Creator Economy meets AI avant-garde: Insights from the Creator & Brand Convention
Our m&k multimedia coverage of the Creator & Brand Convention captures the energy of an afternoon where AI, creativity, and community come together to form a new creative force.
This year’s Creator & Brand Convention was—unsurprisingly—all about artificial intelligence (AI). The event, considered Switzerland’s largest business-and-entertainment gathering for creators, brands, and communities, offered a rich program. The m&k video captures the atmosphere of the afternoon—vibrant and inspiring. The convention kicked off a full day dedicated to the creator industry, culminating in the evening at the grand Smile Swiss Influence Award Night culminated in an event where the country's best creators were honored.
AI in Focus: Visionaries and the New Era of Content Creation
The dominance of AI was reflected in the launch of the AI Media Award 2025 . As part of the SSIA Smile Swiss Influence Award platform, the award serves as a showcase and interface between the creative avant-garde and the advertising and media industries. Its goal is to promote groundbreaking AI-generated content—with a focus on quality, responsibility, and innovation.
The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of Mark Wachholz, an AI filmmaker and screenwriter who, with his video essay «The Cinema That Never Was» won first prize in the Narrative category. His work was created entirely with AI—from images to music and voice to the script. Wachholz, who taught himself the necessary skills, described the process as AI Creation: AI is actively involved in the ideation process, and its autonomy is part of the creative experiment.
Production took around a week. Wachholz used numerous tools in a kind of "symphony", as no single tool could do everything. He used Midjourney (images), Klingen, Runway and Hun (video AI), 11 Labs (voice), ChatGPT (script) and Udio (music). For him, AI is a way to bring ideas directly from the mind into the finished product - without gatekeepers. He sees limits in terms of controllability, as AI often brings in its own impulses - for Wachholz a characteristic of the AI Creation Space.
Content Strategies and Efficiency in the Creator Economy
Despite the hype surrounding AI, traditional topics remained prominent—especially Efficiency and Authenticity. One trend that’s here to stay: authentic, personal content—even as the line between it and artificial AI-generated content becomes increasingly blurred.
Timo Wäschle, a multi-award-winning storytelling expert, demonstrated in his masterclass «From My First Sony to Storyworld Pioneer – Efficiency, Emotion, and AI in Content», how storytelling, emotion, and AI can be combined into an effective trio. His conclusion: If you want to increase visibility, you have to consider emotion and technology together.
Romina Menzel on TikTok emphasized that in the creator era, brands must become part of the community—because TikTok thrives on the creativity of its users.
Brands and Collaborations: Interaction, Strategy, and a Bath
The convention served as a platform for forging new connections between brands and creators—with support from partners such as SMILE Insurance and Samsung.
Samsung demonstrated how technology can enhance creativity—from AI-powered editing to Nightography. Pekka Blanc, Senior Marketing Manager for Switzerland, described the convention and the Smile Influencer Award as a powerful platform for the brand, but noted that creators were hardly capable of generating direct leads.
A compelling real-world example was provided by SPAR Switzerland (Schirin Fässler, Marketing) and Equipe One AG (Siria Berli, Co-Founder & CEO). Both explained that, for them, TikTok primarily provides reach among younger target groups—not primarily revenue, but brand awareness. The goal is to establish SPAR as an integral part of the Swiss retail sector.
It caused a stir Weleda with an interactive activity: The brand showcased its new Booster Drops in a bathtub where guests could sit. m&k Editor Beat Hürlimann didn't miss the chance to take a dip in the crowd of influencers and spontaneously conducted an interview with Elisabeth Acket of Weleda – straight from the tub. Weleda uses influencers strategically to raise awareness and has partnered with, among others, "B" by the Elevator Boys for the campaign promoting the new drops.
They provided deep insights into sustainable collaboration Tamara Glück (GLÜCK Influencer Management & Consulting) and Loris Zimmerli. They demonstrated how a deal can evolve into a genuine partnership—through clear communication and a balance between market demands and creative freedom.
Public Institutions in the Creator Space
The public sector was also represented at the convention—a sign that the Creator Space has long been relevant to society as a whole. An unexpectedly exciting highlight was Martin Kaiser, Staff Adjutant of the Swiss Army. The army not only made its presence felt at the event but also showcased its equipment—including a drone that attracted the interest of many guests.
In his remarks, Kaiser emphasized how formative military service can be: He said that the age at which young people perform their military service is crucial for personal development and a sense of responsibility. According to Kaiser, the 20 weeks of military service should not be considered wasted time—but rather a lesson for life.
The Creator Economy Summit: The Smile Swiss Influence Award Night
When the lights go out and the stage lights up, the grand finale begins: the Smile Swiss Influence Award Night – The Creator Economy's Oscar Night.
The show honored the country's best and most influential creators and reflected the diversity of the Swiss influencer scene. Younes Saggara, known for his keenly observed lifestyle content, won the Smile Swiss Influence Award 2025 as Influencer of the Year. In the category Newcomer sat down Nathalie Schmid with its distinctive blend of fashion, mindset, and authenticity. The Entertainment Award brought Zeki Bulgurcu, who reaches millions with his humor and poise.
The topics of sustainability and purpose were also addressed: Nina Burri received the Social Impact Award for her dedication to mental health, while The Swiss Wanderer was honored for his content on conscious tourism.
By embedding the AI Media Award The Award Night also served as a bridge between creator culture and AI art—a sign that the Swiss influencer scene not only entertains but also inspires and pushes the boundaries of thinking.
Overall, the combination of the convention and the awards night lasted 3,000 guests . It reaffirmed the event’s reputation as Switzerland’s premier stage, where the brightest minds and boldest ideas of the creator economy come together—from the first beats of the afternoon to the final moments of applause at night.
