The Future of Creator Conventions

Together with:

Issue #247 | June 18, 2024

I just got back from the second annual Open Sauce. It’s a convention dedicated to engineers, mechanics, hack smiths, and the YouTubers that inspire them.

Started last year by YouTuber William Osman as a way place to give creatives a place to shine, this year, the space was double the size and twice as chaotic. The event took place at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, which normally hosts rodeos. But this was a different type of shit show.

Open Sauce had a lot of the usual aspects of an influencer convention. Con staples like overpriced food, merchandise, and the occasional cosplayer in a furry mask were unavoidable. Creators like Mark Rober, Adam Savage, and the Backyard Scientist hosted panels and discussions on two stages. They packed each room with discussions about video games, their favorite projects, and the future of space exploration.

But what really set Open Sauce apart from VidCons or TwitchCons was the massive selection of creators showing off their booths. 500 individuals got space in four exhibition halls to show off whatever they could possibly imagine. There was a self-moving table, and a real-life Flappy Bird that you could control by flapping your arms.

Open Sauce was as weird as it sounds. Messy, unorganized, and hilarious — just like the rest of the convention. Read more about it below.

– Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor

CULTURE

Open Sauce is the Future of Creator Conventions

It’s just not quite there yet.

By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor

→ READ THE FULL STORY

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IN THE BIZ

According to a Pew Research Center survey, despite concerns about misinformation, Americans perceive TikTok as the most trustworthy major social media platform for news.
Spotify is launching an in-house creative agency, as well as a generative AI advertising tool.
Former President Donald Trump appeared on influencer Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast.
The U.S. government is suing Adobe for allegedly hiding fees and making subscription cancellations difficult.

PLATFORMS

TikTok Is Generating Scarily Realistic AI Avatars of Creators for Ads

TikTok is taking AI influencers to a whole other level.

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor

READ THE FULL STORY →

LABOR

AI Detection Is Going Terribly, Thanks For Asking

Is AI detection software untrustworthy?

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor

READ THE FULL STORY →

JOB BOARD

YouTuber Courtreezy is hiring a Podcast Producer.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is hiring a full-time Content Creator in NYC.
The card game “We’re Not Really Strangers” is hiring a Content Creator.
Content company Portal A is hiring a Content Strategist.

YOUTUBE MADE ME DO IT

Tune in to the Reactorverse Podcast for an exclusive interview with reaction compilation legend Johnny O’Dell, aka J2O, where he talks about his creative process and offers unique insights into the ever-evolving reaction space.

Be sure to subscribe to the Passionfruit YouTube channel so you don’t miss an episode. If you’d like to see episodes early, join us on Patreon!

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