FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 31st, 2026

Media Contact:
Jasmine Phillips Jones
jasmine@phillipsmediaagency.com
662-417-3859

CITY OF SEATTLE PROCLAIMS MAY AS CREATIVE AND CREATOR ECONOMY MONTH

SEATTLE, WA — March 16th, 2026 — The City of Seattle has officially proclaimed May as Creative and Creator Economy Month, a landmark recognition of the creative industries as a cornerstone of economic vitality, workforce development, and cultural identity in Seattle and across Washington State. The proclamation, championed by Arif Gursel, coincides with the formal launch of the Cre8tive & Cre8tor Economy Alliance (CCEA), a Seattle-based 501(c)(4) program built to bridge the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in service of one mission: turning creativity into compensation. The inaugural Cre8te Summit, held downtown Seattle, will serve as the launchpad for a new era of creative workforce infrastructure across the region.

“Seattle has always been a city powered by creativity. Proclaiming May as Creative and Creator Economy Month is our commitment to ensuring that the talented artists, creators, and creatives who shape our culture can also build lasting economic security right here in our city. We are proud to support initiatives like the Cre8tive & Cre8tor Economy Alliance that are doing the hard work of turning creative potential into real opportunity.”

— Mayor Katie B. Wilson, City of Seattle

The Cre8tive & Cre8tor Economy Alliance (CCEA) is a first-of-its-kind partnership initiative incubated and spearheaded via a public/private/non-profit sector partnership between the city of Seattle, 8genC, a creative + creator economy-focused agency, and The Union, a creator-focused innovation and production hub powered by PACE. CCEA exists to close the gap between creative potential and economic stability by building the infrastructure that makes paid creative opportunity predictable, trusted, and scalable for creators and creatives, and for the organizations that invest in them.

“Seattle’s proclamation is more than symbolic, it’s an open door. For too long, creativity has been treated as passion rather than profession. Creatives have felt the need to flock away from Seattle to be taken serious and pursue career goals, we now want to reverse that trend and signal Seattle as the place you flock to. The Cre8tive & Cre8tor Economy Alliance (CCEA) exists to change the landscape by building the infrastructure, pathways, and partnerships that make paid creative work predictable and scalable not just for a few, but for an entire ecosystem. We are proud to build this alongside the City of Seattle as a foundational public sector partner, and every partner who believes the creative and creator economy deserves the same systemic investment as any other sector.”

— Arif Gursel, Founder, Cre8tive & Cre8tor Economy Alliance

Together, the proclamation and CCEA launch signal a unified commitment from city government, industry, and civil society to building the practical infrastructure that creative professionals in Seattle and Washington State need to sustain their livelihoods, and that employers and institutions need to invest in creative talent with confidence.

Cre8te Summit: May 13–15, 2026  |  Seattle, WA

Anchoring Creative and Creator Economy Month, the inaugural Cre8te Summit convenes May 13–15, 2026, at The Union, which includes multiple locations at the 1201 Tower, located at 1201 Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. The Cre8te Summit is a creator-first gathering built to help creatives turn their creativity into compensation.

Designed around one core philosophy, “more than a conference, a catalyst,”  the summit is built to move attendees from ideas to execution across three immersive days. Programming spans studio labs, fireside chats, live demos, practitioner-led workshops, a Creative Expo, a real-time “deal table” for collaborations and partnerships, and Office Hours with industry experts. Featured speakers include industry notables such as YouTube’s Director of Music Culture, Tuma Basa, as well as internationally recognized industry leaders, along with regional and local contributors to Seattle’s creative & creator economies.

The inaugural Cre8te Summit — May 13–15, 2026, Seattle, WA — serves as the launchpad for a new era of creative workforce infrastructure across the region.

Tickets are available at cre8tesummit.com. Sponsorship and speaker applications are also open.

About the Cre8tive & Cre8tor Economy Alliance (CCEA)

CCEA is a nonprofit initiative that bridges partnerships among the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to help shape policy and forge pathways for people to convert creativity into compensation through practical playbooks and real economic opportunities via curated connections.

CCEA is a cross-sector partnership initiative that turns creativity into compensation by aligning policy, playbooks, and paid pathways, then activating the ecosystem through curated connections. Incubated and spearheaded by 8genC in partnership with The Union, a creator-focused innovation, community, and production hub. Learn more at cre8tesummit.com/who-we-are.

About the Cre8te Summit

The Cre8te Summit is an annual convening designed to help creatives and creators move from ideas to execution through real workflows, monetization strategies, and ecosystem deal-making. Learn more and get tickets at cre8tesummit.com.

About The Union

Launched on Juneteenth 2018, The Union is Seattle’s only creative innovation hub, focused on modern workforce development, featuring 12 modular content sets, co-working, education, and event space that powers modern media production, learning, and cultural convening. To learn more, visit: theunion.io.

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