Palm Springs goes big on tech and the innovation economy with PS/NExT Summit
GPS Business Insider columnist Bob Marra writes that Palm Springs is expanding its tech and creative-economy conference into a larger regional platform with PS/NExT Summit 2026 — New Experiences in Technology — running June 22–23 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
The piece frames PS/NExT as practical, not abstract: AI and emerging tech as tools for everyday life and local economic development, designed for residents, students, educators, small-business owners, creators, and civic leaders. 1.5 days of programming, six tracks, and 30+ speakers, with the Local Business Vibe-a-thon and GenJam creative sprint as signature activations.
Marra highlights the headline lineup — Rob Minkoff (co-director, Disney’s The Lion King) on how AI supports rather than replaces animators; Baratunde Thurston, Emmy-nominated storyteller and Palm Springs resident, opening on nature, humans, and technology; AI artist Kelly Boesch; former Meta/OpenAI/Microsoft engineer Philip Su; and artists Cristopher Cichocki and Glen Wexler.
The piece also notes the access programs — $95 for Coachella Valley residents, free admission for students, $250 standard and $500 premium passes — and the Summit’s strategic placement on the local cultural calendar, between XOXO Palm Springs and Palm Springs International ShortFest, reinforcing the city’s creative-economy identity rather than competing with Silicon Valley.