Hawke Media Announces Hawkefest 2026 Lineup, Gathering 1,500+ Builders Shaping Commerce to the Santa Monica Pier
Hawkefest 2026 transforms the traditional business conference into an elevated experience produced in partnership with RASA World, a global experiential production company behind large-scale events from Los Angeles and Miami to London, Dubai and Ibiza. Taking over the Santa Monica Pier, Hawkefest will pair RASA’s production expertise with candid conversations and meaningful connections among the founders, marketers, brand builders and entrepreneurs shaping the future of business and commerce.
Each year, Hawkefest adopts a new theme that adds to the experience beyond the stage. This year, Hawkefest goes Renaissance, transforming the Santa Monica Pier with live period actors, sword-fighting demonstrations that attendees can join themselves, carnival games, turkey legs, seafood bags, a mead bar, a live pitching competition, and more surprises throughout the day.
Programming will explore what it takes to build and grow brands in today’s rapidly changing business landscape, with conversations spanning marketing, brand building, growth and the realities of entrepreneurship. Founders and operators will share candid stories from building their companies, including the decisions, challenges and lessons that shaped their growth.
The 2026 speaker lineup includes:
- Rob Dyrdek: entrepreneur, media magnate, and CEO of Existence
- Sean Frank: CEO of Ridge
- Brian Lee: CEO and co-founder of Arena Club; founder of LegalZoom, ShoeDazzle and The Honest Company
- Fiona Ma: California State Treasurer
- Shaun Neff: founder of Beach House Group, the company behind Shay Mitchell’s BÉIS and Tracee Ellis Ross’ PATTERN
- Shadi Bakour: co-founder and CEO of PATH Water
- Peter Pham: co-founder and partner of Science Ventures, an early investor in Liquid Death and Dollar Shave Club
- Miles Rogers: chief marketing officer at Archer
- Chris Detert: chief communications officer at Influential, acquired by Publicis Groupe for $500 million
- Scott Kelly: founder and CEO of Black Dog Finance
Last year’s Hawkefest welcomed more than 800 attendees, including growth-stage founders, executives, senior marketing leaders and members of the media. This year, Hawkefest is expected to welcome 1,500 attendees, marking its largest gathering to date.
“I worked at Hawke Media nearly 10 years ago, so coming back to speak at Hawkefest is a really cool full-circle moment,” said Sean Frank, CEO of Ridge. “A lot has changed in ecommerce and brand building since then, and I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned building and scaling Ridge and having real conversations with other founders and operators doing the same.”
“Hawkefest has always been about creating something bigger than a traditional business conference,” said Erik Huberman, founder and CEO of Hawke Media. “We’ve spent more than a decade working alongside thousands of brands, founders and business leaders, and we’ve seen how valuable it is to bring those people together. Our role as an agency goes beyond the work we do for our clients. It’s about building an ecosystem where people can connect, share what they’re learning and create opportunities together.”
Hawkefest 2026 Event Details:
Date: Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
Time: 12:00–8:00 p.m. PT
Location: Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California
Hawkefest 2026 is supported by Greenlight Cyber, Banc of California, Reitler Law, Threecolts, ShipBob, Pressed Juicery, Drip Hydration, Oya Femtech Apparel, Stack Adapt, Black Dog Venture Partners and OUTFRONT Media.
Tickets and additional information are available at hawkefest.com
Members of the media interested in attending Hawkefest, interviewing speakers or arranging coverage can contact Anya Avedissian at anya@hawkemedia.com. Complimentary media passes are available for press.
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About Hawke Media
Hawke Media is one of the country's most rapidly expanding marketing agencies, dedicated to delivering bespoke, data-driven, and performance-centric solutions to help launch, scale, and revitalize businesses. As Your Outsourced CMO®, Hawke Media provides CMO-level expertise to brands of all sizes, creating customized strategies that align perfectly with each client’s unique needs.
Founded in 2014 by Erik Huberman, Hawke Media has helped more than 6,000 brands grow, including world-class names such as Red Bull, Funko, Barstool Sports, K-Swiss, and Crocs. For more information, visit www.hawkemedia.com
Anya Avedissian
Hawke Media
aavedissian@hawkemedia.com
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