PS/NExT Summit 26 — AI, Technology, Creativity & Culture Conference at the Palm Springs Convention Center, June 22–23, 2026

PS/NExT Summit 26 — Technology · Creativity · Community
Palm Springs Convention Center
Thank you for two incredible days. See you in 2027.

With gratitude

Thank you.

55Speakers

46Sessions

From a Lion King co-director, a former OpenAI & Meta site director, and the former Chief Metaverse Officer of CAA to the Mayor of Palm Springs, the Vice Chairman of the Agua Caliente Tribal Council, Eisenhower Health’s Chief Medical Officer, a California Teacher of the Year, three College of the Desert students, a former federal prosecutor now leading cybersecurity at Accenture, and a novelist who co-owns The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs — they all donated their time to speak at the Summit.

To our attendees

You made the Convention Center hum for a day and a half. Thank you for the questions, the late-night side conversations, and the ideas you took back home.

To our speakers

Every keynote, panel, and workshop was led by someone who donated their time — no honoraria, no fees. They prepared, traveled, presented, and stayed for the conversations after. Thank you for the generosity.

See the lineup

To our partners

Our presenting partners — the City of Palm Springs Office of Economic Development and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce — and every California Palm, Queen Palm, Pineapple Palm, Date Palm, Palm Pavilion, Local Business, and Media partner who stepped up. This summit doesn't exist without you.

See the full roster

To our volunteers

To all of you who ran check-in, wrangled badges, kept AV humming, escorted speakers, and quietly fixed everything that needed fixing — we saw all of it. Special thanks to the Cathedral City High School Digital Arts Technology Academy students who recorded the individual sessions!

Help with PS/NExT 27

A real example of NExT: New Experiences in Technology

Right here in Palm Springs.

BASEstud.io turns streetlights into distributed energy resources — solar-plus-storage systems that reduce peak demand and stabilize local grids. Founder & CEO Heidi Adams took the stage at PS/NExT 26, with this short video showcasing what they’re manufacturing right here in Palm Springs — featured during Baratunde Thurston’s opening keynote

Featured during Baratunde Thurston’s opening keynote at PS/NExT 26.Visit basestud.io

1.5 days in the desert · June 22–23, 9:00 AM Mon – 2:00 PM Tue (PT)

From AI Expo to PS/NExT: New Experiences in Technology

PS/NExT — New Experiences in Technology — brings together the community and leaders in AI, emerging tech, creativity, business, and education to develop skills, solve challenges, spark innovation, and expand economic opportunity across the region.

An evolution of the successful 2025 Palm Springs AI & Creativity Expo — where innovation meets imagination, and ideas become impact. In 2026 we return bigger, broader, and more immersive — two unforgettable days in the desert.

Watch the 2025 highlight reel

Latest news

Just announced · The full program

Every track, session & speaker — now yours to browse.

55+ speakers across six tracks plus Spotlight, 46+ sessions, both days. Filter to what pulls you in, or let us guide you to the room with your name on it.

2026 Speakers

Visionaries shaping what’s next

Tap any speaker for their full bio and sessions.

Who PS/NExT is for

1.5 days. 6 tracks. 50+ speakers.

  • For Residents

    Use AI safely. Live well with it.

    AI is already in your phone, your job, and your kids’ homework. 1.5 days of practical sessions from absolute beginners to confident users — plus how to spot scams, protect your data, and stay grounded as the tools change.

  • For Small Businesses

    Real results, not hype.

    1.5 days of practical AI for local owners across hospitality, retail, services, healthcare, and more. Hear what’s actually working in Coachella Valley businesses today, peer-to-peer. Plus the Vibe-a-thon — submit a real problem and have it built into a working solution live on stage.

  • For Educators & Students

    Hear what's actually happening.

    A dedicated EDU Track with leadership, faculty, and student perspectives. Plus four other tracks open to you, the Vibe-a-thon and GenJam where students build alongside professionals, and a regional table you don’t get elsewhere.

  • For Builders

    Where tech talent gathers.

    1.5 days alongside the engineers, founders, and builders shaping what’s next. Talks from OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft alumni. The Vibe-a-thon — where developers ship working solutions live for local businesses. Plus the Creativity × AI track, where builders meet directors, musicians, and visual artists.

  • For Creators

    AI is reshaping creative work.

    The Creativity × AI track — directors, producers, performers, agents, studio executives, and AI-tool company leaders working through how AI is reshaping storytelling, ownership, and creative economics. Plus GenJam and Artist Spotlight Talks from internationally collected artists.

  • For Civic Leaders

    The desert's emerging tech conversation.

    1.5 days where the region’s mayors, city councils, educational leaders, employers, technologists, and creators all sit at the same table.

Hands-On Experiences

Make something. Together.

Returning to Palm Springs from Machine Cinema — the global AI-creativity community 3,000 creators strong across 30+ countries. A hands-on experience across the summit, built around their “Learn. Create. Play.” ethos.

In partnership withMachine Cinema
Machine Cinema GenJam workshop showcase — presenters at the front of a packed room, prize categories on the projector behind them.Live workshop

The Immersive Creator Workshop

GenJam

Machine Cinema’s flagship AI filmmaking hackathon. Teams form on the spot, learn the latest AI production tools, and build something from scratch — anchored in a Palm Springs theme. Two ways to play.

  • Format A

    The 4-Hour Sprint

    Teams race the clock to ship a 90-second short film. Live showcase + audience vote, all in an afternoon.

  • Format B

    The 8-Hour GenJam

    A full-day deep-dive — complex narratives, character consistency, immersive sound design.

Display MomentBoth formats culminate in a high-impact showcase on Day 2.

Live, on-stage build

The Vibe-a-thon

Sponsored by

Greater Palm Springs Economic Development

We’re working with local businesses and organizations to surface the software and tools they’ve never had the resources to build. During the summit we’ll bring developers — both experienced and brand-new — together with the latest AI tools to rapidly prototype working software on the spot. By the end of PS/NExT we’ll showcase working concepts that could directly help businesses right here in our community.

I wish I had a tool that could do this for my business.
— Local owners, every day

This is your chance to be part of building it.

Submissions openSubmit a challenge

Submit by Friday, June 19, 2026 · 5:00 PM Pacific

Also joining the stage

  • More
    Coming
    Soon

    More speakers

    Announced soon

Finale

Day 2 · Closing Showcase

The Big Finish

The entire Summit reconvenes for one room, one stage, one finale — real things, made here, in front of the people they were made for.

  • Best of GenJam — Big-Screen Screening

    A GenTalks-style screening of the strongest films, music videos, and visual work created during GenJam, with live creator commentary. Audience voting, awards, and an industry-panel jury. Top works move into the Digital Media Gallery.

  • Vibe-a-thon — 3-Minute Live Demos

    Working AI tools built during the Summit, demoed live by the teams that built them. Each pitch covers what they made, how it deploys, and the business value — judged on real-world impact for Palm Springs businesses.

By Palm Springs · For Palm Springs

Anchored in
the Coachella Valley

PS/NExT isn’t a conference that happens to take place in Palm Springs — it’s a conference built for it. Every track, every keynote, and every experience is designed to bring economic opportunity, creative momentum, and new skills to the Coachella Valley.

Presented by the City of Palm Springs Office of Economic Development and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Summit sits at the heart of an unprecedented June arc — connecting XOXO Palm Springs (June 11–22) and Palm Springs International ShortFest (June 23–29). Three weeks of arts, technology, and film, all in one city.

XOXO

Jun 11–22

PS/NExT

Jun 22–23

ShortFest

Jun 23–29

Until next year

Be first to hear about PS/NExT 27.

The summit was incredible — thank you for being part of it. Drop us a line and we’ll be in touch when session recordings drop, when the post-summit survey is ready, and when PS/NExT 27 registration opens.

Want to sponsor PS/NExT 27? See sponsorship opportunities →

Want to volunteer or get involved? Email the team →

Frequently asked

What happens now.