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If You Were There, You Already Know
And if you weren’t, this is your sign not to miss the next one.
The second annual Curator Summit opened with a defining moment: a virtual welcome from Andre Dickens, the 61st Mayor of Atlanta. He thanked Eventnoire for bringing the summit to the city and highlighted its role in driving culture and economic impact forward.
Curator Summit 2026 wasn’t another conference with recycled clichés or rehearsed inspo. It was a working room — the kind where the person next to you might be building the next major Black-owned festival, closing six-figure brand deals in private equity, or quietly redefining experiential marketing.
Attendees came from Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and beyond, all united by one thing: a commitment to building, sustaining, and protecting culture on their own terms.
Panels That Defined the Summit
The closing conversation, “The Future of Eventing: 2026 Trends Driving Staple Cultural Experiences,” cemented the summit’s purpose and power.
Don’t lie to yourself! Kenny Burns opened with a bar! This industry will test you, and it has no patience for those unwilling to do the work. He also opened the floor for a candid discussion on legacy and accountability, confronting the negativity surrounding Essence Fest over the past year head-on.
Michael Barclay II, Chief Events Officer at Sundial Media and Technology Group, who drives strategy and execution across ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Beautycon, brought weight and perspective to the conversation. Under his leadership, ESSENCE Festival of Culture reached its highest-selling nights in 30 years — proof of his vision, scale, and cultural fluency. Barclay stressed discernment: don’t believe everything you read, keep dialogue open, and recognize how quickly misinformation spreads. He made it clear that championing relationships across the diaspora doesn’t mean the institutions that built and sustain our culture are being abandoned.
He celebrated the excellence and enduring legacy of ESSENCE while reframing critiques of Essence Fest with intention, not defensiveness. The message was clear: critique that builds is radically different from noise that tears down. As Kenny emphasized, Black professionals and communities carry a responsibility to protect the spaces created for them. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we must recognize what’s at stake when we fail to show up for our own.
Jason Carter shared a story that shifted the room. When he first pitched One Music Fest, brands labeled it a “liability.” He didn’t shrink, he doubled down. Today, the festival spans two days and stands as the largest Black-owned festival in the U.S., with brands once hesitant now competing to be involved. That’s not just success. That’s blueprint thinking.
Teccara Carmack added depth to the conversation, reinforcing the summit’s core message: resilience, self-awareness, and community are non-negotiable.
Gems Across the Board
Charles Kuykendoll pulled back the curtain on scaling RNBHouseParty — no investors, no shortcuts. Just vision, discipline, and owning his audience data. In 2023, Blavity acquired the brand, and Charles stepped in as General Manager of Community, expanding its experiential footprint. On stage, he also gave a genuine nod to Eventnoire’s curator-first payout model — a structure that allows curators to scale fees and share in ticket fee revenue.
Kweillin “KG” Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of Greenwood Whiskey, made sponsorship strategy plain: alignment over everything. Know your audience. Know the brand. Do your homework. His point was simple and sharp — if you’re throwing tacos and tequila, don’t call a whiskey brand. Preparation is the bridge between opportunity and a yes.
Susette Brooks, Director of Inclusive Marketing at Penguin Random House Publishing, reminded attendees that alignment often outweighs check size. Makeda Bell, Senior Manager of Culture and Influence at Microsoft, added practical timing — many organizations set budgets early in the year. Pitch with preparation, patience, and understanding.
Corey “NetworKing” Moore, founder of ProNetwork and CEO of Atlanta Black Expo, brought it back to community. Support Black expos. Attend them. Sustain them. You never know who’s sitting next to you; building culture means building each other.
An Unexpected Moment
When Boris Kodjoe made an impromptu appearance, cameras flashed, and the room struck a pose with the world-renowned actor, director, producer, investor, and philanthropist. It was a reminder that representation still matters, and that being in a room full of people who look like you and build like you is more than networking. It’s an affirmation.
And of course, world-famous DJ Boof kept the room exactly where it needed to be — lifted, energized, and in motion. Between panels and breaks, he didn’t just play music; he curated the vibe. The transitions felt intentional, the energy stayed high, and the room never lost momentum.
Beyond the Stage
Workshops. Fireside chats. Pitch competitions. Deep dives on sponsorship strategy. The summit wasn’t about being seen; it was about leaving equipped.
That’s what made it different. The people in the room came to learn, connect, and execute.
Until Next Time
Curator Summit 2026 proved that when the right people are in the right room, momentum follows. The creators, curators, and culture builders who showed up left with more than notes. They left with community.
See you at the next one.
Experience the Summit
A special thank you to our event sponsors — Pronghorn, Martell, The Academy Group, BLK App, Black At Cannes, Greenwood Whiskey, Bayab African Grown Gin, and Eventnoire.
Your partnership made this experience possible. Thank you for investing in culture, backing curators, and helping us create a room where builders could connect, learn, and move the industry forward — together.