Modern Audience Conference (MAC) 2026 has announced its confirmed 2026 line-up, led by keynote speaker Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner and a defining voice in transmedia franchise design.
MAC is a one-day online conference for people building the future of interactive storytelling across games, media and emerging tech. The event takes place online only on Wednesday 20 May 2026 at midday UK time.
Gomez will deliver the keynote, Collective Journey: Franchise Architecture for a Changing World. Having shaped narrative strategy for global properties including Avatar, Halo, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Spider-Man, Gomez will explore why traditional “lone hero” narratives are failing in a complex, systemic age. His session will also address how generative AI is forcing a fundamental rethink of audience participation and franchise design.
“MAC exists to push back against safe, generic storytelling and surface sharper thinking,” says Krishna Stott at MAC. “Jeff Gomez doesn’t just talk about innovation; he builds the processes that allow world-scale stories to function as living systems”.
Also confirmed for MAC 2026:
- Gareth Langley (Piing): The Manchester-based CEO will unpack “Games for Crowds”, sharing the design and psychology required to turn 80,000 stadium spectators into a single, playful organism.
- Grand Theft Hamlet (Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane): The creators will discuss “Theatre in a Hostile Sandbox”, exploring what happens when documentary and live performance collide inside Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Yoko Taro: A special film, “The Whys and Wherefores of Yoko Taro”, will explore the creative anti-logic and “playful sabotage” of one of the most distinctive voices in game design.
MAC 2026 is for creators, studios, and researchers who value practical insight over vague chat. The programme focuses on real practice: what is being made now, and what actually lands with an international audience.
