economic future of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
About the Event
The creative economy reaches far beyond the traditional arts. It encompasses the people, businesses, organizations and industries that turn creativity, culture, ideas and innovation into economic and community value.
The Creative Economy Summit will bring together voices from across the region to explore how we can better recognize, connect and strengthen this important part of the Monterey Bay economy.
Through conversations and interactive discussions, attendees will explore how creative assets intersect with economic development, workforce and education, entrepreneurship, tourism, community development and placemaking—and identify opportunities to work together across sectors and county lines.
This isn’t just a conversation about the value of creativity. It’s a conversation about how we turn that value into opportunity, stronger communities and a more connected regional economy.
What We’ll Explore
Why the Creative Economy Matters
What is the creative economy, who is part of it, and what role can it play in the economic future of the Monterey Bay region?
Building Creative Economy Roadmaps
Explore how arts planning, cultural districts and creative placemaking can become tools for community and economic development.
Creating Career Pathways
Creative careers are real careers. We’ll look at how education, workforce development and industry can work together to build stronger pathways into creative fields.
Building a Stronger Regional Ecosystem
How can artists, businesses, educators, government, tourism, philanthropy and community organizations work across traditional boundaries to strengthen our region’s creative economy?
The program is intentionally designed to include opportunities for attendees to contribute ideas and help move the conversation toward action, rather than simply listen to presentations. That participatory approach is reflected throughout the working agenda.
Who Should Attend
The Creative Economy Summit is designed for anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, community and economic opportunity, including artists and creatives, arts and cultural organizations, creative entrepreneurs and businesses, educators and students, workforce development professionals, economic development leaders, tourism and hospitality professionals, local government and community leaders, funders, and cross-sector partners.
Whether you work directly in a creative field or your work intersects with the people, places and industries that make a region vibrant, you have a place in this conversation.
From Ideas to Action
Our region already has tremendous creative assets. The opportunity now is to connect them.
Together, we’ll explore opportunities to expand creative career pathways, support creative entrepreneurs, grow cultural tourism, develop cultural districts, invest in creative infrastructure and strengthen collaboration across Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
What could a stronger, more connected creative economy mean for the future of the Monterey Bay region?
Come help us imagine—and begin building—what’s possible.
WHY ATTEND AN MBEP EVENT?
MBEP’s events offer a unique opportunity to engage with the leaders, ideas, and data shaping the future of the Central Coast. By bringing together diverse voices from across sectors, this event creates space for meaningful dialogue, shared understanding, and collaborative problem-solving.
Whether you’re looking to stay informed, strengthen partnerships, or ensure your perspective is part of the conversation, MBEP’s convenings provide the insight and connections needed to move our region forward—together.
