5 Things We Learned from Vancouver's Inaugural Digital First Canada Summit

In 2021, I started Digital First Canada as a non-profit organization with a core mission: to advocate on behalf of the Digital Entrepreneurs in Canada. As the CEO of Buffer Festival and Executive Director of Digital First Canada for 7 years, I work directly with Creators, Brands and Governments around the world to Celebrate, Educate and Innovate on digital platforms.

After three successful editions in Toronto, Digital First Canada brought its summit to the West Coast, at TELUS Garden in Vancouver. The event brought together Canada’s leading creators, platforms, industry leaders and digital entrepreneurs for an immersive experience designed to showcase the latest trends, tools and strategies shaping the online creator landscape. 

DFC’s Creator Summit brought together over 200 attendees and 30 panelists, creating an atmosphere full of learning, growth and inspiration for the evolution of the creator landscape in Canada. 

1. Traditional Media and Creator Economies Are Converging Made abundantly clear in the first conversation of the day, Creators & Traditional Media: The Great Convergence, the line between traditional media and creators is blurring. Featuring Morghan Fortier, Co-Owner & Creator of Super Simple Songs and Robert Randall, of YAPTV, moderated by Jon Taylor, CEO of Independent Production Fund, the panel highlighted how creators are navigating the shift into film, TV and publishing, while traditional media is learning from the agility, engagement and authenticity of creator-led content.

2. Authenticity Is the Future of Brand Storytelling Now more than ever, authenticity is the key driver to brand storytelling. In the Brand Storytelling Through Creators: Authenticity, Impact and Engagement panel featuring Ainsley Rose, Founder of Londre, Colton Potter, Biz Dev of Linus Tech Tips, Derek Howe, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Ellify, they discussed authentic brand-creator collaborations and balancing creative freedom with brand messaging. The underlying takeaway? Partnerships thrive when creators are empowered to maintain their unique voice while aligning with brand goals.

3. Podcasting is Evolving As podcasting continues to grow from audio to video storytelling, creators are building dynamic and intimate avenues to connect with new audiences. Jennifer Park, Manager/ Podcast Co-Host of TELUS STORYHIVE moderated the Spotlight on Podcasting panel, featuring Alex Paterson, Civics Lead, Canada at YouTube, Jen Moss, Chief Creative Officer of JAR Audio and Kristina Lao, video podcaster on Bombshell Brunches. This rousing conversation highlighted and explored podcasting's impact, business models and growth strategies, monetization, audience building, platform trends and creative innovation for impactful audio storytelling. The headline? Video podcasting offers new opportunities to grow your audience beyond audio platforms and build your creative portfolio, diversifying your options as an artist and storyteller.

4. AI is Reshaping the Creator Economy With the exponential rise in AI, creators now more than ever have to learn to adapt to keep their content and business ahead of the curve. Adam Rumanek, Founder of Aux Mode Inc., and Catherine Warren, President & Founder of FanTrust, explored this topic with an eager and engaged audience that raised several questions and some valid concerns. The key takeaway for future impact on digital creators, AI is reshaping content creation in exciting new ways and those who don’t keep up will be left behind. Distribution and promotion are easy examples of AI-powered tools being used to build new opportunities and reach new audiences.  Although AI tools can also be deployed for technical and creative efforts like faster captioning, editing or quick script writing– the top lesson being that AI won’t replace human creativity, rather, it will boost efficiency and open new avenues for monetization when used with intention and transparency.

5. Creators Are Becoming Businesses Spotlight conversations with leading companies and the creators on their platforms, such as YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat revealed how today’s influencers are scaling their passions into full-fledged enterprises. Sitting down with the head of YouTube Canada, Andrew Peterson, creators Mia Plays shared how they’ve grown their passion into a professional business, with a 4,000 sq ft production studio encompassing two YouTube channels and a podcast, and outlined their strategic steps to investments and ROI. Connie Chan, Creative Solutions Lead at TikTok, chatted with Canadian content superstars Jaimie Weisberg and Laura Whaley, exploring how TikTok's evolution, growth opportunities, algorithm insights, monetization strategies and creative trends shape their brands and approach to collaborations. Snap creator, Kristie Smith, delved into the platform’s evolution to monetization, helping creators focused on sharing authentic and organic content to connect with larger audiences and get paid.

From Canada’s leading online creators to platform innovators, industry leaders and digital entrepreneurs, your energy and expertise made this summit truly unforgettable.

As we continue to navigate the exciting and ever-changing landscape of the creator economy, we’re grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow together. Stay connected with Digital First Canada on Instagram and learn more on our website, digitalfirstcanada.ca.